Ryan Ciminelli (pictured left) continued to pace the field in the Professional Bowlers Association Cheetah Championship after first-round qualifying Tuesday at Thunderbowl Lanes.

Ciminelli, of Buffalo, N.Y., finished qualifying with a 3,477 14-game pinfall (248.3 average). In Tuesday’s second seven-game qualifying block he rolled 1,682 with games of 267, 209, 248, 253, 223, 234 and 248 after bowling 1,795 in the first block earlier in the day that included a 300 game.

The 72-player field has been cut to the top 28 players who will advance to best-of-seven game match play beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m. Match play continues on Thursday with the finals to be conducted at 7 p.m. ET. For the first time in PBA history, the semifinals and finals will also be conducted using the best-of-seven game format.

Rounding out the top four who earned a first-round bye in match play were reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott (left), 3,390; Hall of Famer Norm Duke (right), 3,389 and one-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist Jack Jurek, 3,381.

Duke rolled the highest second-block total of 1741 after starting with back-to-back 290s followed by 278.

The key for Ciminelli so far has been making minor adjustments and using less aggressive urethane equipment.

“I love the Cheetah (lane condition) pattern and have a lot of confidence striking on it,” said the 23-year-old Ciminelli, whose best Tour finish is seventh. “Right now I’m sticking with a urethane ball and I’m throwing straight down the lane which is key for me to be able to carry strikes.

“The second block was a little bit like a roller coaster,” the left-hander added. “After the first two games I had to increase my ball speed and rev rate to get to the pocket more consistently.”

Also rolling 300 games and advancing to match play Tuesday were Derek Sapp (13th) and two-handed international star Osku Palermaa (right) of Finland (19th). Joining Palermaa in the Round of 24 is England's Stuart Williams (left), who landed in 26th place.

The Cheetah Championship, conducted on PBA’s Cheetah lane conditioning pattern, is the second tournament of the PBA World Series of Bowling which runs through Sept. 6.

The entire Cheetah Championship is being taped with the highlight-style telecast airing on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. ET.

 

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PBA Cheetah Championship - Round One Qualifying

Players with position, hometown and 14-game total. Top 28 advance to best-of-seven game match play.

1, Ryan Ciminelli, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,477
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,390
3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,389
4, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,381
5, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,377
6, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 3,374
7, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,344
8, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,341
8, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., 3,341
10, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 3,334
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,323
12, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,312
13, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 3,299
14, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,296
15, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 3,290
16, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,275
17, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,274
18, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 3,266
19, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,260, $100
20, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,258
21, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,253
22, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 3,237
23, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 3,222
24, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 3,218
25, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 3,216
26, Stuart Williams, England, 3,206
27, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,202
28, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,200

Missed Cut:
29, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,197, $1,600
30, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3,192, $1,600
30, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,192, $1,600
32, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,190, $1,600
33, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,187, $1,600
34, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,186, $1,600
35, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 3,181, $1,600
36, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 3,180, $1,600
37, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,179, $1,500
38, Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,170, $1,500
39, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,168, $1,500
39, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,168, $1,500
41, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 3,161, $1,500
42, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 3,157, $1,600
43, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,151, $1,500
44, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,148, $1,500
45, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 3,140, $1,500
46, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,139, $1,500
47, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,135, $1,500
48, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,133, $1,500
49, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,130, $1,500
50, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,114, $1,500
51, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 3,107, $1,500
52, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,099, $1,500
53, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,091, $1,500
54, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,051, $1,500
55, Jeong Tae-Hwa, South Korea, 3,044, $1,400
56, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 3,032, $1,400
57, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 3,023, $1,400
58, George Lambert IV, Canada, 3,018, $1,400
59, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,013, $1,400
60, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 3,007, $1,400
61, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,005, $1,400
62, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 2,996, $1,400
63, Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, Ill., 2,981, $1,400
64, Dave Arnold, Dublin, Calif., 2,975, $1,400
65, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 2,965, $1,400
66, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 2,939, $1,400
67, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 2,929, $1,400
68, Edward VanDaniker Jr, Essex, Md., 2,898, $1,400
69, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,884, $1,400
70, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 2,882, $1,400
71, Paul Moor, England, 2,778, $1,400
72, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,532 (WD), $1,400