Kelly Kulick (pictured left) of Union, N.J., the only woman ever to win a Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour title, took command of her regional group Wednesday after the first 10 of 15 games in the opening round of the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs at Western Bowl Wednesday.

Kulick, who won the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions, averaged 247.2 for 10 games for a 2,472 pinfall total to not only lead the Southwest Region into Thursday's final five first-round games, but to pace the entire tournament field.

Kulick, who was seeded into the Southwest Region after qualifying a disappointing 50th on the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competition points standings, had 299, 290 and a pair of 278s games Wednesday.

Other regional leaders were Rhino Page (left) of Dade City, Fla., the South Region leader with 2,471 pins – one behind Kulick; Lonnie Waliczek of Wichita, Kan., in the West/Northwest Region with a 2,358 total; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, with a 2,399 total in the Midwest Region; Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli (right) with a 2,324 total in the South Region, and Billy Oatman of Chicago paced the Central Region with a 2,246 total. Among the six regional leaders, Oatman is the only one without a PBA Tour title.

"I've known something was wrong for a while," Kulick said of her sub-par season. "The (Earl Anthony Memorial) in Dublin (Calif.) was frustrating, but the eye-opener was last week at the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship. It didn't matter if I was throwing plastic or urethane balls. I was getting the same reactions, so that re-confirmed my problem was physical rather than mechanical to get the ball to do what I wanted it to do.

"My arm swing bumped right at start and went behind my back," she continued. "My swing plane wasn't straight, so my hand couldn't repeat a consistent release. It magnified my misses. With Mike Machuga's help, I have created a different feel by pushing the ball left in my approach, which makes my swing straighter and my release effortless. And so far it's working; I'm not trying to over-analyze it. It's still a long week."

The PBA playoffs feature six independent regional groups bowling elimination rounds within their respective regions. The first round concludes Thursday morning with a final five-game session.

After 15 games, the top nine from each Region will advance to the second round Thursday evening where they will be joined by six Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour players who finished 13th through 18th in 2010-11 competition points (Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind.; Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo.; Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla.; Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y.; Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.).

Elimination rounds will continue Friday when 12 more seeded Exempt Tour players will enter the competition.

On Sunday, the three survivors in each Region will advance to two Regional Championship and one Conference Championship television shows. The television shows at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern will be taped for delayed telecast on ESPN on Sunday, March 27, at 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 3, at 1 p.m. Eastern, and Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern, respectively.

The six Conference Championship survivors will return to Indianapolis on Sunday, April 17, for the final live telecast of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season. ESPN will air the finals at 1 p.m. Eastern. First prize in the event is $50,000.

All of the elimination rounds Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are being video streamed live on Xtra Frame, pba.com's exclusive online video streaming service.

 

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Dick Weber PBA Playoffs - Round One

Standings after 10 of 15 games; final 5 games Thursday morning; top 9 per region after 15 games advance to Round Two.

East Region
1, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 2,471
2, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,315
3, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 2,266
4, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,260
5, Jeffrey Voght, Canojaharie, N.Y., 2,220
6, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 2,190
7, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 2,187
8, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,155
9, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,145
10, Terry Miller, York, Pa., 2,130
11, Jason Stadtler, Cherry Hill, N.J., 2,109
12, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa., 2,105
13, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 2,089
14, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 2,083
15, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,081
16, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 2,019
17, Kevin Cartier, Beverly, N.J., 2,014
18, Jason Weaver, Denver, Pa., 2,012
19, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 2,001
20, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,985
21, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,969
22, John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 1,962
23, Charles Anderson, Sloatsburg, N.Y., 1,941
24, Michael Tweed Sr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,838

South Region
1, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,324
2, Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., 2,323
3, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,321
4, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,320
5, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 2,262
6, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,261
7, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,240
8, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,209
9, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,186
10, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,178
11, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,177
12, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 2,151
13, Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 2,131
14, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 2,126
15, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 2,109
16, Ron Schoenbachler, Indianapolis, 2,096
17, Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va., 2,086
18, Josh Chambliss, Charleston, S.C., 2,085
19, Dave Arnold, Dublin, Calif., 2,068
20, Seby Silvestri, Louisville, Ky., 2,067
21, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 2,057
22, Steve Taylor, Madison Heights, Va., 2,011
23, Richard Chmura, Lumberton, N.C., 2,002
300 game – Bobby Hall II

Central Region
1, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 2,246
2, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 2,199
3, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 2,191
4, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,189
5, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,180
6, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,176
7, Larry Verble, Mason, Mich., 2,152
8, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 2,148
9, Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 2,144
10, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 2,130
11, Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 2,121
12, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,115
13, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,085
14, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,065
15, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 2,064
16, Tim Bell, Garden City, Mich, 2,061
17, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,059
18, Matt Freiberg, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,042
19, Kenneth Kolberg Jr., Cleveland, Ohio, 2,024
20, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 2,022
21, Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, 2,004
22, Ted Rosenquist Jr., Valparaiso, Ind., 1,948
23, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,843
300 game – Anthony LaCaze

Midwest Region
1, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,399
2, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,339
3, Stuart Williams, England, 2,309
4, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,288
5, Michael Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 2,260
6, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 2,253
7, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,222
8, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,211
9, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,145
10, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 2,123
11, Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan., 2,089
12, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,081
13, Mark London, Ingleside, Ill., 2,070
14, Dallas Baldridge, Lenexa, Kan., 2,057
15, Chad Maas, Waukesha, Wis., 2,023
16, Brian Menini, Brookfield, Mo., 2,017
17, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 2,008
18, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,992
19, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,990
20, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,988
21, Nick Weber, Foristell, Mo., 1,977
22, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,972
23, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,894
300 game – Mike Steil

Southwest Region
1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,472
2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,304
3, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 2,299
4, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,275
5, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 2,207
6, Brett Cooper, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,177
7, Chris Hibbitts II, Ft Worth, Texas, 2,158
8, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,132
9, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 2,095
10, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,074
11, Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 2,072
12, Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas, 2,070
13, Jay Futrell, Derby, Kan., 2,069
14, Danny Neill, Allen, Texas, 2,039
15, (tie) Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas, and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 2,035
17, Bill Alexander, San Angelo, Texas, 2,019
18, Andy Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,979
19, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,970
20, Jim Carter, Keller, Texas, 1,922
21, Robert McBride, Mesquite, Texas, 1,846
22, Darren Comardelle, Gretna, La., 1,773
23, Mike Keily, Littleton, Colo., 1,619

West/Northwest Region
1, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 2,358
2, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 2,331
3, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 2,316
4, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2,298
5, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 2,294
6, Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., 2,284
7, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,280
8, (tie) Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., and Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 2,276
10, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 2,263
11, Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore., 2,224
12, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 2,199
13, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 2,160
14, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 2,147
15, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 2,104
16, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,083
17, Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 2,080
18, Justin Howard, Rushville, Ind., 1,998
19, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 1,988
20, Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles, 1,952
21, John Wilcox, Kirkland, Wash., 1,680
22, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, withdrew