Diana Zavjalova reigns as May IBMA Bowler of the Month

14 June, 2017

IBMA

4186

Ads

Diana Zavjalova of Latvia has been unanimously selected as the May 2017 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the International Bowling Media Association. Zavjalova captured her second USBC Queens tiara by defeating two-time defending PBA Player of the Year and no. 1 seed Liz Johnson of Deerfield, Illinois, 247-216.

The television stepladder finals started with fourth-seeded Cherie Tan of Singapore throwing the first ten strikes in a 289-210 win over fifth-seeded Marissa Thomas of Louisville, Kentucky.

Tan then ousted fellow Team Singapore member and no. 3 seed Jazreel Tan, 214-203. The second-seeded Zavjalova used nine strikes to oust Tan, 256-179, setting up the title match with the defending champion Johnson.

Zavjalova finished her first three qualifying rounds tied for 61st, 31st, and 54th places. In the 64-player double elimination bracket, she won her first five matches, advancing to the winner’s bracket championship match before falling to Johnson, 663-612. That win gave Johnson the top seed for the stepladder final and Zavjalova the second seed.

Other obtaining votes this month were Norm Duke, winner of the PBA50 Race City Open, Anthony Simonsen, winner of the PBA Xtra Frame Wilmington Open, Bryan Goebel, winner of the PBA50 Tour Miller Lite Players Championship, Amleto Monacelli, winner of the PBA50 Northern California Classic, and Lucy Sandelin, winner of the USBC Senior Queens.