EJ Tackett rebounds to advance to PBA Chameleon Championship Round of 8

07 December, 2016

PBA National Tour

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After a disappointing Round of 16 in the PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Challenge Mobile Game, EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., rebounded to advance to the Round of 8 in the PBA Chameleon Championship presented by HotelPlanner.com Tuesday at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Tackett, who has already earned the top qualifying berth for Sunday’s PBA World Championship stepladder finals, defeated 2016 U.S. Open winner Francois Lavoie of Canada 3-1 (248-226, 258-214, 200-202, 286-267) in the Chameleon Championship best-of-five single elimination Round of 16 match.

Earlier in the day Tackett found it tough going in the Cheetah Championship Round of 16 losing in three games.

“I just bowled bad and blew it off,” said the four-time Tour winner (pictured right and above) about the Cheetah Round of 16. “I came into tonight trying to regroup by practicing a little more so I made sure I had my feet under me.

“I anticipated a tough match against Francois and thought I probably opened the door in the fourth game,” Tackett added. “We were both playing the same part of the lane and had a good shot. It was a good match and I felt fortunate to win it.”

After just missing the PBA World Championship finals Monday by finishing sixth, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (left) of St. Ann, Mo., advanced to the Chameleon Round of 8.

Continuing to battle lingering pain after recently being diagnosed with scoliosis in his lower back, Weber won the Round of 16 with a 3-1 (267-182, 258-268, 254-248, 263-227) win over Canadian Patrick Girard.

“Throwing the ball I feel great,” said Weber, who ranks fourth on the PBA Tour all-time win list with 37 titles. “The pain is actually forcing me to stay upright at the (foul) line which keeps me from chasing the ball down.

“You probably couldn’t tell it by looking at me but I’m actually feeling better as the tournament goes on. I’m determined to finish this thing.”

Weber is coming off a 2016 PBA50 Tour (for players 50 and over) season in which he earned PBA50 Player of the Year honors winning a record six PBA50 Tour tournaments including four in a row.

2016PBABrandonNovak Also advancing to the Chameleon Championship Round of 8, which is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. were Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3-1; Thomas Larsen (left), Denmark, 3-0; Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3-1; Brandon Novak (right), Chillicothe, Ohio, 3-2; A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3-2, and Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3-1.

The 24 players competing in today’s match play rounds advanced from Chameleon Championship qualifying conducted last Wednesday.

After Thursday’s Round of 8, the top four players will advance to the ESPN taping of the Chameleon Championship at 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. The Chameleon Championship telecast will air Saturday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. ET.

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII action continues with Round of 24 and Round of 16 matches for the PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno-Tahoe USA and PBA Shark Championship which will get underway Wednesday.

All qualifying and match play elimination rounds in the World Series are being covered live, exclusively by PBA’s online live-streaming service, Xtra Frame. For more information, click here.

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PBA Chameleon Championship – Round of 8 Match-ups

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; four players will advance to the ESPN taping of the Chameleon Championship at 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.

Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, vs. Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif.
E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., vs. Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn.
A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., vs. Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio
Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., vs. Thomas Larsen, Denmark

PBA Chameleon Championship – Round of 16

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; eight players advance to Thursday’s Round of 8; losers earn $1,250.

Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, def. Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3-1
(235-234, 269-246, 218-258, 280-219)
Thomas Larsen, Denmark, def. Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 3-0
(258-233, 279-188, 261-222).
Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., def. Matthew McNiel, Minneapolis, Minn., 3-1
(210-218, 244-225, 289-189, 216-205)
Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, def. B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 3-2
(227-246, 238-255, 268-212, 205-181, 258-199)

E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3-1
(248-226, 258-214, 200-202, 286-267)
A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., def. Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3-2
(197-201, 227-175, 240-259, 265-235, 256-192)
Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., def. Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3-1
(266-162, 202-242, 247-162, 222-199)
Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. Patrick Girard, Canada, 3-1
(267-182, 258-268, 254-248, 263-227)

PBA Chameleon Championship – Round of 24

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; eight players advance to Round of 16; losers earn $700.

Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3-1
(197-198, 278-227, 256-172, 259-194)
E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3-1
(202-210, 240-224, 256-216, 257-235)
B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., def. Arturo Quintero, Mexico, 3-2
(232-181, 266-186, 196-212, 174-226, 217-191)
Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio def. Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3-2
(180-206, 174-200, 224-173, 217-215, 203-203, Dombroski won one-frame roll-off in final game)

Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., def. Sam Cooley, Australia, 3-0
(222-178, 184-172, 198-185)
Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., def. Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 3-1
(228-263, 267-191, 247-198, 237-188)
A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., def. Mik Stampe, Denmark, 3-1
(243-163, 230-195, 178-263, 268-222)
Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., def. Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3-1
(257-234, 226-210, 201-214, 238-237)

Herbert Bickel