QUALIFYING

Matchplay

December 3rd, 2017

24th Annual St. Paul Open Team Challenge

Submitted by: Wells Wescott and David Hoglund – St. Paul Team Challenge Chairpersons

On a beautiful December day in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, it was all Melrose Bowl Black as they were victorious and won the 24th annual St. Paul Open Team Challenge at Drkula’s 32 Bowl on Sunday December 4^th, 2016.

The Team Challenge is an all Baker style format of bowling where the first bowler bowls the 1^st and 6^th frames, the second bowler the 2^nd and 7^th frames and so forth.  Again, this year we had 32 teams consisting of 5 bowlers each and well over a 1,000 bowling balls.  The tournament paid the top twelve teams. The top prize of $1,350 for first place was not the only thing the teams were shooting for as we ran brackets during the qualifying rounds.  In addition, there was a $150 bonus for the first team to shot a 300 score. 

The Qualifying round of the tournament consisted of 12 games with the top 8 teams moving on to Match Play competition.  The top 3 teams after Match Play then move on to the Step Ladder finals. 

During the Qualifying competition of the tournament, The Locker Guy II team, captained by Tom Korth led the field with an average of 225.9.  The lowest average to qualify for the eighth position was 218.8 and an average of 213.1 was required to cash.  The eight teams moving on to Match play competition were;

            THE LOCKER GUY II                          MELROSE BOWL BLUE

            HUIKKO’S WIZARDS II                    COLUMBIA 300

            N A Q                                                  THE LAKERS   A

            FARMINGTON LANES CORAL         MELROSE BOWL BLACK

During the Match Play Competition, The Melrose Bowl Black team averaged 218.8 to achieve the 1^st place ranking followed by Huikko’s Wizards II team with an average of 210.0 and The Lakers “A” team with an average of 217.4.  Match play competition consists of 7, two game matches and an 8^th, position round match. Winners of each game in Match Play receive 15 bonus points and the team with the highest total during the match receives another 20 points.

In the stepladder semi-finals, Huikko’s Wizards II team bowled games of 204 and 216 for a total of 420 to narrowly defeat The Lakers “A” team (194, 225 total 419) and a chance to bowl the Melrose Bowl Black team for the championship.  In the finals, Melrose Bowl Black bowled games of 199 and 258 for a total of 457 while the Huikko’s Wizards II team bowled games of 170 and 225 for a total of 395 and win the 2017 St. Paul Open Team Challenge.

At this time, we would like to congratulate the team members of The Melrose Bowl Black team; Dave Olynyk, Tom Jones, Nick Hogan, Dave Lutz, and Daron Hanson.  An a big thank you, to all of the bowlers that participated in this tournament.  Additionally, we would also like to thank; Drkula’s 32 Bowl, Mike’s Pro Shop, the St. Paul USBC Association, and the Bowling Proprietors Association for their financial assistance.

No 300 was bowled during the qualifying portion of the tournament.  Therefore, a lottery drawing consisting of the 20 teams not finishing in the money was held.  The bonus of $150.00 for the Baker style 300 game was awarded to the A – Z Pro Shop Green team captained by Greg Schroeder.

The 25^th Annual St. Paul Open Team Challenge is planned for December 2nd, 2018 at a Bowling Center TBA and will be open to the first 32 paid entries.  Paid entries will be accepted starting in September and typically close by the first week in November.  I suggest you get your entries in early as this tournament fills up quickly.

Submitted by:

Wells Wescott and David Hoglund

Tournament Chairperson’s