AMF FIREBIRD

champs Ryan Nikolas & Isaac Mailkoff; girls' champ AJ Schock

        Three bowlers ground out big double-points wins on a challenging pattern in an exciting day of JBT Pacific Northwest Conference competition at Salem's Firebird Lanes.

        Ryan Nikolas began the scratch division stepladder finals with a 213-181 win over Jerry Jennings.  Ryan then got past first-time scratch finalist AJ Schock 214-188, and followed with a 223-190 win over Jake Mullen to climb up to the title match.

        Brian Monnette led the event wire to wire.   He was the only bowler to average over 200 in qualifying, and then a big win over Mullen in the semifinals, who had been pushing him all the way, triggered the rest of the day for him.  It was clear in the title match why Ryan and Brian are by far 1-2 in season-long points this year, as they put on great performances on the tough pattern.  Nikolas started hot, while Monnette filled frames until he found the look and strung four in a row late to make Ryan mark to win.  Nikolas sawed the rack on the deciding shot, and the 228-221 win gave him an important double points win, and the 8th title of his JBT career. 

        Isaac Mailkoff made it the second straight day a bowler had come from the first match to win an 8-person stepladder, a very difficult feat.  He started with a 37 game that eliminated Celeste Johnson (188) and earlier leader Madison Bash (209).   Mailkoff's then beat Evan Smith, another former leader, and Tyler Coates in round two, and followed with a semifinal win over Madison Brumbaugh and Collins Davis, who had a great run in round two, to advance to the title game.

        Top seed Christian Roberts used a huge final game to jump into the lead, and was, like Mailkoff, a first time finalist.  They both performed well for rookies to that spot, but when Roberts couldn't double in the tenth,  Isaac escaped with a 219-211 win, and his first career JBT title.

        Schock and Brumbaugh doubled their finals fun by also appearing in the girls' event title game.  AJ stayed in control of that match with a 209-177 win, getting her third girls win of the season, qualifying her for the Girls TPC this summer!

        Thanks very much to the team at Firebird for hosting us, doing a great job as usual.   Want in on all the fun and excitement JBT offers for all ages and averages?  Just check out our schedule and come on down, that's all there is to it!