A pair of Batavia-based bowling teams – Johnson 3 and Johnson 2 – captured first and second place in the 1,001 and Over Division at the 97th annual New York State Open Championships.
Competition in five-person team, doubles and singles took place in April and May at Spare Time in the Albany suburb of Latham.
The Johnson 3 team of Gregg Wolff, Scott Gibson, Mike Lambert, Fred Gravanda and Jim Pursel earned the $4,500 top prize with a 3,321 handicap score – 3,116 scratch plus 205 pins handicap.
Pursel led the way with a 681 series, followed by Gibson at 662, Wolff 604, Lambert 600 and Gravanda 569.
Wolff and Lambert also were on the Johnson 2 team that took runner-up honors out of 130 teams – good for $2,250. That squad’s score was 3,292 – 3,047 scratch and 245 pins handicap.
Mike Johnson led the way with 647, while Lambert chipped in with 643, Wolff 606, Jason Quilliam 605 and Josh Caryl 546.
Two other Johnson teams (organized by Mike Johnson) cashed in the tournament, with Johnson 4 placing 13th and Johnson 1 placing 16th.
Other Genesee Region USBC bowlers who did well in the four-weekend event were as follows:
DOUBLES
- 400 and Under Division – Steve and Haley O’Dell, 15th place, 1,180, $160;
- 401 and Over Division – Matt Buckley and Leon Hurd, 12th place, 1,384, $261;
SINGLES
- 201 and Over Division – Scott Culp, 3rd place, 771, $912;
ALL-EVENTS
- 201 and Over Division – Culp, 5th place, 2,111, $199; Matt Balduf, 6th place, 2,098, $165.
NYS WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS, VESTAL
Several Genesee Region USBC members cashed at the 85th annual NYS Women’s Championships at Midway Lanes in Vestal.
DOUBLES
- 299 and Under Division – Alexis DeLong and Darleen Balduf, 6th place, 1,181, $286; Darlene Merle and Kelly Klump, 7th place, 1,176, $265; Jennifer Merle and Alishia Foss, 10th place, 1,165, $222; Jennifer DeLong and Tammy Fisher, 18th place, 1,144, $163.
SINGLES
- 150-189 Division – Tammy Fisher, 3rd place, 645, $255.50.
ALL-EVENTS
- 149 and Under Division – Jennifer Merle, 10th place, 1,909, $86;
- 150-189 Division – Cathi Fournier, 6th place, 1,826, $120; Fisher, 8th place, 1,815, $104.
Submitted photo: Members of the first-place team at the NYS Open Championships, from left, Batavians Fred Gravanda, Mike Lambert and Gregg Wolff and Oakfield's Scott Gibson. Jim Pursel of Batavia also was on the winning squad.
