By:
Mark Martin
MICHIGAN
STATE
MASTERS RESULTS
Jeff
Austreng of
Waterford
Township
won the inaugural Michigan State Masters at Royal Scot Lanes in
Lansing
Sunday when he defeated Mason Brantley of
Detroit
418-391 to win the $5,000 first prize and the title. Brantley settled for the
second place check of $2,500.
Austreng
qualified fourth with a six-game total of 1,361. In match play he remained
undefeated by beating Lisa Bishop of
Belleville
428-337 in the two-game matches, John Milletics of
Sandusky
435-368, Raymond Eddy III of
Saginaw
414-301, Carleton Chambers of
Detroit
433-393 and John Essenmacher Jr. of Lenox 445-395 to advance to the finals.
“I’m
speechless and super excited.” said the 37-year-old Austreng. “This event
places a premium on shot making and making spares.”
Austreng
beat the best bowlers in the state of
Michigan
on a difficult lane pattern under tight Sport Bowling requirements averaging
218.6 and only recording two games of the 18 he bowled under 200. The lane
pattern was the same as the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Masters
Tournament.
He
also won a paid entry into the 2009 USBC Masters, which will be contested in
Las Vegas
in February 2009.
“Now
Griffin
will get the bunk beds he’s been asking for.” said the jubilant Austreng.
“Before leaving he asked for bunk beds if I won and I promised I would get it
for him if I won. Now I will make good on that promise.”
Griffin
is Austreng’s five-year-old son.
Brantley
qualified third with 1,363. He lost his first match against Terence Haines II of
Garden City 420-410 falling into the loser’s bracket. He then won eight
matches to advance to the finals. He beat Mike Chrzanowski of Shepherd, Ted
Boltz of
Muskegon
398-371, John Nolen of
Waterford
Township
415-391, Julie Hall of Richville 424-377, Tyler Wilds of Marcellus 431-365,
Brian Waliczek of Birch Run 471-392, Duane Henderson of
Detroit
453-418 and Essenmacher 380-366.
Essenmacher
qualified 22nd with 1,256. In match play he beat Mark Milasinovich of
Oxford
459-444, Nolen 416-409, Haines 416-393 and Waliczek 401-379 before falling into
the loser’s bracket with the loss to Austreng 445-395. Once in the lower
bracket he fell to Brantley 380-366. Essenmacher took home $2,000.
Henderson
qualified 15th with 1,286. In match play he beat David Cushion of
Dewitt 455-341, Ted Boltz of
Muskegon
488-478 then fell to Waliczek 403-392. In the loser’s bracket he eliminated
top qualifier Randy Warnken of
Clinton
Township
430-382, Haines 492-382 and Chambers 372-350 before losing to Brantley 453-418.
Henderson
settled for $1,500.
Top
qualifier Warnken led the qualifying by 41 pins with 1,415. He won his first
match against George Miller of
Grand Rapids
499-375, then fell to Hall 408-398. He went on the beat Darryl McGhee of
Burton
415-378 before falling out of the competition with a loss to
Henderson
430-382. Warnken took home $500.
The
field of 181 bowlers average 191.09 during the six games of qualifying. The top
game in qualifying was recorded by Chad Gutzman of Mount Pleasant with 299. In
match play Carleton Chambers of
Detroit
had the top game with 298.
The
top 32 qualifiers averaged 215.2 during qualifying and 204.6 in match play.
Other
Oakland
County
cashers were John Nolen of
Waterford
Township
for $300, Mark Milasinovich of
Oxford
$200 and Justin Crosby of Holly $150.
The
Michigan State USBC Masters Tournament is a USBC certified event operated by the
Michigan State USBC Association.
------
HONOR
SCORES
300
Games
Date,
Name, Hometown, Center, League
April
2, Kenneth Kwapis,
Royal Oak
,
Clawson
Troy Elks,
Clawson
Progressive
April
6, Darryl Martin,
Southfield
, Bronco Lanes, Sunday Gents
April
8, James Russell,
Troy
, Sunnybrook Lanes,
Corpus Christi
April
10, Donnie Beach II, Rochester Hills, Astro Lanes, Thursday Night Men’s
April
10, Evan Abraham,
Farmington Hills
, Cloverlanes, Wen-Mixed
April
11,
Lawrence
Mathies Jr.,
Detroit
, Plum Hollow Lanes, Friday Nite Out
April
11, John Burke, Pinckney, Country Lanes, Friday Mixed Trio
April
13, Marcus Fisher,
Southfield
, Bay Lanes,
Michigan
State
Youth Tournament
April
14, Dennis Horwitz,
Farmington Hills
, Country Lanes, Brotherhood Eddie Jacobson
April
15, Michael Collier,
Oxford
, Collier Lanes,
Oxford
Merchants
April
15, Anthony Felix,
Clinton
Twp., Fairlanes, Pioneer Men’s
800
Series
Date, Name
(Score), Hometown, Center, League
April
2, Robert Vervinck Jr. (803),
Farmington Hills
, Sunnybrook Lanes, Sunnybrook Wednesday Morning Classic
April
11, Steven Bradley (813),
Oak Park
,
Hazel Park
Bowl, Pepsi Classic
Mark
Martin writes a weekly bowling column for The Daily Oakland Press and is the
association manager of the Metro Detroit USBC Association. He can be reached at
(248) 443-2695, faxed at (248) 443-2690 or e-mailed at mark.martin@mdusbc.com.