Gone Fishing, Figuratively Speaking, Until Next Tuesday

I'll be too busy the next few days to post here. But I hope all of you in the States have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and the rest of you a great regular weekend. And I'll be back next Tuesday to update you on the latest developments in the bowling world, a choice quote and video, and an entry about a rising young star in the Sacramento area.

Bowling Bytes--5/27/10

~ MIKE J. LANESIDE: WSOB--A Major Way to Start the Season -- "What if you and I were having a cool beverage and I told you a story about a professional bowling organization that decided to add a cool half a million dollars to its prize fund for its season-opening event? Can we personally think of any pro or even non-pro bowling group that has ever done that? Would you be interested in participating in that event or watching it unfold on national television or following the proceedings online? How about seven opportunities to compete for a title on national television at that season-opening event, does that have any appeal for you?..."

~ Las Vegas Will Host 2010 World Series of Bowling -- "Last year, the PBA Tour debuted the World Series of Bowling--a large concentration of bowling and events in one local area--in Detroit, Michigan. Many criticized, or at least feared, the taping of the first six PBA shows. In this very blog, I routinely took shots at the taped events. Others feared it was a sign of a failing sport that it had to record so many events in such a short period of time. Obviously, finances play a huge role in the logistics of the World Series of Bowling. But last year's WSOB turned out to be very entertaining for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of my favorites..."

~ Jesper Agerbo overtakes second place in qualifying at Bowltech Aalborg International -- "Jesper Agerbo (pictured left), Denmark, led the third of 14 qualifying squads Wednesday at Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark, en route to overtake second place overall in the Bowltech Aalborg International 2010. Agerbo, a silver medalist in Masters at the 2008 World Championships (he lost to the great Walter Ray Williams Jr., three-games-to-none), rolled games of 254, 235, 209, 200, 247 and 246 for 1391 six-game total and an average of 231.83..."

~ The 11th Frame: Scores keep heating up in Reno -- "One popular theory is that scores pick up later in the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships because the track is wearing in on the new lanes. However, that theory doesn't apply to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, where the lanes were last replaced prior to the 2006 USBC Women's Championships. (At convention centers outside Reno the lanes are new each year.) Still, the scoring pace has been hot recently in Reno, with the latest barrage including three perfect games and three significant changes in the standings in just 15 hours, USBC reported. Clint Roth of Orange City, Fla.; Lou Gorcos of Crown Point, Ind.; and Frank Barefoot Jr. of Hesperia, Calif., rolled the 20th, 21st and 22nd 300s of the year and made it five consecutive days with a perfect game on the tournament lanes, while one-time PBA Tour titlist Dave Wodka of Chatsworth, Calif., cracked the top 10 in singles and all-events..."

~ The 11th Frame: Traber set to defend PBA Senior Tour titles -- "Coming off beating the "youngsters" in winning the PBA Midwest Regional in Oak Forest, Ill., May 15-16, Dale Traber is set to defend the two PBA Senior Tour titles he won last year. The Cedarburg righty last year won the Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood, Calif., and the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters in Las Vegas.The Northern California stop starts Sunday, and is followed by two Senior majors -- the Senior U.S. Open presented by Suncoast and the USBC Senior Masters -- both in Las Vegas..."

~ A "Grand Time"--Kulick "Slams Door on History -- "History beckoned Kelly Kulick pretty much all season long. Teased her. Dared her. Challenged her. Called out to her. In some respects, forced her. Kulick responded with one more major moment by running down top seed Liz Johnson in the 2010 US Open title match, 233-203 to not only affirm that Kulick, not Johnson is the world's best female kegler, but signed off on what can arguably be considered the greatest season in women's bowling history. Sorry. I meant to say bowling's history..."

~ Koff siblings selected to Dexter/USBC All-America Team -- "Andrew Koff of Miami, Fla., has been named to the 2009-10 Dexter/United States Bowling Congress High School All-America Team for the third consecutive season and is joined on this year's team by his sister, Ana. Andrew Koff, who recently graduated from Gulliver Preparatory School, is the first person to make the Dexter team three times. He also was named to the team in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Ana, a junior at Gulliver Preparatory School, won the Florida High School Athletic Association state singles title this season..."

~ Tiny Squad 6 -- "It was very disappointing that very few entries were recived for the late Thursday squad, just 13 players and a pacer meant that there were just two players per pair of lanes. Standouts when the roster as published had Danes Jimmy Mortensen and Johnni Adsbol, along with England’s talented Stuart Williams as leading contenders but things seldom go according to plan and they didn’t tonight..."

~ Ironic justice? -- "Arson was suspected. Shortly thereafter, Steve Smink, the operator of nearby Pike Lanes, was charged with setting the fire..."

~ Questions on coverstocks, lowering scores and ball speed -- "Q: What is the difference between “pearl” bowling balls and “solid” bowling balls?...Q: Many bowlers in my area feel that the way to lower scores and make the game fairer for all would be to raise the weight of the bowling pin. What’s your opinion?...Q: How do I get more revs on the ball?...Q: I’ve always been a speed-dominant bowler (18.75 to 19.25-mph) and feel good about it. People tell me my speed overpowers my revs so the ball does not read the mid-lane. I took my pro shop tech’s advice to back down on the speed, or try to match my revs and speed evenly for a better read. How do I take away the muscle and let gravity work?..."

Bowling Quote of the Day--Chris Barnes as Lost's Ben Linus

Is he a bad guy? A good guy? Victim or perpetrator? That would be Ben Linus in a nutshell, as Lost coyly hid the motives and the morals of the show's slipperiest character up until the very end. Fans feel very much the same way about Barnes, not sure whether to cast the talented 12-time champ as a hero or a villain in the PBA drama. Part of the problem may be that Barnes certainly displays both sides of his personality on the lanes...the intense desire to win at all costs no matter who or what might get in the way, then the good-guy, charity boosting, family man - often all during the same telecast. I like to believe that, in the end, CB will end up a good guy like Ben.
--Jason Thomas

Bowling Video of the Day--Matt Gasn Bowling

Here's a very short video of Matt Gasn bowling.

Bowling Bytes--5/26/10

~ 18-Year-Old Matt Gasn Continues Trend of Youth Excellence in PBA Events -- "The youth movement in PBA competition continued last weekend when 18-year-old Matt Gasn of Laurel, Md., won the PBA East Region Non-Champions Open at Faxon Lanes. Gasn’s win is the latest in a wave of outstanding showings by youth bowlers in PBA regional events. Bowling as a non-PBA member, he had a 7-1 match play record, averaged 233 and defeated Michael Bohner of Allentown, Pa., 2-0 in the best-of-three championship match to win a $1,500 scholarship for his SMART account...He bowled in his first regional three years ago at age 15 finishing 12th and has a previous best regional finish of fifth...Among Gasn’s other accomplishments in PBA competition include a seventh-place tie finish in a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour TQR narrowly missing the Shark Championship field in December 2008. In April 2009, Bowlers Journal named him as one of seven bowlers to watch in future PBA Tour seasons, but for now school remains the priority..."

~ Xtra Frame Top Moment #4: U.S. Open Position Round Shocker -- "This week's Top Moment may have been THE top moment I witnessed the entire season. It was definitely the most shocking. The Open was an extremely pivotal event, even aside from the fact that it's often considered the most prestigious event on Tour. Bill O'Neill, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Mike Scroggins were each jockeying for Player of the Year positioning and all were in contention for spots on the telecast. O'Neill, Scroggins and Tommy Jones were safely in (they bowled for the top three seeds), but Williams (the eventual PoY winner) was involved in a five-way battle for ONE spot..."

~ Caroline Lagrange, Art Oliver Jr. are the Canadian National Champions -- "Caroline Lagrange (pictured left) of Montreal, Quebec and Art Oliver Jr. (right), Hamilton, Ontario are the 2010 Canadian National Champions. Defending women’s national champion Lagrange led the women's field by 78 pins to win her second consecutive national championship. Oliver had a comfortable 206-pin lead in the men's divison to cruise to his first title. Both Lagrange and Oliver are multi-year Team Canada members..."

~ Marcelo Suartz wins XIX Copa AMF Brazil -- "Marcelo Suartz won the XIX Copa AMF Brazil to earn the right to represent his country in the 46th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Bowling 300 Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia (Oct. 15-24, 2010)..."

~ Three players move into top 10 in qualifying at Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 -- "Three players from qualifying squad 2 moved into the top 10 in the qualifying of the Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 Tuesday at Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark..."

~ Harry Smith for Manhattan (1948)

~ "Easy" House Shots -- "You may have read, heard, or experienced the phrase "easy house shot." But what does it mean? Is any shot in bowling actually easy, especially for a beginner?..."

~ Breaking free from the house condition mindset -- "A bowler can come to harbor many delusions over the course of 20 years in house shot leagues, but few compare to the delusion that I myself once entertained as a member of the same league as the great Bo Burton at Stuart Lanes in Stuart, Fla. in the 2004-2005 season. There, as I watched Bo rack up one 700 series after another and, on occasion, an 800 series, I almost believed that the discrepancy between the 214 average I myself recorded there and the 235 average that Burton maintained was merely a matter of 20 pins or so. After making the leap from that walled-up house shot to local sport shot leagues and tournaments, I very quickly realized that the discrepancy was not merely one of pins, but also of a wisdom that I could only hope to possess with some very hard work and skilled coaching..."

~ The 11th Frame: Wolfe and his Blue Hammer smash Reno again -- "For years, the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., was known as a haven for left-handers. One of the most visible instances was the triumph at the 2002 Masters by relatively unheralded lefty Brett Wolfe, who used an old urethane Blue Hammer throughout that tournament...On Sunday and Monday, Wolfe and his Blue Hammer -- the same model but not the same ball he used in the 2002 Masters -- resurfaced in the headlines by slamming the Stadium again, moving into second in all-events at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with a 2,245 total, USBC reported. The score is behind only the all-time record 2,326 of -- you guessed it -- fellow southpaw Matt McNiel of Chanhassen, Minn. With Minnesota lefties Steve Bohn and John Kreyer Jr. also leading doubles at 1,514, this year as shaping up as the most lefty-friendly USBC OC since 2006 in Corpus Christi, when lefties populated much of the upper reaches of the all-events leaderboard..."

~ Bowling ball manufacturers: Interview with Ebonite International, Inc. -- "I recently had a chance to interview Brenda Green, who serves as marketing services manager for Ebonite International, Inc. since she joined the company in 2003, She oversees the company’s pro shop support programs as well as leads and coordinates the marketing activities between brand managers, communications agencies and sales teams. She is currently a Silver Level USBC Certified Coach and organizes a youth bowling league in Clarksville, Tenn., with approximately 150 youth, ages 3-22..."

Bowling Video of the Day--Brett Wolfe Wins ABC Masters

Amateur Brett Wolfe, who is currently in second place in all-events in the USBC Open, beat pro Dennis Horan Jr. in the final match of the 2002 ABC Masters. You can watch it below.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Pete Weber as Lost's Sawyer

"Lost's lovable bad bay was Sawyer, a rogue career con man who constantly vacillated between self-interest and genuine self-sacrificing heroism. PDW embodies the bad boy persona on the PBA Tour, with his take-no-prisoners mentality and numerous emotional outbursts out on the lanes. Sit down with Pete off the lanes, however, and you will find that he is one of the most down-to-earth, giving people you'll ever hope to meet."
--Jason Thomas

Bowling Bytes--5/25/10

~ Dreams for Some Future PBA Stars Begins This Weekend at PBA Regional Players Championships -- "Just a year ago, Joe Ciccone of Buffalo, N.Y., had lost his exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, and with his exemption gone, his dream of one day winning a PBA Tour title was severely limited. Winning the 2009 PBA Regional Players Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit, however, became a life-changing experience. Along with the RPC title, Ciccone earned his first trip to the PBA Tournament of Champions, an $8,000 prize and a boost in confidence that helped him also regain his Tour exemption the following week in the PBA Tour Trials. The PBA Regional Players Championship returns to Thunderbowl May 28-31 at Thunderbowl as a stand-alone event. There won’t be a PBA Tour Trials as a companion event this time around, but the ultimate prize at the end of the RPC rainbow is brighter than ever..."

~ South Point in Las Vegas to Host 14-Day 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling -- "South Point Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center on the south side of Las Vegas will host the 2010 edition of the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling, a 14-day extravaganza that will award six PBA Tour titles and pay $625,000 in prize money by the time it’s over. The event, which will be open to PBA members from across America and around the world, begins Sunday, Oct. 24, and culminates with the taping of six television programs over two days Nov. 5-6. The shows will air on ESPN starting Sunday, Nov. 28.

~ Jason Thomas: A PBA.com Tribute to Lost -- "If you've followed my work here on PBA.com and Xtra Frame long enough, you'll know that I'm one of the world's biggest fans of the TV show "Lost", which ended last night. (That sound you hear is me, weeping...and trying to figure out what to do with the extra 3-5 hours a week I normally spend on watching/studying/talking about Lost). Lost references have slipped into many of my TV Recaps, blogs, episodes of "The Bowling Show" and, most recently, onto this week's tip with The Most Important Chair in Bowling. As far as I'm concerned, "Lost" was the best non-cable TV show in history, and last night's finale not only means that I now have a free slot on my calendar every Tuesday night at 9pm, but also stimulates a great deal of thought on the themes of the show...namely, survival, redemption, and being a part of a community of people you care about. Which, of course, leads me back to bowling, where nearly all of these things reside in my own personal/professional life. So, as a tribute to both my favorite TV show and my favorite sport/life pursuit, I thought it'd be cool to make a list of what people/places on the PBA Tour are the equivalent characters/places on Lost. Here goes nothing."

~ PBA midwest Region Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA East Region Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA South Region Senior Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ Former USBC Masters winner moves into second place at USBC Open Championships -- "In 2002, Brett Wolfe of Tempe, Ariz., won the prestigious United States Bowling Congress Masters at the National Bowling Stadium, and he found success at the one-of-a-kind venue again at the 2010 USBC Open Championships. The 33-year-old left-hander was back in his comfort zone and averaged 249.4 on his way into second place in Regular All-Events with a 2,245 total Monday. Fellow southpaw Matt McNiel of Chanhassen, Minn., leads with a record 2,326..."

~ Brunswick signs professional bowler, Chris Loschetter, to pro staff -- "Brunswick Bowling announced today that Chris Loschetter, is the newest professional bowler to join its Pro Staff. Loschetter, who joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in 2003, has 12 career 300 PBA games under his belt. Loschetter has appeared in 114 PBA Tour events, making nine championship round appearances and finishing second four times..."

~ Kamilla Kjeldsen takes the early lead in Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 -- "59 Danes and American Ken Bland Jr. took to the 30 lanes at Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark, on Monday evening to kick off the Bowltech Aalborg International 2010. Two-time European Bowling Tour women's ranking champion and two-time EBT Masters winner Kamilla Kjeldsen (pictured left) rolled games of 223, 215, 279, 224, 243 and 213 for the field-best scratch series of 1397, a 232.83 average, and added 48 pins handicap to take the early lead with 1445..."

~ The Cost of Practicing Bowling -- "During the summer, serious or mildly serious bowlers want to practice. But, as with most things in life, bowling costs money. I'm curious to find out how other people practice throughout the offseason and what it costs. At any randomly chosen bowling alley, a game could cost as much as $3-$5. So on the high end, a three-game series would cost $15. Even if you only bowl once a week, that's $60 a month. To me, that seems high for a bowler loyal to his home center who is obviously practicing in preparation for that very center's league..."

An Indecisive Time for my Bowling

I bowled in a tournament Saturday on the Cheetah pattern. I really struggled and shot abysmally low scores. I think my biggest problem was that I couldn't get my ball to hook enough no matter what line I tried to play unless I slowed it down so much that it hit the heavier gold pins like a proverbial wet noodle.

Only when, very late in the tournament, I started throwing my strike ball thumbless did I experience any success whatsoever, and it was far, far too late by then.

I'm in kind of a bowling twilight zone at the moment. I made some changes in my game a few weeks ago that seemed to be on the right track. But I didn't trust myself and got some coaching that had me trying something quite different from what I was working on by myself. But I don't feel comfortable working on the suggested changes in leagues and tournaments. I need to develop them in practice. I also need to work on seamlessly going to the thumbless release when the thumbed release just ain't cuttin' the mustard.

With a big tournament coming up in less than three weeks, I'm not in the most comfortable spot with my game. Not only that, but I plan to attend a coaching clinic in a couple of weeks that may teach me some wonderful things for the long term but mess me up even more in the short term.

So I find myself wondering what I should do. Should I skip the clinic and go to the tournament? Should I skip the tournament and go to the clinic? Should I go to the clinic and to the tournament and perhaps be so screwed up that I bowl even worse in the tournament than I did two days ago?

Decisions...decisions...decisions.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Andrew Koff

"It takes a lot for a bowler to really impress me when it comes to their talent and level of skill, having grown up in an area that at one point in time supposedly had the highest concentration of PBA members residing in it. A state where several PBA champions reside, such as Randy Pederson, Norm Duke, Jason Couch, Steve Wilson, Steve Hoskins, and Walter Ray Williams, Jr. But the first time I saw Andrew throw it live and in person I was completely amazed! An effortless swing, great footwork getting to the line, and an ultra-powerful hand release all combine to what amounts to poetry in motion in the bowling world. All I could say was WOW! This kid has the potential of becoming one of the all time greats in our game if he continues to pursue it."
--Donnie Layman, writing about bowling prodigy Andrew Koff

Bowling Video of the Day--Bowling Prodigy Andrew Koff

12-year-old Kamron Doyle has gotten a lot of attention recently, and rightfully so, after cashing in a PBA regional tournament. But there's another young bowling phenom who seems poised for great success at the collegiate and professional level. His name is Andrew Koff. He just won a PBA Regional title at age 18, just graduated from high school in Florida with a 4.0 GPA, and is widely considered to be the best junior bowler in America.

You can read Donnie Layman's PBA.com article about Koff here, and you can click on here to see a video profile of Koff.

Bowling Bytes--5/24/10

I'm back from something of a blogging hiatus, and today's entry is chock full of recent bowling news.

~ Pennsylvania bowler rolls 47 consecutive strikes -- "Tommy Gollick of Oberlin, Pa., set a United States Bowling Congress national record by rolling 47 consecutive strikes during league play at the Red Crown Bowling Center in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 11, pending the submission of certification paperwork. Gollick didn't exactly get off to a great start during his Tuesday night scratch league with a 4-10 split and open first frame. But the split did not foretell what would turn out to be a record-setting evening. After knocking down the 4 pin for a 9-count in the opening frame, Gollick struck out for a 279 game and then proceeded to throw three consecutive 300 games to finish the four-game set with a total pinfall of 1,179..."

~ Ohio bowler shoots 300 and 811 at USBC Open Championships -- "Earon Vollmar (pictured left) of Toledo, Ohio, got off to a rough start in singles at the 2010 USBC Open Championships, failing to mark in two of his first three frames. The 21-year-old right-hander decided to make a ball change, and everything fell into place. He rattled off a near-record 28 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 247, 300 and 264 for an 811 series, which is tied for second place in Regular Singles. Terrence Syring (right) of Bay City, Mich., leads with 833..."

~ Former champions challenge lead at USBC Open Championships -- "Five years ago, KR Strikeforce of Decatur, Ill., conquered a very demanding lane condition and outdistanced its nearest competitor by 119 pins to take home the Regular Team title at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships. With success comes added pressure, and one of the team's main goals since winning has been to prove that the victory wasn't just a fluke. The group has only cracked the top 100 one time since winning, but nearly reclaimed the top spot at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday night..."

~ PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Mike Scroggins -- "The player who impressed me the most out on Tour this past season was Mike Scroggins. Although he doesn't throw the big power ball like Jason Belmonte or Tommy Jones, have the ability to throw the ball a gazillion different ways like Chris Barnes or possess an uncanny nose for the winner's circle like Walter Ray Williams Jr., the things Mike Scroggins does with the talent he has is a testament to what you can achieve by setting goals, believing in yourself and working hard..."

~ PBA Senior Tour Starts Western Swing May 30-June 2 With Northern California Classic -- "The Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour resumes action May 30 with a stop in Northern California followed by two Senior majors—the Senior U.S. Open presented by the Suncoast and the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters—both to be conducted in Las Vegas. Reigning PBA Player of the Year and Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. and defending champion Dale Traber head a list of more than 100 players scheduled to compete in the Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood May 30-June 2...PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb will try for an unprecedented third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title when the event returns to the Suncoast Bowling Center June 6-11. Webb, who recently moved to Columbus, Ohio, won the Senior Columbus Open in his new hometown April 27 for his third Senior Tour title...The Senior Tour will move to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas for the Senior Masters June 13-18 where Traber will try to defend his Senior Masters title...PBA.com’s Xtra Frame video service will provide coverage of the Senior U.S. Open and Senior Masters. Click on http://xtraframe.pba.com/Info.aspx to subscribe to Xtra Frame to catch all the action..."

~ The 11th Frame: Jaros wins 43rd PBA Regional Title -- "Steve Jaros won his 43rd PBA Regional title over the weekend, pulling him within one of the all-time PBA record. Jaros, who earned $2,500, beat Anthony LaCaze in the title match of the Illinois Valley Classic in Peru, Ill. LaCaze won $1,300. The event, which was contested on the Shark pattern, was "old school" with qualifying, 16 games of round robin match play and a stepladder finals..."

~ PBA West Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA Southwest Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Central Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich Dies at 74 -- "PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich of Torrance, Calif., died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 74. Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1990, Marzich was a six-time PBA Tour titlist who won all six of his titles between 1962 and ’64 with three titles coming in 1963 and two in 1964..."

~ Andy Marzich--R.I.P.

~ Donnie Layman: Andrew Koff's Rising Star -- "As many of you have already read, 18 year-old Andrew Koff of Miami won the Southern Region Jupiter Open this weekend. If you haven't seen this young man bowl yet, you're truly missing out on a potential legend in the making (yet another reason to subscribe to Xtra Frame). Being a South Floridian myself, I had heard his name making the circles as the "next big thing" in bowling in our area. At that time I had never seen him bowl in person, but had been told that there were a few videos from a couple of JBT stops in which he had made the finals. After doing some Google searches I came across the videos, and though at the time he was all of 13 his game sure didn't reflect it. He was playing angles on the lane that most kids that age haven't dared to attempt or been coached to "see", and he was doing it with accuracy and consistency. To say I was impressed by the video would be an understatement to say the least...This kid has the potential of becoming one of the all time greats in our game if he continues to pursue it..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi regains lead in European Bowling Tour rankings -- "With the victory in the 7th Istanbul Open, his second win on the European Bowling Tour this season and the fourth of his career, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, regained the lead in the men's ranking..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi shoots big games to win the 7th Instanbul Open -- "8-time PBA champion and PBA Player of the Year 2003-04, Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left), Finland, posted some big games en route to win his second European Bowling Tour title of the 2010 season in the 7th Istanbul Open Sunday at Timeout Bowling Center in Istanbul, Turkey. In the title match, Koivuniemi fired games of 258 and 290 to fly past Mykhaylo Kalika, Ukraine, 548-424, and to pocket the 10.000 Euro top prize..."

~ Team USA's Edwards, Janawicz blog from Guatamala -- "Today, three-time Team USA members Brenda Edwards and John Janawicz wrap up their blog from Guatemala City after concluding their experience at the 2010 Pan American Championship of the Champions tournament with a Gold medal in Mixed Doubles. The event was the first competition on the schedule for Team USA 2010, which recently visited Arlington, Texas, for the first Team USA training camp to be held at the International Training and Research Center..."