2011-12 Senior Association Championship Tournament Final Results

The official tournament results with cash prize listing is available here. Congratulations to all of the champions.

Dinner with the Champs

All division champions and scratch titlists will earn a complimentary meal at our annual Dinner with the Champions, held in October of each season to kick off the new tournament year. The event is held at the Prime Quarter restaurant. Sponsors, tournament hosts, directors, and tournament volunteers are also invited to attend.

2011-12 Senior Association Championship Tournament

Download an entry form here.

The 2011-12 MBA Senior City Tournament will be held at Spartan Bowl this year, over the weekends of November 5-6 and 12-13. There will be two squad times each day, 11:30 and 2:30.

New this year:

The tournament has added a fifth age division and is now open to bowlers who are 50 years of age or older as of the date of the opening squad (November 5). The tournament continues to have a single division for the Team event and the Doubles event. There are five divisions for Singles and (optional) All-Events; 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and 70+.

Bonus Events

The Bonus Events have been removed from the tournament due to lack of participation.

Dinner with the Champs

2010-11 Senior Association Championship Tournament Results

The final prize listing for the 2010 MBA Senior Association Championship tournament is posted. Congratulations to all the event champions and the scratch titlists.

The tournament attracted 25 teams this year, down from 28 last year. However, the sponsor prize money went up from $800 to $1250 thanks to the efforts of MBA Director Bob Holzbauer. This resulted in a prize fund of nearly $4400 - up from just under $4000 last year.

The USBC White #1 lane condition also provide a little extra challenge to the tournament field - something long missing from MBA regular tournament competition. For some, it had been a long time - if ever - that some real adjustments had to be made over the course of the event shifts.

Those that were able to find and maintain a good line to the pocket were rewarded in the end. The best part of the results, looking over the scores, is that competitors did not have to shoot incredibly high scores to have a chance to win - or even cash. Only two of the five cashing teams were over average - the highest, Street Rags, was +85 - about seven pins a game. The best performance came from Mike White in Division 1 Singles who was 86 pins over average.

Generally speaking, if you were able to hit around your standard league condition (USBC Red conditions) average - you cashed. Of the 56 cash positions, only 6 bowlers (or teams) over average did not cash while 5 bowlers (or teams) under average did.

Plus, tournament success was enjoyed by bowlers of a wide variety of averages. The tournament prize list is not dominated by 0 handicappers or 80 handicappers. There is an excellent mix - a credit to the fair, yet challenging, conditions.

These kind of results are exactly what I was looking for and the USBC Red/White/Blue system provides just what bowling needs in terms of competitive conditions for tournaments like this. The Senior Association Championships results mirror the results of the Senior Masters (where any bowler averaging more than 200 cashed). Both events provided an appropriately challenging condition for the competitors without the frustration that sometimes accompanies ultra-demanding Sport Bowling conditions.

The MBA would like to thank our tournament sponsors, Capital City Coins & Jewelry, Phoenix Pro Shop, Classic Bowling Products, Bowl-A-Vard Lanes, Bob's Business, On the Spot Detailing, Storm, Roto-Grip, and Turbo 2-N-1 Grips.

Thanks also to Village Lanes for hosting the tournament, the very accommodating staff, and a special thanks to Bill Lease who spent a great deal of time and energy making sure the tournament condition was fair and consistent throughout the event.

The MBA tournament committee is meeting soon to prepare a bowler survey for this year's participants. We look forward to hearing your feedback on the event. We hope you enjoyed yourself, the challenge, and the opportunity to compete with bowlers across the association.

2010-11 Senior Association Championship Tournament Standings

Two full shifts over the second weekend provided plenty of competition and a host of new names on the tournament leaderboard. View the current standings here.

Senior bowlers continue to find success on a 42 foot version of USBC White Pattern 1, and the condition yielded another 300 game - this time by 2009 Senior Masters champion Scott LaCoursiere. The 217 average LaCoursiere posted a solid 671 in the team event, but struggled to find a good look in doubles (574). His first two games of singles were 195, neither of which he was satisfied with. Resorting to the sixth ball in the bag, he tossed 12 in a row for the 300 game finale. "I've had four of my seven 300 games with this ball," he remarked after blowing a perfectly good triplicate. Perhaps the Hammer will move up in the rotation after this.

Jim Everson rolled a superb 716 series and partner Marty Gallagher held on for 574 to take the lead in doubles with 1488. Defending champions Dave Eaton and Cerry Hermosillo held the lead briefly following an excellent 1464 title defense effort - including another 700 series by Eaton (712). Everson and Gallagher's lead was challenged again a couple of times, but competitors came up just shy. Richard Guth and Tom Gannon posted 1480, and Errol Erstand and Brian Hanke shot 1474.

In singles, Mike White fired a 614 scratch series to edge 2010 tournament star Kenny Smith by two pins with a 776 total, 86 pins over average. MBA Hall of Famer Mark Habich shot 695, +59, and currently sits in third.

In Division 2 singles, Gary Frye pitched a 247 final game for a 616 series pushing back Hall of Famer Dan Seppa to second place. Scott Starks shot 636 and is in third place.

Ron Peterson was astounded to learn his 58 pin over average effort was good enough for first place in Division 3. The 163 average Peterson had a strong start with 232 which helped his cause.

Tournament fixtures Mel and Marvin Heiser found success in Division 4 singles. Mel leads the pack at +37 over average; Marv is in third at +21. Jack Ellis briefly held the lead at +23 with a nice 635 series, 23 pins over average, before the Heiser brothers squad. Defending Division 3 Singles champion Don Gmeinder is in Division 4 this year and rests in fourth place.

Dave Eaton, who earned a pile of lumber last year, continues to shine and leads Division 1 All Events with a 2101 scratch total, 184 pins over average. The net total is also the high scratch all-events mark for the tournament.

In All Events Division 2, Brian Hanke got past Tom Gannon with a 118 pins over average tournament. Hanke, who averages 179, fired a 637 in team event with a 240, 232 start. Gannon posted 1820 scratch, 92 pins over average, including a 671 series in the doubles event.

John Cuccia leads Division 3 All Events at +43, just ahead of D3 Singles leader Ron Peterson (+38). Cuccia rolled solid all around, highlighted by a 655 in the team event.

Don Gmeinder, last year's Division 3 Singles and All Events champion, made his debut in Division 4 count with a terrific 1900 scratch effort - 190 pins over average. Gmeinder's averages 190 and had series of 675 in team, 647 in doubles, and 578 in singles - a true team bowler! He leads the pack by 115 pins.

A number of high games were rolled in addition to the LaCoursiere 300, including a 278 (singles) by Mark Habich, a 277 (team) by Dave Shaw, 268 games by Dave Eaton (doubles), Mark Recknagel (doubles) and Paul Beckman (singles). Gene Mlsna rolled a 266 in Doubles with 11 strikes.

Dave Eaton had a pair of 700's, 718 in team and 712 in doubles - as did Dave Shaw, 729 in team and 716 in doubles.

The tournament continues this weekend and runs through November 6. Entries are accepted through the Wednesday of the upcoming weekend. Download an entry form or find one at your bowling center.

2010-11 Senior Association Championship Tournament Standings

The first weekend is in the books, view the current unofficial standings here.

Senior Championship bowlers are competing on USBC White pattern 1, extended to 42 feet. Scores can be had with patience, good shot-making, and a some proper adjustments. The shot is reportedly fair but the scores will be earned. Hitting averages established on a simpler league condition will mark success in this tournament. A number of MBA Hall of Fame members (HOF) set some early paces, and good efforts were recorded by a number of bowlers.

Kenny Smith Jr. made the best adjustment of the tournament so far with a ball change off of his first game of singles - a 173. He strung the first 10 the second game before a 4-pin denied a shot at perfection. Kenny Smith would not be denied, however. He followed up this great game with a 300. Smith takes the lead in Division 1 singles and all events, scratch singles and all events, and scratch doubles with partner (and last year's scratch all-events champion) HOF Dave Rasmussen. He is also on the leading team, Street Rags, captained by HOF Jesse Parizo.

Rasmussen ended his impressive streak of five consecutive events at 700 or better in the singles event this year.

Parizo fired a 750 series with a 279, the second highest of the tournament so far, in the team event.

HOF Dan Seppa used starting games of 248 and 257 to put himself on the high scores list with a 719. He is currently in the top spot in Division 2 singles. Marty Endres leads the Division 2 all events standings with a game effort only 46 below average.

In Division 3, Dennis Wagner leads the field in singles and all-events after the first weekend.

In Division 4 singles, James Willey was just three pins below average and sits comfortably in first place. In Division 4 All Events, Hilton Weathers currently has the highest score at 69 below average.

Other high games in the tournament so far were had by HOF Dave Massey (280), Dan Dickens (267), and Rasmussen (267). Defending team, doubles, and Division 1 all events champion Dave Eaton continued his hot hand with a 718 in the team event.

The tournament continues this weekend and runs through November 6. Entries are accepted through the Wednesday of the upcoming weekend. Download an entry form or find one at your bowling center.

2009-10 MBA Senior Championship Tournament Final Standings

The senior city tournament final standings with prize payouts are posted here.