Long Island Summer Bowling Tour!

"To win my first tournament here at sayville? Yes, Its special. This is where i bowl. I am very happy".  -Cheryl Drusin,Holbrook, 14, seconds after she won the junior handicap division. -

Sayville, NY 

The Long Island Summer Bowling Tour visited Sayville Bowl on Friday July 27, 2001. A record field of 73 bowlers hit the lanes, A young lady who learned how to bowl at sayville is crowned champion, a 300 game and the fight to the finals made the night extra special!

In the junior hdcp division, Cheryl drusin, holbrook, is quite familiar with Sayville Bowl. Cheryl, 14, will be a freshman this September at Sachem HS. However, this coming year will serve as Cheryl's 3rd straight she will be a starter for the Sachem HS Varsity Girls Bowling Team, a team that holds it home matches at Sayville Bowl. Apparently, Cheryl has been paying attention. She blistered the junior hdcp division in the 4-game qualifier with games of 211,200,213 and 213 scratch, that powered her way to a 1049 w/hdcp (837 scratch). The two remaining spots available for the finals were filled by Jack Castellano, Centerach, at 978 w/hdcp, and Chris Keiser, Northport, 972 w/hdcp. Keiser, incredibly, got back into the mix, after almost shooting both his feet off by dropping from 1st to 7th after a miserable 3rd game. He did however, regroup quickly, and rolled a 266 w/hdcp his last game and his total wood count was 5 pins better than Tara Mazur, East Northport at 967 w/hdcp. 

In the semi-final game, Castellano and Kieser hooked up. Castellano bowled a respectable 222 w/hdcp (181 scratch), however, Kieser let his momentum carry over from his 4th qualifying game and rolled a 244 w/hdcp (170 scratch). That would set up the championship match with Drusin. 

Drusin took charge early and never let up. Although she bowled her lowest game of the night, 247 w/hdcp (194 scratch), it was still too much for Kieser to overcome. Keiser shot a 209 w/hdcp and Drusin had her first ever Championship under her belt. Drusin, while not getting emotional about the win admitted: "To win my first tournament here at sayville. Yes, Its special. This is where i bowl. I am very happy".  

Outstanding scores in the Junior hdcp division include Drusin 213,626,837,  Castellano 257,657,822, Keiser 239, Mazur 234,613, Louis Dalessio, Sound Beach, 215, Theresa Castellano, Centereach, 224, Christopher Jove, Port Jeff Station, 221, Ronald Gocinski, Coram, 214 and Amy Bohleber, Miller Place, 209. 

The Junior scratch division saw unusually low scores in qualifying. William gocinski, coram, at 845 and Mike Wodzinski, East Meadow, 822, were the only bowlers who were 'plus'. The 3rd and last spot to advance to the finals saw Tom Coraci, Mastic, just edge out AJ Fragola, Patchogue, 768-753. 

The semifinal game featured Wodzinski and Coraci. Coraci threw strikes in the match, but twice left the 4-9 strike split, neither to be converted. Wodzinski, on the other hand, making his 2nd finals appearance on the LISBT, opened only once, in the 3rd frame, when he failed to convert the 3-6-9-10. It would prove costly to the right hander. In the end, it was Coraci who survived 203-200.

The championship match, gocinski vs coraci, mirrored the handicap division final. Gocinski, making his second consecutive appearance in the finals (Port Jeff, July 20)  was very respectable with a 199. However Coraci continued to ride the wave and find the pocket, and won the match going away, 246-199. 

Fine scores in the Junior Scratch division were rolled by Gocinski 247,645,845, Wodzinski 257,655,822, Coraci 233, Fragola 215, Vito Genova, Franklin Square, 217 and Dan Rensing, Levittown, 223. 

The adult handicap division saw familiar faces who were and familiar names that weren't. Confused? 

Anne Herd, Bethpage, powered her way to the top spot 1024 w/hdcp, with help from handicap games of 262 (game 2) and 287 (game 4). Brian Karp, Oakdale, was second at 1009 w/hdcp. Rounding out the top 5 w/hdcp were William Taveras, Central Islip, 993, Steve Kelly, Islip, 989 and Ryan Neary, North Babylon, 985. Finishing 6th, 1 pin back, Vito Genova, Franklin Square, 984. 

In the Brackets Elimination round, Karp defeated *Neary, 285-199 while Taveras took care of Kelly, 244-189. That set up the semifinal game of Karp vs Taveras. 

* Last week at port jeff, ryan neary won the adult handicap division. however, that ryan neary was from dix hills! This week, the ryan neary who made the final rounds was from North Babylon! two different ryan neary's! 

Taveras, making his second brackets final (County Line July 13) and spotting Karp 42 pins in handicap, knew he had his work cut out for him. Taveras jumped out at gate and powered his way 275 w/hdcp (237 scratch). However, it was 4 pins shy of the mark as Karp rolled a 279 w/hdcp (197 scratch) and earned his way into the finals vs #1 seed Herd. 

Herd and Karp both looked sluggish in the early frames. Herd, admitting to "being nervous", settled down and got into a rhythm. Karp on the other hand, in his first year of bowling, found himself "just kind of concentrating on one shot at a time and not getting caught up with it being a championship game". A missed 10 pin in the 4th frame did not seem costly to Herd as she was gaining momentum and confidence. Herd, in fact, although trailing by 5, found herself in the drivers seat as she struck in the 9th and with her finishing first in the 10th, she "really could have put some heat on him with a strong finish." What arguably could have been her best ball of the match, Herd rang the dime on her first ball in the 10th then proceeded to miss the single pin spare, thus removing any pressure she hoped to put on Karp. Karp kept the ball in play in the 10th and won the match 238-215 w/hdcp. Karp described his win: "This is great. When I started working here, as a mechanic, I took interest in the game." He added, "I am working real hard to improve. Sometimes its not too pretty, but I practice whenever I get a chance." Herd, disappointed, explains her missed opportunity: "I don't know what it is with those things (10 pins). I've struggle with them. I know I can make them. I dont know". 

Highlighting the evening in the Adult Hdcp division were herd 229,616, Karp, 222, Taveras, 239,634,841, Kelly, 243,686,877, Neary, 267,701,905 Genova Sr, 237,621,836 George Crenshaw, Ronkonkoma, 228,618,821 Bart Cully, Medford, 237,653,836 Richard Mc Cusker, Westhampton Beach, 232,611,813 Ray Van Reine, Riverhead, 247,658,861 Brian Nast, Islip Terrace, 245,639,816 Jackie Pasquine, Ronkonkoma, 226, Mike Cunningham, Islip Terrace, 212, Eryn Cully, Medford, 214, Bob Beickert, Medford, 214 and Joe Nuzzi, North Massapequa, 211.

The adult scratch division produced the evenings highlight and some incredible scores by some incredible bowlers. 

Rich Wagner, East Islip, thrilled the record crowd by opening the night with a 300. He had no plans of stopping either. He powered his way to 1st place in the 4-game qualifier with a 1010 series. In second, Dan Peirce, Patchogue, finished at 945. The 3 remaining spots to advance to the finals came down to 5 bowlers and 12 pins. George Mottern, Riverhead and Kendra Leone, Brookhaven, both snuck in at 922 and 921 respectively. Charlie Lombardo, Greenlawn and Jennifer Mc Clure, Ronkonkoma, tied at 920. Steve Garcia, East Islip, finished at 910. Securing the 5th and final seed was determined in a 9th and 10th frame roll-off between Lombardo and Mc Clure. Mc Clure chopped the 2-4-5 in the 9th and marked out in the 10th. Lombardo stayed clean and won the 2 frame eliminator 39-28. 

In the brackets elimination round, Leone and Mottern slugged it with Leone on the plus side of the ledger 255-246. Lombardo edged out Pierce 201-193. Leone and Lombardo would now meet in the semi-finals. 

As was the case July 6th (Centereach vs Susan Farley, Holbrook), Lombardo was to meet up with a female league competitor. This time however, the results were different. Unlike the July 6 championship game when Lombardo went front 10 on Farley, it was Leone who caught fire in the middle frames and never let Lombardo back into the match. Leone spanked the Greenlawn resident, 225-204. Next up for Leone would be the anxious and waiting Wagner. 

Asked by tournament co-director, Ken Zagorski, who he preferred to face in the finals, Wagner openly admitted with a wink, a smile and a laugh, "Makes no difference to me, I am not losing to either one of them tonight. Maybe on another night, I would prefer this one over that one. But not tonight." Little did he know however, Leone had plans too. 

The two exchanged mostly strikes through the 6th. Leone in fact, had the upper hand and was to finish first as the match entered into the 9th. Then disaster struck instead of her. Leone "badly opened up at the elbow and topped the ball instead of hitting it." She watched in horror as the ball went face through the 1 pin leaving her the 4-7-10 split. Converting 2 pins on the open, she then marked out in the 10th. Wagner leaving everything he had on the lanes, flushed the 1st shot in the 10th, thus sealing the victory 238-209. 

Rounding out the Adult Scratch division Wagner, 300,742 Front3 710 Back3,1010, Pierce, 251,728,945, Mottern 244,716,922, Leone 269,733,921, Lombardo, 279,706,920, Mc Clure 268,707,920, Garcia 255,723,910 Ed Hawkins, Bay Shore, 276,706,891 George Chewens Jr, Ronkonkoma, 236,666,878 Ygnacio Adames, Mastic, 242,696,860 Brendan McGrath, Holbrook, 244,655,857 Steve Evans, Blue Point, 269,659,851 John Ramsey, Holtsville, 235,652,833 Rob Lunetta, Lake Grove, 252,641,830 Jerry Figliuolo, East Islip, 233,656,826 Jim Bohleber, Miller Place, 235,823 Tim Holdy, Sayville, 215,614,808 Fabrizio Cerutti, Levittown, 233,649,804 Susan Farley, Holbrook, 224,611, Keith Murphy, Islip Terrace, 214, Omar Cerutti, Levittown, 258,632, Scott Teitler, Patchogue, 258,632, Keith Lorme, Mastic, 211, Frank Wodzinski, East Meadow, 202 and John Callahan, Port Jeff Station, 201.   

great job by all bowlers who competed!   

A total of 73 entries participated in the event. Next on tap? Westhampton Bowl, August 3, 2001 at 8:45 PM! 

Thanx for all the support. 

Final Standings after Qualifying

Payout