Striking Spotlight

SOUTH GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, rolled 300 in her final game Friday at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Albany Open to move into the lead after two rounds of competition.

The United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer concluded her second six-game block at Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center with 12 consecutive strikes to record the highest round of the day (1,523) and take over the top spot in the standings with a 2,860 total, a 238.33 average.

Kulick jumped from third to first in the final game, passing Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York. O’Keefe (2,827) and McEwan (2,822) are second and third, respectively.

Opening-round leader Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas (2,761), and Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York (2,737), also finished Friday in the top five.

The 66-player field was cut to the top 32 players after Friday’s second round, with Gazmine Mason of Cranston, Rhode Island, holding onto the final spot with a 2,487 total, a 207.25 average.

Mason rolled 170 in her final game but remained in the top 32.

Last week’s PWBA BVL Open champion Stephanie Zavala of Downey, California, made a run at the number in the final game, but a 4-6-7-10 split in her 10th frame resulted in her missing the cut by six pins with a 2,481 total.

Kulick, a six-time major champion, started her 2021 season by advancing to the stepladder finals of the PWBA Twin Cities Open and PWBA Lincoln Open. She finished third at the Twin Cities Open and was the runner-up as the top seed at the Lincoln Open, falling to Liz Johnson in the title match, 238-213.

The 44-year-old right-hander skipped the PWBA Greater Cleveland Open but returned for the season’s first major at the USBC Queens, where she advanced to match play and finished tied for 49th place. Kulick placed 22nd at last week’s BVL Open.

After starting Friday’s competition with a 1,337 six-game block, Kulick fired games of 206, 265, 269, 279 and 204, before connecting for 300 in her final game to average 253.83 in the second round.

Saturday’s third round will consist of an additional six games, with the top 12 returning to the lanes for one more six-game round to complete qualifying. The top four players, based on total pinfall for 24 games, will advance to the stepladder finals.

The stepladder will be Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern and broadcast live on BowlTV.com. The champion will earn $10,000.

For more information on the PWBA, visit PWBA.com.

About the PWBA
The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) originally was formed in 1960. The PWBA Tour has events throughout the country, offering high-level competition and top prize money for women bowlers. The PWBA is supported by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

2021 PWBA Albany Open
At Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center
South Glens Falls, N.Y.

Friday’s results

QUALIFYING
(12 games)
      1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,860. 2, Shannon O’Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., 2,827. 3, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 2,822. 4, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 2,761. 5, Liz Johnson, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 2,737. 6, Breanna Clemmer, Clover, S.C., 2,723.
      7, Alexis Neuer, Milton, Pa., 2,707. 8, Lauren Pate, Fairview Heights, Ill., 2,703. 9, Bryanna Coté, Tucson, Ariz., 2,697. 10, Verity Crawley, England, 2,664. 11, Sydney Brummett, Fort Wayne, Ind., 2,653. 12, Kara Mangiola, Spencerport, N.Y., 2,638.
      13, Julia Bond, Aurora, Ill., 2,634. 14, Sandra Gongora, Mexico, 2,627. 15, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2,625. 16, Caitlyn Johnson, Beaumont, Texas, 2,590. 17, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 2,588. 18(tie), Maria José Rodriguez, Colombia, and Daria Pajak, Poland, 2,579.
      20, Taylor Bulthuis, Coral Springs, Fla., 2,578. 21, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 2,576. 22, Summer Jasmin, Beckley, W.Va., 2,575. 23, Kerry Smith, New Holland, Pa., 2,571. 24, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 2,568.
      25, Taylor Bailey, Joliet, Ill., 2,563. 26, Valerie Bercier, Muskegon, Mich., 2,550. 27, Birgit Noreiks, Germany, 2,549. 28, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 2,539. 29, Amanda Naujokas (n), Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., 2,520. 30, Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 2,492.
31, Mallory Nutting (n), Topsham, Maine, 2,488. 32, Gazmine Mason, Cranston, R.I., 2,487.

DID NOT ADVANCE

      33, Stephanie Zavala, Downey, Calif., 2,481. 34, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 2,466. 35, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 2,457. 36, Ingellimar Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,456.
      37, Aseret Zetter, Mexico, 2,447. 38, Sabrena Divis, Gillette, Wyo., 2,446. 39, Kayla Bandy, Wichita, Kan., 2,434. 40, Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine, 2,421. 41, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 2,395. 42, Janelle Irwin, Schenectady, N.Y., 2,392.
      43, Abby Ragsdale, Aurora, Ill., 2,377. 44, Suzanne Morine (n), Castleton-on-Hudson, N.Y., 2,339. 45, Laura Plazas, Colombia, 2,336. 46, Maria Bulanova, Russia, 2,313. 47, Jennifer Hocurscak, Orange, Conn., 2,311. 48, Estefania Cobo, North Richland Hills, Texas, 2,309.
      49, Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., 2,305. 50, Melissa Kammerer (n), Staten Island, N.Y., 2,301. 51, Christina Hartl, Ephrata, Pa., 2,286. 52, Kayla Crawford, Silvis, Ill., 2,284. 53, Michelle Sterner (n), Niagara Falls, N.Y., 2,265. 54, Jordan Richard, Maumee, Ohio, 2,249.
      55, Nichole Toto (n), North Brunswick, N.Y., 2,242. 56, Heather D’Errico, Rochester, N.Y., 2,230. 57, Jennifer Roback (n), New York Mills, N.Y., 2,225. 58, Danielle Knittle, State College, Pa., 2,218. 59, Morgan Brunet (n), Plattsburgh, N.Y., 2,172. 60, Emma Grace Dockery (n), Kent, Ohio, 2,160.
      61, Jessica Aiezza (n), Mechanicville, N.Y., 2,157. 62, Jessica Abel (n), Broadalbin, N.Y., 2,075. 63, Kalynn Carl (n), Albany, N.Y., 2,071. 64, Suzette Draper, Dumont, N.J., 2,068. 65, Renee Riffey (n), Glen Burnie, Md., 2,030. 66, Cathrine Bell, Averill Park, N.Y., 2,024. 

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