Mesa Metro Bowlers Finish First And Second In PBA Event
Doubles Tournament Concludes Great Month Of Bowling, For Jakob Butturff and Ben Canfield
By Michael 'Chip' Begg
Managing Editor The Ten PinExpress.Com
Director Mesa Metro Association
Las Vegas, Nv. - - - 10 years from now when Jakob Butturff and Ben Canfield remember the 2015-16 season, they will remember it as one of the best months of their young bowling careers. Especially, the week of March 20-27.
Between the two of them this particular week: three perfect games were rolled, one 800 series shot and they both got checks in a PBA Western Regional event at the Southpoint Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With one of them taking first place, and the other one second, at the conclusion of the match play finals What made this event even more special, was the fact that it was an all Arizona field in the finals, of the PBA Member/Non Member Doubles Tournament.
The week started off on a good note for Jakob on Wednesday in the High Society League at Brunswick Via Linda Lanes in Scottsdale.The likeable lefty rolled games of: 300, 300, and 247, for an 847 series. His performance that evening, also set a couple of personal accomplishments for him. On lanes 25 and 26, he strung out a string of 29 consecutive strikes. His previous best was 21.
"What will I remember most about March 2016, when I reflect back on it?," asked Jakob, prior to the start of the AZ Draft Classic on a recent Monday evening at Brunswick Zone Mesa. "The most memorable thing that I will remember more than anything else, is the great month of bowling I had.
"Absolutely, the accomplishments I achieved last month will always mean a lot," he added. "Winning bowling tournaments and bowling back-to-back 300 games were a very over whelming moment for me."
Its also hard to believe, that this is the closest he has ever came to rolling a 900 series in his brilliant young bowling career. He started to bowl in sanctioned leagues in the Mesa Metropolitan Association (MMA), in the2012-13 season where he averaged 209 for 52 games in the AST Kegel Summer Challenge at AMF McRay Lanes in Chandler. He rolled his first 300 game and 800 series in the MMA, at a Strike Force Tournament on February 23, 2014.
"The shot on 25 and 26 did not dry up on the left side, and it held up the whole night," he said, of the oil patter that was put down. "I was making good shots the whole night, and I felt like I was in a zone. I left a seven pin, and that stopped the string at 29.
"I also had the front nine on four other occasions," he added. "And, I did not shoot a 300 game in any of them. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have taken a couple more seconds on the approach and thrown a better shot."
In addition to winning the PBA Member/Non Member Doubles event, Jakob was the youngest bowler to win the New Mexico Open last August in Rio Rancho. His first PBA West Regional win came on January 31st, at the PBA Sands Regency West/Northwest Winter Classic Open which was sponsored by Storm. Jakob defeated Chris Ferreira of Visalia, Ca., by 185 pins to win the $2,000 first prize. This tournament was part of a tripleheader weekend.
"It was a great feeling having my mom there watching me win the PBA Member/Non Member event. She alway knew I wanted to be a pro bowler in the PBA, and I got there quicker than expected," Jakob said, on having a member of his family watching him win an event. "Getting there involved a lot of: practice, coaching, and having the patience t do it. Plus the courage to do it."
Way to go Coach!!!
There must be something about bowling at the Southpoint Bowling Plaza that brings out the best in Ben Canfield.
The month of March has really been good to him, as he rolled yet another perfect game there within the last year.
"The first two in March of 2015, were rolled during a JBT event. I was the second junior bowler to shoot a 300 game there, and the first to have multiple 300 games there. The first junior bowler to roll a 300 game there was JoeGerenscer," said Ben, who is the bowling coach at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. "Its nice to be able to bowl them in that type of environment. Its different and enjoyable."
The ball that Ben used to bowl his perfect game at Southpoint, was a 900 Global Dreamon. He uses a two-handed delivery to deliver the ball to the pocket, once he reaches the foul line.
"It did not take me long to come down from cloud nine following my perfect game at Southpoint," he said. " I had to get back into the same frame of mind very quickly. Even though my doubles partner, Russ Oviatt and I, did not win the tournament, bowling another perfect game there is something I will always remember forever."
Ben says all of his perfect games at Southpoint were unique, but he will also remember his latest one there because of the big break he got late in the game.
"I got a good break on the tenth shot," he recalls, of his latest perfect game there. "It was a solid pocket hit. I tripped the two pin, and it fell forward."
Even though, Ben and Russ finished second to Jakob and Jon Nakagawa in the PBA doubles event, he feels there is another reason why they did as well as they did to place second.
"I had a nice long practice session with Russ, prior to the PBA doubles tourney," said Ben, on why they bowled wellat Southpoint. "After that practice session, it got the both of us on the same page."
Jon, of San Jose, California, was the only non Arizona resident in the finals field.
Guest Gary Estep Jr. (Peoria), and Jim Pratt (Glendale), took third place. While Craig Spencer. guest, (Tempe), and Josh Blanchard, (Gilbert), finished fourth.
It was a bracket matchplay finals. Ben and Russ defeated Brett Wolfe and Chris Klerk 3-2, in their first match. In their quarterfinal match against Stu Williams and Randy Cote, they again won it 2-0. They came out on top again by defeating Craig and Josh 1-0 in the semifinals. But, lost the championship match to Jakob and Jon.
Ben also complimented the talent that produced the mostly all Arizona finals field.
"It was cool to see the top four seeds from Arizona," he said. "That just goes to show the depth of bowling talent that our state has."
The bowling coach was happy with the way his first year went at GCU. The highlight of the year, was finishing third at the Devils Duel Shoot Out. It took place at Brunswick Via Linda Lanes during the MLK weekend.
"I feel my first year at GCU was successful," the coach said. "The team showed a lot of growth this year. The made the post season for the first time in the three year history of the bowling program. They will miss graduating senior Marco Arce, and what he has meant to the team. He averaged 190, and he was a solid role player."
He is going to sit down with his team soon, and discuss with them on what to work on for next season. He also hopes to field a women's team in the near future as well.
"I will know more details on when I can get the women's program going by the end of the summer," he said. "As far as next season goes, I would like to see us become more successful and be more competitive. I would also like to see us make the: sectionals, regionals, and nationals. Each team member will have a role to play, and that will be a big contribution to how well the team does."
Arizona State Bowling News - April 19, 2016
Revised On April 20, 2016