After months of preparation and countless games played, the inaugural Silver Strike Bowling National Championship is in the books. Over 1,000 Silver Strike fans tried but only the cream of the crop made it to the Kingpin Suite at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The competition was exciting, the room was jam packed, and the open bar was drained.
See More of The Vegas Action here in the Photo Gallery!
The qualifiers and crew from Incredible Technologies kicked off the festivities Friday night with, what else, a party at the Palms!
Players trickled through the lobby, making their way to the VIP elevators to access the Palms' suites. Greeting them was their official personalized Silver Strike Bowling shirt as well as their collector edition 2008 National Championship player cards.
Tournament play didn't start until Saturday, so players indulged in great food, an open bar and plenty of Silver Strike practice. Some players got their games in check, while others let loose. Mike Cornwell of Cedar Rapids, IA, a name you will surely see again, even rolled the only 300 of the weekend while practicing against some of the Incredible Technologies staff. A small sign of things to come…
Despite Cornwell's big score, there was no pressure to shoot a score on this night - it was time to celebrate in one of the nicest suites in Las Vegas.
Fight For The Top 8
The competition began with the 32 qualifiers being split into two squads of 16. Each squad played two three-game series and the total scores were
tallied and ranked. The top eight shooters then moved on to play in the final head-to-head matchups.
Squad 1-Round 1
Play got underway and kicked off with a bang! Following his perfect game Friday, Mike Cornwell showed he certainly had more in the tank and led off
with a 269 game and a mammoth 763 series. His Cedar Rapids buddy and Midwest competitor Dan Bailey held tight with 739. After the recent, devastating
floods in their hometown, the two were rooting for one another throughout their matches, hoping to bring a title and a positive note back home with
them.
Josh Meyers from St. Petersburg, FL, a former horse jockey, shot a solid -but distant- score of 676 to grab third. Ron Hammersley from Indianapolis, the wise 66-year-old, rounded out the top four rolling a devilish 666 for the round. The National's top overall online qualifier Matt Kisling, also from Iowa, put up a 613 in the first round, leaving him in need of a better second series to make the cut.
Squad 2-Round 1
The second squad continued to spotlight the talent of the Midwest as Sheboygan's Lloyd "Mac" McFarland fired a squad-best 729. Golden Tee ringer Telly
Rogers from Indianapolis, rolled a 694 with a squad-high game of 278, while another GT expert, Dayton Root of Houston, grabbed the fourth spot with a
665. "Deadeye" Del Flecker, another Indianapolis native, took third in the group with a 687.
Another notable squad two qualifier was 3-time Golden Tee National Champion Ryan Bourgeois out of Houston. Known by GT players and fans across the country as "Ryan B.", this man is no stranger to the Palms. In fact, last time he stepped foot in the casino he triumphed as Golden Tee National Champion over GT superstar Steven Sobe. But Ryan's 607 in the first round left him with a tough road to the top.
Squad 1-Round 2
After a short break, squad 1 got back to it for their second series and by the looks of the scores, fatigue began to take its toll. However, Golden Tee
player turned bowler Bill Steitz from Ohio was an exception. Steitz almost nailed the impossible - a qualifier perfecto, but fell short just missing
his final strike. His 298 would be a tournament best and later would prove to have a big impact on his qualifying efforts.
Cornwell battled a few early misfortunes but rebounded nicely for a strong 672 series and a 1,435 total. His buddy Bailey hit the same wall but wasn't able to bounce back like his comrade. "Biddy" struggled, rolling a 161 in his first game, and finishing with an uncharacteristic 587 series, a score too close for comfort for a tournament favorite and acclaimed SSB superstar. Jerred Orf from Missouri and Ron "666" Hammersley both closed out strong, leaving themselves in top-8 contention with the second squad ready to roll.
Squad 2-Round 2
It was obvious that Golden Tee tournament experience played a role with player confidence as the GT contingent of Dayton Root, Bill Steitz, and Telly Rogers
brought the heat in round 2. Known more for his cabinet moving shots then his bowling, McFarland backed up his first round with a squad-high 653 series,
placing him just under Cornwell atop the overall leaderboard with a 1,382. Washington native James Krull stayed consistent throughout, ending with a six-game
total of 1,362, good enough to keep his hopes alive. Lastly, it was "Deadeye" Del rolling the second 666 of the evening. Scared yet?
The Top 8, and Those That Were Oh So Close
After hours of qualifying, the field was finally narrowed down to the top 8.
Cornwell topped the qualifying effort (1,435 total), while his fellow Iowan, Dan Bailey just snuck into 8th position (1,328). Lloyd McFarland, and his "tingling fingers" wound up second (1,382), with virtual golfers Dayton Root (1,369) and James Krull (1,362) rounding out the top four.
"Deadeye" Del Flecker took 5th (1,353), while Telly Rogers grabbed 6th (1,342). Bill Steitz's 298, helped boost him up all the way to the 7th position (1,337).
There were some heartbreakers in the group, particularly Josh Meyers who missed out by only five pins (1,323). Sheboyganite Ozgur Acar had a strong tournament
run but wound up at 1,315 and just out of the show. Group veteran Ron Hammersley also missed the cut with a 1,312. Ashley "Cupcake" Young from Washington, the
lone female qualifier, came on strong in her second series but ended up just short in 12th with a respectable score of 1,292.
While they would have loved to make the cut, those outside the top 8 didn't go home empty handed. With $100,000 in total prize money, each player who missed the cut walked away with at least $1,000.
The qualifying was tight and it was time for match play to begin. In this format, the top eight would each battle it out in a single elimination game, with the winner moving on to the semis.
Match 1-Cedar Rapids Showdown: In the all Iowa matchup, Mike Cornwell and Dan Bailey wished each other luck and then it
was on. This duo has played each other thousands of times, but never with the stakes this high. The suspense stopped there however as Cornwell dominated,
rolling a 248 to beat Bailey by 50 virtual sticks.
Match 2-Deadeye vs. Lone Westerner: James Krull and Del Flecker went head to head in a West vs. Northeast showdown. Del, playing as the fifth seed took down Krull 212 to 195 to move on to the next round.
Match 3-Golden Tee Showdown: In a battle of Golden Tee pros, Houston's Dayton Root took on Indy's Telly Rogers in the 3 vs. 6 matchup. Root put up a good fight but was no match for Telly who beat his fellow GT brother 228 to 204.
Match 4-Sheboygan vs. Mr. 298: The final match featured 2 seed Lloyd McFarland and 7 seed Bill Steitz. Bill coming off his impressive 298 qualifying score ran into a buzz saw as "Mac" dropped a 270 on him to win the match.
Bailey, Krull, Root and Steitz each received $1,500 for their efforts.
Semifinals Match 1- McFarland vs. Rogers: McFarland started sluggish and appeared as if he couldn't recover. He got rolling
eventually and closed out with 5 consecutive strikes to clip Rogers 215 to 211 in the comeback effort of the day. Telly would go on to compete for 3rd place.
Semifinals Match 2-Cornwell vs. Flecker: Cornwell took on "Deadeye" Del, who was quickly establishing himself as one of the top Silver Strike Bowlers in the country. But he proved no match for Cornwell who threw yet another impressive game, a 247 to defeat "Deadeye's" 212.
3rd-4th Place Match- Flecker vs. Rogers: Before Cornwell and McFarland would battle for the championship, Del Flecker and Telly Rogers battled for 3rd place honors. Sure the gold medal was no longer a possibility, but these two wanted the bronze, and of course the cash. Along with podium honors was an extra $500 for the victor. In the closest match of the day, Del edged Telly 238 to 236, to take home 3rd place and $2,500. Telly was awarded $2,000 for 4th.
Since day one, the Midwest dominated the leader boards with their remarkably high averages. The two hotbeds of the Midwest leading the charge in the hearts and minds
of SSB fans were Cedar Rapids, IA and Sheboygan, WI. With that in mind it was no surprise to see Cornwell and McFarland step up the trackball on what was to be the
largest Silver Strike Bowling match ever played. The stakes - $10,000 and the right to be called the first ever Silver Strike Bowling National Champion. The two shook
hands and then played the first game of the best-of-three format.
The atmosphere was electric. McFarland, one of the most supported players in the tournament, had his Sheboygan crew cheering him on. Cornwell, the undeniable sentimental favorite, played on behalf of his Dad's request to, "Go to Vegas and play. You deserve it, worry about the flood when you get home." The Iowan was determined to prove he was the best virtual bowler in the world and his first score of 235 gave him a decisive victory over McFarland's 217.
With one win under his belt, he would need just one more to take the crown home to Cedar Rapids.
Cornwell never let up, strike after strike after strike, and despite McFarland's greatest defenses, Cornwell marched his way to the title in game two with a colossal 246
to 179 championship victory to be named the first ever Silver Strike Bowling National Champion!
In an emotional post event interview, Cornwell said, "It's a dime to a dollar to what were dealing with, but what can I say, $10,000 is just awesome."
The weekend featured competitors from coast to coast but it was Mike "Schmagwag" Cornwell from start to finish. Mike almost didn't make it to the event because of the horrible flooding in Cedar Rapids. His family's bar, The Double Inn, has been hit hard like many of the other homes and businesses in the area. Coming to Vegas and winning the championship, as well as the top prize, will go a long way in helping Mike and his family find some hope in such a tough time.
Lloyd McFarland was a gracious silver medalist and had this to say about the tournament. "This is awesome, I couldn't have asked for anything more, well I could have asked for a little something more," he joked. "But this has been amazing. Congratulations to Mike, he played unbelievable." For his unbelievable play "Mac" took home $5,000.
Check out the Final Championship Bracket Results Here!
Congratulations to Mike and to all the competitors on a fantastic weekend in Las Vegas!
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