Editor’s note: Tuesday’s first night of Men’s Division finals in the Kenosha News Match Game Bowling Tournament at Surfside Bowl ended too late for this edition. For an updated story on the tournament, visit kenoshanews.com/sports.
The Senior Men’s Division leaderboard in the 58th annual Kenosha News Match Game Bowling Tournament is very Rich.
A pair of Riches wound up atop the leaderboard following Monday’s first night of Senior Men’s finals at Surfside Bowl, and that should make for some tight competition in Thursday’s second night of Senior Men’s finals as the field chases a title.
Rich Larsen, seeking his first Match Game title, will go into Thursday’s second night of Senior Men’s finals in the lead with 604 points. On Monday, Larsen went 7-1 in his matches and rolled an eight-game block of 1,994, an average of 249.25 per game.
Bowlers are awarded 30 points for each match victory and either gain or lose a point for each pin over or under 200 in each game.
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Right on Larsen’s heels is a familiar name, as four-time Match Game champion Rich Beltoya is just 26 points back in second place with 578. Beltoya, who won the Men’s Division title in 1992 and Senior Men’s Division titles in 2016, 2018 and 2019 , had some tough luck in his matches, finishing just 5-3. But he knocked over 2,028 pins, an average of 253.5 per game, tops in the Senior Men’s field Monday.
Both Larsen and Beltoya started their nights strong Monday, as they each won their first three matches. Larsen totaled games of 259, 269 and 255 for an opening 783 series, while Beltoya started with games of 257, 286 and 248 for an opening 791 series.
Matt Zagar, meanwhile, is certainly within shouting distance of the leaders with 509 points after a perfect match record of 8-0 and a pinfall of 1,869 on Monday.
In fourth place behind Zagar is AJ Hedges with 414 points after a match record of 6-2 and a pinfall of 1,834 on Monday, followed by Jeff Rampart with 378 points after a 4-4 match record and a pinfall of 1,858. Rampart, who won men’s titles in 1984, 1985 and 1998, had the top qualifying score in any division last week.
Also of note, Sean Mitchell fired the night’s lone perfect game Monday, totaling a 300 in his fourth match. Mitchell is in ninth place with 282 points after going 2-6 with a pinfall of 1,772 on Monday.
Defending Senior Men’s champion John Brooks, meanwhile, is in 12th place with 171 points after going 2-6 with a pinfall of 1,711 on Monday.
The tournament continues tonight at Surfside with the second night of both the Women’s Division and Super Senior Men’s Division finals, as the first champions of the tournament will be crowned.
In the Women’s Division, Allie Hedges enters tonight’s final five matches in the lead with 275 points. She’s 19 ahead of three-time Women’s champion Courtney Wolf, who sits in second place with 256 points. Angela Hanna is in third place with 216 points, Ashley Pobloski is in fourth with 146 and Tracy Beltoya is in fifth with 145.
In the Super Senior Men’s Division, defending champion Jerry Elsen looks for his second straight title as he enters tonight’s final five matches atop the field with 160 points. He’s followed by Mel Apilado with 137 points, three-time Match Game champion Ed Seliga with 123, Bruce Stebbins with 121 and three-time Match Game champion Tim Alfredson with 86.
Bowling begins at 6:30pm
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