John Janawicz earns No. 1 seed for match play at USBC Senior Masters
June 07, 2024
FULL STANDINGS
LAS VEGAS – Defending champion John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Florida, blistered the lanes to the tune of a 256.4 average during his final round of qualifying on Thursday and is the No. 1 seed heading into match play of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters.
Janawicz, a USBC Hall of Famer, rolled back-to-back 279 games to conclude his block on Thursday morning at Sam’s Town Bowling Center. The 51-year-old right-hander finished his 15 games of qualifying with a pinfall of 3,657 (243.8 average) and led qualifying by 52 pins over Jason Couch of Clermont, Florida.
Janawicz, who was last year’s rookie of the year on the Professional Bowlers Association50 Tour, talked about how he played the lanes on Thursday morning.
“I just kept following the shot in and stayed with urethane,” Janawicz said. “It was starting to go early, and I knew I had to start using a little more angle through the fronts, so I just got a little bit slower and kept getting my hand around it a little bit more. I just kept following it in, and it just kept working. I was kind of waiting for it to stop, but it never did, which was fine with me.”
Couch, the lone left-hander in the top five, was in second place after all three rounds of qualifying. The 16-time PBA and two-time PBA50 Tour champion finished qualifying with 3,605 pins (240.33 average). The USBC and PBA Hall of Famer is looking for his second senior win of the season and his first career major victory in senior competition.
Dan Knowlton of Dade City, Florida, rolled games of 287 and 278 during his final round of qualifying and moved from seventh place to third with a total pinfall of 3,572 (238.1 average).
USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes of Denton, Texas, remained in fourth place (3,511). Barnes, who owns 19 PBA Tour titles and five PBA50 Tour wins, is seeking his third PBA50 major championship. His more recent senior win came in July of last year at the PBA50 World Championship.
Second round leader Brian Dennis of Creedmoor, North Carolina, completes the top five (3,509). The 50-year-old is looking to win this event in his first attempt.
Only the top 64 advance to match play on Friday and Josh Hale of Billings, Montana, claimed the final spot when he won a one-game roll-off against Gary Alstott of Washington, Illinois, 212-200, after the two tied for 64th with 3,271 pins.
For Janawicz, walking into Sam’s Town as defending champion was definitely a different feeling.
“Seeing the big banner with my picture on it at the bottom of the escalator right when you come into the center was a bit disturbing,” Janawicz joked. “But seriously, it is kind of cool. It’s great to come back here and Sam’s Town is a great host. They’ve continued to be a great supporter of the seniors and they’ve hosted this event for many years, so I’ve certainly got no complaints about being the defending champ.”
The top 64 return on Friday morning for the start of double-elimination bracket match play and Janawicz knows that his decision making will need to be on point as the event progresses.
“More than anything, you still have to manage the lane,” Janawicz said. “Whatever a particular pair gives you, you have to be able to adapt to that. Changes happen must faster in match play because you’ve got two people that are kind of right on top of each other, so you have to be more aware and make moves faster. You also have to be able to get out of balls quicker if they’re not working.”
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format, until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals Sunday, June 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV.
Since the stepladder will be broadcast on BowlTV, the top seed will have to be defeated twice in the true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
For scores and information about the 2024 USBC Senior Masters, visit BOWL.com/SeniorMasters.
LAS VEGAS – Defending champion John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Florida, blistered the lanes to the tune of a 256.4 average during his final round of qualifying on Thursday and is the No. 1 seed heading into match play of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters.
Janawicz, a USBC Hall of Famer, rolled back-to-back 279 games to conclude his block on Thursday morning at Sam’s Town Bowling Center. The 51-year-old right-hander finished his 15 games of qualifying with a pinfall of 3,657 (243.8 average) and led qualifying by 52 pins over Jason Couch of Clermont, Florida.
Janawicz, who was last year’s rookie of the year on the Professional Bowlers Association50 Tour, talked about how he played the lanes on Thursday morning.
“I just kept following the shot in and stayed with urethane,” Janawicz said. “It was starting to go early, and I knew I had to start using a little more angle through the fronts, so I just got a little bit slower and kept getting my hand around it a little bit more. I just kept following it in, and it just kept working. I was kind of waiting for it to stop, but it never did, which was fine with me.”
Couch, the lone left-hander in the top five, was in second place after all three rounds of qualifying. The 16-time PBA and two-time PBA50 Tour champion finished qualifying with 3,605 pins (240.33 average). The USBC and PBA Hall of Famer is looking for his second senior win of the season and his first career major victory in senior competition.
Dan Knowlton of Dade City, Florida, rolled games of 287 and 278 during his final round of qualifying and moved from seventh place to third with a total pinfall of 3,572 (238.1 average).
USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes of Denton, Texas, remained in fourth place (3,511). Barnes, who owns 19 PBA Tour titles and five PBA50 Tour wins, is seeking his third PBA50 major championship. His more recent senior win came in July of last year at the PBA50 World Championship.
Second round leader Brian Dennis of Creedmoor, North Carolina, completes the top five (3,509). The 50-year-old is looking to win this event in his first attempt.
Only the top 64 advance to match play on Friday and Josh Hale of Billings, Montana, claimed the final spot when he won a one-game roll-off against Gary Alstott of Washington, Illinois, 212-200, after the two tied for 64th with 3,271 pins.
For Janawicz, walking into Sam’s Town as defending champion was definitely a different feeling.
“Seeing the big banner with my picture on it at the bottom of the escalator right when you come into the center was a bit disturbing,” Janawicz joked. “But seriously, it is kind of cool. It’s great to come back here and Sam’s Town is a great host. They’ve continued to be a great supporter of the seniors and they’ve hosted this event for many years, so I’ve certainly got no complaints about being the defending champ.”
The top 64 return on Friday morning for the start of double-elimination bracket match play and Janawicz knows that his decision making will need to be on point as the event progresses.
“More than anything, you still have to manage the lane,” Janawicz said. “Whatever a particular pair gives you, you have to be able to adapt to that. Changes happen must faster in match play because you’ve got two people that are kind of right on top of each other, so you have to be more aware and make moves faster. You also have to be able to get out of balls quicker if they’re not working.”
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format, until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals Sunday, June 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV.
Since the stepladder will be broadcast on BowlTV, the top seed will have to be defeated twice in the true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
For scores and information about the 2024 USBC Senior Masters, visit BOWL.com/SeniorMasters.