Twin sisters Haley and Jordan Richard (Tecumseh, MI) captured the ladies side of the 17th Annual Michigan Junior Masters Association Junior Doubles event held at Candlelite Bowl in Bridgeport, MI on February 4th & 5th. The sister duo led all the way from being the top qualifiers on Saturday to being the number one seed after match play and finishing it off with a Baker Doubles win in the step ladder finals.

The guys side saw a Canadian pair, Brock Finch (Stirling, Ont) and Graham Fach (Guelph, Ont) match the pattern of the Richard sisters as they too watched from the top spot all the way through the event and capped off their win with a big game in the finals match.

With the small turn out for the event and the tough lane conditions, scoring was at a premium. Making spares was key to getting anywhere in the event as the 45 foot pattern seemed to have most of the competitors scratching their heads for answers. Our champions, however, found a way to have things go their way to take home the titles.

Richard’s waited through the first step-ladder match as the teams of Jessica Lubbers (Kentwood, MI) and Chelsey Purdum (Wyoming, MI) faced off against two-time Junior Doubles champions Tori Ferris (Kalamazoo, MI) and Carrie Hopkinson (Drumbo, Ont). The scoring was getting tough and Lubbers / Purdum started off rough with a double pinocle split in the first frame but managed to put together a solid game with a strong finish in the tenth frame to win the match 177-149 and advance to the finals.

In the finals, Lubbers / Purdum capitalized on their strong finish in game one and started the finals with four strikes in a row but the Richard sisters were up to the challenge throwing three strikes in a row after an opening spare. It was then that the wheels started to wobble for Lubbers / Purdum as open frames popped up in three of the final five frames while the Richard twins filled a clean game to take the title 216 – 184.

For Haley Richard it was her second MJMA title and first in nearly two years. Jordan Richard claimed her fourth MJMA title and also makes her the first three-time winner this season.

The guys seemed to have a little easier time with the scoring, especially in the step-ladders. Trent Mitchell (Cleveland Hts., OH) and Ryan Powers (Portage, MI) moved from 5th after qualifying to third and faced off against Andrew Klingler (Hudsonville, MI) and Aaron Ohl (Ann Arbor, MI) who managed to claim 4th place in the final match play game by a total of 8 pins. Mitchell / Powers started throwing strikes early and often and put the match away after striking in the ninth frame to win 216-171 and advance to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals the number two seed team of Casey Shephard (Portage, MI) and Kyle Leamer (Coloma, MI), who had moved from 6th place after qualifying were waiting. Shephard / Leamer bowled a clean game but could only stand back and watch as Mitchell / Powers started with three spares and followed that with nine straight strikes to win the match 267-202 and advance to the finals.

Fach / Finch had watched the match from the warm-up area and knew they had to throw strikes if they wanted a chance to win. When Mitchell / Powers started with the first four strikes it looked like it was going to be over early but, Fach / Finch held in there and threw seven strikes in a row to take a small lead and when they threw a double in the tenth, they had sealed the game and the title 267-235. For Finch it was his second MJMA title to go along with his win in Grand Blanc last season and Fach took home his first MJMA title in his very first tournament.

Our next event is the 6th Annual Turbo 2-N-1 Taylor Open to be held at Taylor Lanes in Taylor Michigan on March 17th and 18th. Starting time on Saturday, March 17th will be at 11AM with aclinic hosted by Lou Marquez from Turbo 2-N-1 prior to start time. Match play on Sunday will begin at 9AM. This is a double points event so those bowlers who are in the hunt for Bowler-of- the-Year and Rookie-of-the-Year should make sure to get your entries in early. We do have room for 144 bowlers but this even has historically filled long before the Saturday qualifying session.

If you need entry forms please go to the website at www.mjma.net and download your entries there. If you have questions please contact us at mjma@wowway.com or by calling 616-780-2095.

Look forward to seeing everyone after the High School season in Taylor, Michigan.