FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jerry Schneider | PR/Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104
SEATTLE, Wash. (April 12, 2010) -- The Professional Bowlers Association has announced the season-ending awards for the 2009-10 PBA Regional Tour season. Each of the seven PBA regions recognized a Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Patterson Award winner. Four regions also recognized a Senior Player of the Year.
Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards are voted on by the regional managers and John Weber, Director of the Senior and Regional Tours. The Pat Patterson Awards, recognizing individual contributions to the regional program, were selected by the respective regional managers. In all, 159 regionals were conducted during the season.
In the Central Region, Riga Kalfas of Florence, Ky., earned his second Player of the Year honor after becoming the Central Region point rankings leader. Making match play in 10 of 17 events, Kalfas had one title and one runner-up finish. The Dan Ottman Rookie of the Year award went to Dustin Baker of Melbourne, Ky., who had a best finish of third in 15 events. Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, Mich., was a double winner in the Senior Player of the Year category taking that honor in both the Central and Midwest Regions. The 2009 PBA Senior World Championship winner made match play in nine of 10 events, had one win and five other top-five finishes in the Central Region, and one win and four other top-five finishes in the Midwest Region. Linus Hartings of Coldwater, Ohio, received the Central Region�s Pat Patterson Award.
The PBA East Region crowned Ray Edwards of Middle Island, N.Y., Player of the Year for the third time with one title, one runner-up finish, cashing in all 12 events and making match play eight times. With six cashes in 12 events, a best finish of seventh and two match play appearances, John Conroy of Mahopoc, N.Y., earned Rookie of the Year honors. Former Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour player and three-time East Region Player of the Year Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa., had one win, a second and a third along with seven match play appearances in eight events, to earn his first Senior Player of the Year award. Len Reyngoudt of Catskill, N.Y., received the East Region�s Pat Patterson award.
Former PBA Tour player and four-time Tour titlist Dave Traber of Hebron, Ill., won the Midwest Player of the Year honor with one win and four runner-up finishes. He also had nine match play appearances in 15 events. Despite only competing in five events, Mike Steil of Wheeling, Ill., won one title and had two match play appearances to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Larry Richardson of Muscatine, Iowa, was the Pat Patterson Award recipient.
In the Northwest Region six-time PBA Tour titlist Chris Warren of Puyallup, Wash., who returns to the PBA Tour next season, won his second Player of the Year with two victories, two runner-up and four third-place finishes in 13 events. Rookie of the Year honors went to Adam Ahmad of Pullman, Wash., who had two runner-up finishes in 13 events and Mark Fennell of Bonney Lake, Wash., was the Pat Patterson Award recipient.
Chris Collins of Fayetteville, N.C., was Player of the Year in the South Region with two victories, one runner-up and two third-place finishes in 18 events. Chris Polizzi of Spring Hill, Fla., was Rookie of the Year earning a best finish of fourth in five events. PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, N.C. won Senior Player of the Year with one victory, two runner-up and three other top five finishes in the 11 events he entered. Richard Langton of Tallahassee, Fla., was the Pat Patterson Award winner.
With three wins and two fifth-place finishes in 13 events, Kevin Mitchell of Tulsa, Okla., won Player of the Year in the Southwest Region. Rookie of the Year went to Jay Futrell of Derby, Kan. who won twice and made match play in four of six events. Paul Kreins of Lakewood, Colo., was the winner of the Pat Patterson award in the Southwest Region.
In the West Region Jon Brandon of Newhall, Calif., had two wins, two second-place, two third and two fifth-place finishes to propel him to Player of the Year honors. Tim Porritt of Anaheim, Calif., had a best finish of second, made match play 11 times and cashed in 15 of 23 events to earn Rookie of the Year. Former PBA Tour player and titlist Tony Reyes of San Bruno, Calif., earned the region�s Pat Patterson Award.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA�s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Bayer, Brunswick, Etonic, Flomax, GEICO, Go RVing, H&R Block, Lumber Liquidators, One A Day Men�s 50+ Multivitamin, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others.
