Leong leads Friday Night League awardees

Richard Leong proved to the best bowler in the 14th season of the Philippine Bowling Association Friday Night League that ended Sept. 24 at the Capital Bowling Center in Garapan.

The mainstay of the OML team finished with the season’s highest average after knocking down 8,447 pins in 45 games for a 187.71 per game norm. Leong took home $35 for the feat.

Youth bowler and two-time Pepsi King of the Lanes monthly winner Russelle Zapanta of GPPC Inc. ranked second in the category with his 180.92 average. The Northern Marianas College freshmen rolled a score of 8,684 in 48 games.

Star Air Freight Micronesia’s Efren Puse was in third place with an average of 179.09 built on a pinfall total of 8,059 in 55 matches.

In the high scratch game category, Jorge Soledad of Verizon took the plum with a score of 268 followed by Puse’s 263. Soledad earned $30 for the win, while Puse got $15.

First place didn’t elude Puse in the high scratch series, as he bagged the award with his 652, which he shared with Leong. Both bowlers split the $45 prize money.

Soledad and TJ Five Star’s Clarence Manglona both claimed the high handicap game trophy after both scored identical 297s. They pocketed $22.50 each.

Puse and Manglona were first and second in the high handicap series registering 745 and 738, respectively.

In the women’s side, Ron Cal topped the high average category with a 157.94 norm. The Star Air Freight Micronesia bowler rolled a score of 8,529 in 54 games. She took home $20 for her efforts.

Carol McKenzie of AgriPacific and Cory Muna of Outlaws followed McKenzie was good for a 156.62 pinfall average per game, while Muna had a norm 153.09.

Muna, meanwhile, won $70 after bagging all the four special awards for women. She won the high scratch game with her 224 followed by J.C. Vales of AgriPacific (220). Muna also lorded it over in the high scratch series with her 568 with Cal coming in second with her 542.

Her 264 was also tops in the high handicap game category, where Vales also scored a runner-up finish with her 261. It was Muna and Vales again in the high handicap series with 688 and 649, respectively.

In the race for most improved bowler, John Rimirch of Verizon and Em Solis of Cargo-Horizon held sway in the men’s and women’s divisions. Rimirch increased his pinfall average by 18.67, while Solis raised her’s by 6.82. Rimirch took home $20 and Solis $15.