Mersai bounces back, takes May honors

May Queen of the Lanes Kathy Mersai is flanked by runners-up Gloria Omechelang, left, and Yho Villavicencio during the awards ceremony for the SBA-Budweiser monthly roll-offs last Monday at the Saipan Bowling Center.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Kathy Mersai regained her winning form after ruling the Saipan Bowling Association’s Budweiser Queen of the Lanes Tournament for May at the Saipan Bowling Center.

Mersai, who prevailed in the first three monthly tournaments before settling for third place in the April roll-offs, posted the Top 2 best scores in this month’s competition to notch her fourth victory of the season. She led in Day 1 of the contest, collecting 678 (181,175, 130, and 192) pinfalls last Sunday. The four-time winner then played again last Monday and recorded 661 pinfalls (152, 178, 137, and 194). Bowlers are allowed to compete on both days of the tournament, but only the higher score is counted.

With only Mersai’s Day 1 score considered for the ranking, Gloria Omechelang took the runner-up finish, while Yho Villavicencio rounded out the Top 3. Omechelang participated in both days of the tournament and her Day 2 total (654 pinfalls/150, 154, 165, and 185) put her in the No. 2 spot. Villavicencio only joined the Monday roll-off and carded 642 pinfalls (152, 180, 165, and 145) to grab the podium finish from Diana Chong, who tallied 631 pinfalls (186, 147, 164, and 134).

Other participants in the women’s roll-offs were Elena Soll (624), Lala Taitano (624), Tess Fabie (621), Ron Cal (602), and Gigi Zapanta (587).

Meanwhile, Paul Pangilinan duplicated her daughter’s first place victory after winning in the King of the Lanes against 18 other bowlers.
Pangelinan joined only the final day of the competition and gathered 805 pinfalls to slip past Day 1 leader Robert Talavera (803).

Mersai’s father played solid in the first two games with her 210 and 212 pinfalls before closing out with 190 and 193 in the last two games to deny Talavera’s bid for a fourth win this season. Talavera, who posted 218, 192, 194, and 199 in the opener, ruled the first three monthly competitions before bowing to Ronald Batac in the April event.

Joining Talavera and Pangelinan in the Top 3 was Percy Omechelang, who earned 796 pinfalls (188, 182, 203 and 224). Raymond Zapanta (780) came in at fourth and was followed by Ador Dimaano (766), Raymond Angeles (744), Batac (735), Jae Yong Kim (702), Lito Teodoro (689), John Jimeno (684), Jerry Kaneshi (677, M. J. Aldan (647), Edward Baluyan (613), Ben Aizon (599), Edgar Abalos (587), Tito Corpuz (569), Yong Woon Lee (561), Joe Etpison (556), and Simon Manacop (213).