Four-time Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion Sean Rash (pictured left) averaged 241.29 to lead the first round of the PBA Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship Thursday at AMF Thruway Lanes.

The Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship, which requires players to use identical "throwback" polyester (plastic) ball technology, is named in honor of the PBA Hall of Famer who dominated the plastic ball era in the 1970s.

The concept behind the plastic ball tournament is to put a premium on knowledge of changing lane conditions, subtle adjustments in hand positions and delivery techniques, and other skills rather than relying on advanced bowling ball technology.

Rash had games of 267, 277, 227, 206, 208, 256 and 248 for a 1,689 pinfall total and leads western New York players Brad Angelo (left) of Lockport in second with 1,651, and Jack Jurek (right) of Lackawana in third with 1,640.

"This is the one tournament of the year where we're all on the same playing field," Rash said. "You need to have a lot of things going for you right from the start – the ball has to feel good in your hand, you need to be lined up and fill frames.

"I've gotten off to a good start, only had three opens which were all splits on the same lane. So far pointing the ball off the gutter like I would on a modified Cheetah (lane condition) pattern seems to be the way to go. We'll see how it goes from here."

The field of 64 will bowl another seven-game round later Thursday afternoon and then the field will be cut to 32 players who will advance to a match play round Friday morning which cuts the field to the top 16. Friday evening's match play round will determine the top four who will advance to Sunday's finals to be telecast live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern.

 

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Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship - Round One Qualifying

Players with position, hometown and 7-game total

1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,689
2, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,651
3, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,640
4, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,597
5, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,595
6, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,589
7, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,586
8, Stuart Williams, England, 1,581
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,576
10, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,553
11, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,552
12, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,546
13, Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 1,543
14, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,535
15, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,534
16, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,533
17, Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., 1,520
18, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,515
19, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,513
20, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,510
21, (tie) Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., and Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,508
24, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,503
25, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,494
26, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,492
27, (tie) John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., and Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 1,491
29, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,483
29, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,483
31, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,481
32, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Jackson, N.J., 1,477
33, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,472
34, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,470
35, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,469
36, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 1,466
37, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,464
38, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,453
39, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,452
40, (tie) Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,451
42, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,447
43, (tie) Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., and Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,442
46, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,421
47, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,384
48, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,383
49, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,379
50, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,373
51, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,372
52, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,369
53, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,367
54, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,363
55, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,359
56, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,355
57, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,337
58, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,333
59, Bob Learn Jr., Macomb, Mich., 1,321
60, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa., 1,312
61, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,311
62, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 1,302
63, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,300
64, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 990, withdrew