December 12, 2021 Regional Director

Atlantic, IA – Keith Lesko came from Texas to win his third Midwest PBA50 Regional Title in Atlantic, IA at the PBA50 Super Bowl Midwest Open.

The bracket match play final was full of exciting duels. It took all five games in the Quarterfinals round to determine the winners. One match needed a one-ball, sudden death roll off. Both John Dudak, Orland Park, IL and Scott Merritt, Iowa City, IA advanced over Tim Baxter, Council Bluffs, IA and Joel Carlson, Omaha, NE, respectively. The Semi Finals round stayed competitive with Keith Lesko, Prosper, TX needing all five games to advance over Dudak. In the other Semi Finals match, it was Merritt besting Eugene McCune, Munster, IN. This set up a Lesko versus Merritt Championship match. This round went down to the final frame with Merritt needing to get three strikes to force Lesko to get the first two strikes. Merritt struck soundly in frame 10, but came up short in the 11th. Lesko needed only a mark for the win, which he accomplished and earned his seventh PBA regional title and the $2,100 first place check.

Championship Round (best of five games match, loser earned $1,200):<
#1 Lesko – 266, 200, 175, 242, 222, defeated Merritt – 224, 205, 200, 194, 199, 3 games to 2.

Semi Finals Round (best of five games match, losers eliminated and earned $800 each):
#1 Lesko – 223, 267, 201,189, 200, defeated # 5 SS Dudak – 178, 224, 236, 191, 192, 3 games to 2.
#3 Merritt – 203, 215, 212, 233, defeated #2 McCune – 224, 199, 177, 159, 3 games to 1.

Quarterfinals Round (best of five games match, losers eliminated and earned $650 each):
#5 Dudak – 176, 216, 192, 226, 215, defeated #4 N Baxter – 211, 185, 253, 199, 196, 3 games to 2.
#3 Scott Merritt – 186, 235, 185, 153, 224, 10, defeated #6 SS Joel Carlson – 170, 192, 254, 160, 224, 9, in a one ball roll off after being tied 2.5 games each.
#1 Lesko and #2 McCune advance with a first round bye.

Other cashers: #8 SS David Axon, Papillion, NE, $290
#11 SS Dan Duskin, Sr, Atlantic, IA, $290

SS - Designates Super Senior entry
N - Designates Non-member entry