KENOSHA NEWS STAFF

Rich and Rochelle Blake of Buffalo Grove, Ill., started off 2009 the same way they did the last two years: as champions of the Kenosha Scratch Bowlers Alliance Mixed Doubles tournament.

The Blakes won the 17th annual event, sponsored by CJW Miller Lite, on Sunday night at Sheridan Lanes.

In the one-game stepladder final, Rich Blake (246) and Rochelle Blake (225) defeated Sharon Schulz (205) and Ryan Yanel (191) by a combined score of 471-396.

Shulz and Yanel entered the final as the points leader and as the only local team in the final five.

The tournament started with a field of 48 and four games of qualifying, skipping two lanes each game. The field was then cut to 20 teams, who were seeded Nos. 1-20 for a two-game match play series.

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After that, the top-10 teams advanced for another two games of seeded match play. The top-five teams remaining competed in the one-game stepladder finals.

In the finals, No. 5 seed Mike Steil and Cheryl Parquette defeated No. 4 seed Vince Biondo and Tina Becke 433-427. The No. 3 seed Blakes then knocked off Steil and Parquette 450-422. The Blakes then defeated Gary Younkers and Traci Brown 492-396 to set up the showdown with Shulz and Yanel.

Yanel led men’s qualifying with a 782 series (277-225-280), and Brown led women’s qualifying with a 715 series (203-233-279).

Eric Mertins rolled a 300 in his first game of qualifying to highlight a 733 series.

Here are the top-20 results (teams’ pin totals don’t include stepladder scores):

1. Rich Blake and Rochelle Blake, 3,607; 2. Ryan Yanel and Sharon Schulz, 3,625; 3. Gary Younkers and Traci Brown, (3,619); 4. Mike Steil and Cheryl Parquette, 3,496; 5. Vince Biondo and Tina Becke, 3,592; 6. Mike Bain and Katy Marescalco, 3,640; 7. Keith Garrett and Jonquay Armon, 3,611; 8. Brian Warzinski and Lori Maikowski, 3,511; 9. Andrew Lovely and Ashley Willette, 3,477; 10. Chris Colclasure and Tracy Luncsford, 3,395.11. Jason Griffin and Jenny Limbach, 2,741; 12. Tim Hoff and Betsy Bear, 2,643; 13. Frank Bartalone and Patti Riddle, 2,641; 14. Eric Mertins and Kris Cashmore, 2,627; 15. Andrew Loose and Sarah Levin, 2,586; 16. Joe Arvai and Collette McNally, 2,553; 17. Dan Luncsford and Lori Colclasure, 2,540; 18. Ed Seliga and Liz Gentile, 2,506; 19. Billy Harris and Tammy Pankonie, 2,505; 20. Ryan Hughett and Ellen Skau, 2483.