24th NYS Masters Championship -- RESULTS
24th NYS Masters
Long Island’s Cavagnaro Triumphs
NEWBURGH, MARCH 2, 2014 – One of Long Island’s best tournament bowlers etched his name into the New York State USBC history book Saturday night by capturing the 24th NYS Masters Championship at Pat Tarsio Lanes.
Alex Cavagnaro of Copiague, a 29-year-old right-hander with an impressive resume that includes two Long Island Masters crowns and five Sport 300 games among his 80-plus perfect games, rolled his way into the winner’s circle by defeating Tom Solimine Jr. of Danbury, Ct., 443-417, in the two-game title match.
Cavagnaro earned $2,000 plus a paid entry to the 2015 USBC Masters, while Solimine, a NYS USBC member through the Westchester County USBC, pocketed $1,000.
The tournament drew 115 entrants (the most ever) for the two qualifying squads. Twenty-four of those entrants shared in the prize fund of more than $8,500. Pat Tarsio Lanes and Tarsio’s Wine & Liquors were contributing sponsors.
“I’ve bowled in hundreds of tournaments, but this is the first time I’ve bowled in the state Masters,” said Cavagnaro, a member of the DV8 bowling ball and Vise Grips amateur staffs and operator of a pro shop at Syosset Lanes. “I actually didn’t even know there was a state Masters; I do now, and plan to bowl in more.”
Cavagnaro was consistent all day on the Kegel Dead Man’s Curve oil pattern, which actually produced higher scores than expected on Tarsio’s synthetic lanes. He qualified eighth off the first squad with 1,159 for five games (a 231 average), before posting 433, 415, 467 and 447 in his four two-game head-to-head matches prior to facing Solimine.
Despite averaging 224 for the tournament, Cavagnaro had three close matches, including the finals. Cavagnaro won the first game, 237-223, but saw his lead dwindle to one pin as Solimine put together a three-bagger in frames five, six and seven of game two. The 43-year-old right-hander, who is a school teacher in Brewster, left the pocket 7-10 in the eighth frame, however.
Cavagnaro struck in the ninth frame and needed one more in the 10th to lock up the match. He left the 4-pin and picked it and got nine pins on his last ball to finish with 206. Solimine shook off the 7-10 by striking in the ninth frame and now needed two strikes in the 10th frame to win. He left the 3-6-10 on the first ball, though, and ended up losing the match by 26 pins.
“I think the 7-10 was the difference,” said Solimine, who said he bowls occasionally in tournaments. “If I carry that one the pressure is off me and back on him. I’m disappointed in that I’m 43 and don’t know how many more opportunities I will get to win another (tournament). But I’ll definitely bowl in this one again; it has a great format.”
Solimine reached the finals by upending PBA regional champion John Conroy of Mahopac, 458-368, while Cavagnaro advanced with a 447-426 win over 19-year-old Matthew Farber of Plainview, a 2013 and current Junior Team USA Member. Conroy and Farber won $570 each.
Quarterfinalists (winning $300 each) were Joe Novara of East Patchogue, Jackie Carbonetto of Blauvelt, Mike Rose Jr. of Rochester and Mark McClain of Rochester.
Making it to the second round were Dennis Nicol of Brooklyn, Jonathan Kalbfus of Wappingers Falls, Pat Donaghue of Honeoye Falls, Curtis Foss of Medina, Adam Chase of West Babylon, Mark Wegener of Monroe, Anthony Pepe of East Elmhurst and John Dolny of Colonie. They each won $215.
Other cashers ($190 apiece) were Joe Scianna of Ronkonkoma, Jon Leskow of Hopewell Junction, Chris Blaison of Newburgh, Ben Ketola of Locke, Michael Conroy of Mahopac, Jack Castellano of Centereach, Anthony Jennette of Patterson and Sam Ventura of Syracuse.
Novara, who lost to Cavagnaro by just six pins when the latter picked the 2-8 spare in the 10th frame, and his buddy Pepe made news earlier in the tournament when the rolled perfect games during the second game of qualifying – both on the same pair of lanes. Novara was the high qualifier on the first squad with 1,278, while Pepe posted a USBC-certified 812 series with 267-300-245 for his first three qualifying games.
Farber defeated Rose, 553-509, in the third round, rolling 264-289 to Rose’s 279-230. Rose, a former USBC Championships All-Events champion, also had a 278 game in the first round of match play and a 279 in the second round.
Carbonetto, 22, an NCAA All-American in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and a former Team USA member, rolled a 276 game in her second round victory over Dolny, the high qualifier on the second squad with 1,194.
McClain posted a 279 in qualifying, stringing 11 strikes after starting with an open frame.
