Brandolino leads 2024 PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open PTQ
ROCKFORD, Ill. – Gianna Brandolino of Channahon, Illinois, averaged 241 for her six-game block to lead the field in the pre-tournament qualifier and earn one of the 15 spots into the main field of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Bowlers Journal Rockford Open at the Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Illinois, Wednesday.
Brandolino shot games of 279, 258, 185, 236, 244 and 244 for a six-game total of 1,446, and was 139 pins ahead of second place.
Germany’s Saskia Malz and Terysa Wojnar of New Lenox, Illinois, placed second and third respectively, with 1,307 and 1,259, while Hope Gramly of Aubrey, Texas, and Brittany Smith of Van Meter, Iowa, tied for fourth with 1,254.
The remaining advancing spots were claimed by Brittney Kinney of Columbia City, Indiana (1,240), Singapore’s Charmaine Chang (1,238), Olivia Farwell of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania (1,236), Summer Jasmin of Beckley, West Virginia and Cassidy Courey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1,228), Maranda Pattison of Redwood Valley, California (1,226), Crystal Elliott of Palm Bay, Florida (1,225), Courtney Ermisch of Big Bend, Wisconsin (1,205), Olivia Komorowski of Oshkosh, Wisconsin (1,205) and Singapore’s Daphne Tan (1,203).
For Brandolino, she was able to start the day off playing in a spot that she was comfortable with, evident by her 279 start where she had the first nine strikes, with her only minor hiccup in Game 3.
“I just kept moving left and switching balls occasionally,” said Brandolino. “It just ended up working and the pins fell.”
Brandolino is no stranger to bowling well at the Cherry Bowl, as she was the 2023 PWBA Rockford Regional runner-up, but isn’t too worried about trying to capture a win.
“The bigger picture is that you’re bowling to win and want to go out and win, but really I just want to make the cut and hopefully make a run,” Brandolino said. “Even if I don’t win or bowl well, I learn from it and take it to the next tournament.
“I’m going to go out there this week and bowl the best I can, and hopefully the pins fall.”
Brandolino and 74 other competitors will hit the lanes Friday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern for the first of two six-game qualifying blocks, after which a cut will be made to the top third of the field.
Those bowlers will participate in a third round of qualifying on Saturday morning starting at 10 a.m. Eastern, after which a second cut will be made to the top 12 competitors. Those 12 players will take part in a final six-game block to determine the top five for the stepladder finals, which will be contested on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
