Posadas paces bowling WCup national finals

MANILA, Philippines - National bowler Apple Posadas finished strong last Thursday to hold off veteran internationalist Liza del Rosario and maintain her front-running score going into today’s finals of the Bowling World Cup national championships at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

Posadas posted a 20-game total of 4335 pinfalls to pace Del Rosario and six others in their battle for the national ladies’ crown and the right to represent the Philippines in the BWC international finals set Oct. 15-24 in Toulon, France.

Del Rosario checked in a close second at 4306, followed by another RP bowler, Krizziah Tabora, with 4294.

With their scores carried over, the eight remaining contenders will roll another eight games, with the top three finishers moving into the best-of-three semifinal and final matches.

The other ladies still in contention with their respective scores follow:

Lara Posadas, 4262; Rochelle Munsayac, 4179; Mades Arles, 3947; Abbie Gan, 3882; and Wanda Teer, 3733.

The remaining 34 contenders in the men’s division, led by former BWC international finalist Jeff Carabeo, and four-time World Cup titlist Paeng Nepomuceno, were still battling for the top eight spots at Paeng’s Midtown Center at presstime yesterday.

Carabeo led after the first day with 2737 pins, followed by Nepomuceno (2715), Jeremy Posadas (2714), Sammy Sy (2704), Biboy Rivera (2699), Benshir Layoso (2671), Chester King (2666), Stewart Ngo (2625), Paulo Valdez (2613) and Joonee Gatchalian (2591).

Nepomuceno and Del Rosario carried the RP colors in last year’s international finals in Melaka, Malaysia.

Nepomuceno was named Sportsman of the Tournament during the awards night.