PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — New University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Women’s Bowling assistant coach Brett Cunningham recently showed why the team relies on his expertise. Cunningham got his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) win, capturing the PBA Sands Regency Tri Region Challenge Presented by Radical Results on December 12, 2014.
Taking advantage of the down time in the Hawks’ season, Cunningham took first place with a 5-1 mark in the event and knocked down 3,325 pins on his way to the first place prize money.
The event, held in Reno, Nev. At the National Bowling Stadium was bowled on the PBA Regional Tour Cheetah pattern, a 35 foot pattern.
Cunningham qualified second overall with 1,938 pins and knocked out the seventh seeded Doug Kempt in the first round in the single-elimination match play, best of five format. The eighth seed Don Cosper knocked out top seeded Nick Smith in the same round and Cunningham took advantage. He defeated the six seed, Joe Goldstein Jr. 1-0 (243-200) in the semi-final round, a best of one single elimination match.
He faced the eighth seeded Cosper in the finals, taking the win 1-0 with a 257-225 win and claiming his first title.
“It was exciting,” said Cunningham from Reno. “The guy I bowled in the finals, Cosper, was from Reno, so the whole crowd was rooting for him. It was great to be able to quiet the crowd!”
Even more exciting was how Cunningham won. “His bowling balls didn’t make it when he flew,” said head coach Kayla Bandy recounting a conversation she had with him afterwards to congratulate him on the win. “He had three balls drilled on site and didn’t have a spare ball and still won! I told him to just get new ones now every time he bowls.”
Cunningham then bowled the next day in another tournament. He didn’t fare as well, but still stood out among the top, taking 11th place overall in the 43 person field. In the PBA Sands Regency Tri Region Open Presented by Radical Results, he made the cut, qualifying 10th overall with 2,711 pins. The following day in a round robin match-play format, Cunningham went 8-4 overall to tally 5,321 pins and take 11th, just 528 pins out of first. He still cashed in the event, making for a pretty good weekend.
He will be back on hand in Arkansas when Bandy and the Hawks next bowl in the Mid-Winter Classic, January 16-18 in Jonesboro.