23 vie for Queen of the Lanes title

Twelve months of competition will boil down to one day as 23 of the top female bowlers will put their skills to the test in hopes of coming out on top of the season-ending edition of the 2005 Pepsi Queen of the Lanes Tenpin Bowling Tournament.

Leading the cast is three-time monthly champion Lynn Teregeyo, who secured her slot after winning the January, April, and November tournaments.

March and May co-winner Diane Camacho also earned an invitation to the tournament, as did February winner Rizza Hensley, May co-winner Elena Soll, June and July winner Emi Williams, September champion Sophie Fejeran, October Queen Rita Palacios, and December top gun Gloria Omechelang.

Also expected to make a run for the coveted title are Rosalinda Cal, Diana Babauta, Vicky Cepeda, Carol Mckenzie, Mayanne Mckenzie, Cora Muna, Gina Sablan, Lyn Santos, Cindy Taitano, Mindy Taitano, Lujean Telmetang, Yolanda Villavicencio, Linda Yarobwemal, and Elsa Zapanta.

All will be gunning to dethrone reigning champion Lala Taitano, who was also extended an invitation to defend her title.

According to host Saipan Bowling Association, a female SBA member must have bowled in at least four roll-offs in 2005 to qualify for the finals.

The eight-game final roll-off will be on Jan. 8 at the Capitol Bowling Center, with the top six advancing to the stepladder finals.

Registration begins at 3pm with the eight-game roll-off getting underway at 3:30pm. All participants must pay an entry fee of $40.

The stepladder finals features the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds facing off and the No. 4 and No. 5 battling in the elimination round. The winners will advance to the semifinals, where the top two seeds await.

SBA disclosed that if the No. 1 seed loses in the semifinals, she will automatically be declared as No. 3 in the final standings.

“Otherwise, third and fourth position will be determined by the scores in the semifinal games,” SBA said.

The two who are victorious in the semis will then battle in the final game for the crown.

Lala Taitano was crowned the “queen” of the 2004 Pepsi King of the Lanes Tenpin Bowling Tournament after beating nine of the top women players at the SBC last year.

The Filipina right-hander finished second to Lynn Teregeyo earlier during the eight-game elimination round but then got her stride in the stepladder finals.

She first beat Malou Cabigao in the semis before crowning herself with an impressive win against Teregeyo in the winner-take-all championship round.

For more information, contact Ross Zapanta at 322-5627.