The marathon qualifying rounds at Fort Wayne have reached their peak. After 18 games of high-stakes action on the 39-foot Mike Aulby oil pattern, the 96-player field at the PBA Indiana Classic is down to its final six games before the cut to the top 32 for Friday’s elimination rounds.
The Leaderboard: A New Number One
Ryan Barnes was the story of the third round. Starting the block in 8th place, he put together a massive performance to leapfrog the field and claim the top spot with a 4,438 total. Averaging 246.56, Barnes now holds a 20-pin lead over Dom Barrett, who remains in second place after leading the previous round.
Highlights & Perfect Games
The scoring pace on the Aulby pattern continues to be historic. We saw two more perfect 300 games this round from Zachary Wilkins and Wes Malott, bringing the tournament's total to 13.
Best Improvement:
- Kris Prather: The biggest jump of the block, charging from 21st place all the way into 4th.
- Zach Wilkins: Paired a perfect 300 with a 15-spot climb to sit in 3rd.
- Kyle Troup: Continued his steady ascent, moving from 39th to 9th place.
Biggest Downfalls:
- Anthony Simonsen: A rare struggle for the superstar, who slid to 46th and sits nearly 60 pins behind the cut.
- AJ Johnson: A difficult block saw him slide from 13th down to 32nd, leaving him right on the bubble.
The Race for the Top 32
With 6 games remaining, the focus is squarely on the top 32. Currently, the cut line is a dead heat, with Kyle Sherman, Nolan White, and Hayden Hale all tied for the final spots at +550.
While players like Anthony Simonsen (46th) are currently on the outside looking in, they aren't out of it yet. With one full round of qualifying left, the high-scoring pace of the Aulby pattern means a late-round surge could change everything before Friday.
| Pos | Bowler | Total Pins | +/- | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Barnes | 4,438 | +838 | 246.56 |
| 2 | Dom Barrett | 4,418 | +818 | 245.44 |
| 3 | Zachary Wilkins | 4,403 | +803 | 244.61 |
| 4 | Kristopher Prather | 4,399 | +799 | 244.39 |
| 5 | Marshall Kent | 4,377 | +777 | 243.17 |
| 6 | Mitch Hupe | 4,374 | +774 | 243.00 |
| 7 | Sean Lavery-Spahr | 4,329 | +729 | 240.50 |
| 8 | Timmy Tan | 4,314 | +714 | 239.67 |
| 9 | Kyle Troup | 4,312 | +712 | 239.56 |
| 10 | Nicholas Pate | 4,287 | +687 | 238.17 |
| ↓ Cut Line Battle ↓ | ||||
| 31 | Nolan White | 4,150 | +550 | 230.56 |
| 32 | Kyle Sherman | 4,150 | +550 | 230.56 |
| 33 | Richard Teece | 4,149 | +549 | 230.50 |
| 34 | Brandon Bonta | 4,141 | +541 | 230.06 |
| 35 | Terrance Rock | 4,140 | +540 | 230.00 |
Don’t Miss the Action
- Watch Live: The final qualifying block starts today (March 19) on 6 p.m. ET - watch it live on BowlTV.
- The Finals: Catch the stepladder finals on Sunday, March 22 at 4 p.m. ET on The CW.
