Posted April 8, 2002
Centralia's Miller wins Northwest Open
By Jack Millikin
Herald staff writer
Hugh Miller takes nothing for granted after 22 years on the Professional Bowlers Association circuit.
Nor does he panic when things go wrong.
So when the six-time winner on the PBA national tour found himself down two games to none against Bob Davidson in Sunday's Camry Toyota Open semifinals at Pasco's Go Bowl, he calmly exchanged his 15-pound ball for a 16-pounder.
Miller's decision resulted in six straight wins - including a 300 game against Davidson and a 229-218, 201-173, 247-159 three-game sweep over Ralph Solan in the final - as he cruised to his 25th career PBA Northwest Regional title.
"It's always nice to win a regional (title). I was working in real estate, but some of my friends talked me into going on tour," said Miller, who endured the pain of a pulled wisdom tooth last Thursday. "I didn't know if I was going to make it here. (The tooth) hemorrhaged so badly Friday that it bled through three pillows and all the way through the mattress on my bed. Friday afternoon I could hardly move."
Miller, of Centralia, was forced to slow down his delivery to accommodate his aching frame, but the $1,500 paycheck in his second tour event this year certainly justified the means. Miller was the PBA Northwest region's leading money-winner last year, bagging over $15,000 in 12 tour events last year.
Three area bowlers finished among the tournament's top 16 - including Go Bowl owner and Kennewick resident Don Marquart, who pocketed $550 after beating first-round opponent Blaise Bedolla and tying for fifth place.
"This is probably the most intense (tournament) format. It really makes you sweat," the 10-year PBA veteran Marquart said of the best-of-5 tournament bracket format, which replaced the previous format where each of the final 16 would bowl one game against each finalist and be awarded placings based on total pins. "This was a great tournament."
Kennewick's Ted Dreibelbis and Burbank native Anthony Dixon each took home $450 after making the 16-man cut. Dreibelbis also became an official member of the PBA after using his prize money to pay his first round of membership dues.
Solan - competing for the first time as a PBA member after competing as an amateur in past years - defeated Everett's David Johnson, who snuck up on the field after qualifying 14th out of 16.
"My goal was to bowl for the title, and it worked out, so I was happy," said Solan, who made the 10-hour drive from Ogden, Utah, where he works as a traveling sales rep for Storm Bowling Products. "I'll probably enter about 10 of these (this year). I still have a job, so I'm not going to take off work and bowl all over the West Coast."
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