OPINION |
The PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic not only put Springfield in the national sports spotlight for a couple of hours Feb. 18, it also served as a passing of the torch for professional bowling.
With the tournament’s namesake on hand to present the trophy to the winner of the nationally televised championship match, it seemed fitting that Pete Weber handed the prize to Anthony Simonsen. One of the greatest to ever roll a 16-pound rotating sphere of fury handing the car keys to a new generation.
“I think me and Pete are alike at times,” the 28-year-old Simonsen said after defeating Bill O’Neill in the championship match in front of about 500 fans and an FS1 television audience. Simonsen earned $25,000 for his ninth PBA Tour title as he continued to emerge as the sport’s rising star.
There are similarities between ‘PDW' and ‘Simo'
Simonsen was proud to compare himself to Weber, the 61-year-old St. Louis native who rolled his final shot on the PBA Tour earlier in the week. Weber is known as much for his fiery, emotional, sometimes controversial personality as for his 37 PBA Tour championships. Fans either loved Weber or loved to hate him. There was little in between.
While there will only be one “PDW,” Simonsen has a similar following and similar intensity on the lanes.
“Sometimes it seems like we need to bowl angry to bowl better,” Simonsen said afterward. “Sometimes it comes out the way it should. Sometimes it’s a little unprofessional. I jokingly told Pete, ‘I don’t know if there’s anybody better to win the inaugural Pete Weber event than me.'”
Weber was emotional a few days before when he closed out his PBA Tour career, failing to make the cut to the top 32 in the 64-player field. Simonsen was the first to give Weber a hug after his final shot.
PBA Tour stop another pro sports event Springfield can be proud of
While bowling has become a niche sport on the national level, the local bowling community turned out in good numbers to support the second PBA Tour stop in Springfield. The Springfield Classic one year ago saw Australia’s Sam Cooley defeat hometown pro Keven Williams in the title match, a final that was limited to live stream.
This year it had a big-time look with the production for the finals. Portable bleachers alongside the pair of lanes for the final round were filled, with lots of fans standing on the concourse to catch a glimpse of the action.
The event is scheduled to return to Enterprise Park Lanes next year, giving Springfield another professional sports event to be proud of along with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals and Price Cutter Charity Championship.
Local bowlers roll well on home lanes
Two local bowlers gave this year’s event added interest by having strong performances. Spencer Robarge of Springfield, a collegiate bowler at Wichita State, finished 23rd to earn $3,600. Nixa’s David “Boog” Krol wound up 24th and picked up $3,500.
Krol continues a strong rookie season, leaving Springfield 10th overall in PBA Tour points. His goal is to finish among the top 50 at season’s end and earn full PBA Tour status next season. For the balance of 2024, he must bowl well enough in Pre-Tournament Qualifiers to get into the main field.
This week it was announced that Krol is among 10 PBA players eligible for fan voting for the PBA Legacy Cup competition during PBA All-Star Weekend, March 17-19 at Phoenix Raceway in conjunction with the NASCAR race. The four players receiving the most votes will compete alongside bowling legends and rising stars.
We’re No. 1?
It’s way too early to put a lot of stock in the Ratings Percentage Index for college baseball teams, but seeing Missouri State ranked No. 1 earlier this week was fun. The Bears (3-1) had fallen to No. 4 entering this weekend’s three-game series at Southern Mississippi (4-1).
Don’t disregard the early rating entirely. College baseball has traditionally relied heavily on the RPI to select its at-large NCAA Tournament field. Indiana State of the Missouri Valley Conference started high in the RPI last season and rode it throughout to wind up playing host to a regional — and winning it.
Road victories are more heavily weighted, which is why Missouri State has a chance to be a top-30 RPI team all season. The Bears have 36 road games and only 19 at home. The next week will be important, with a stop at Mississippi for a mid-week game on the way home from Southern Miss.
Missouri State opens its home schedule with a March 1-3 series at Hammons Field against Arkansas State.
Hottest team in town
When the Drury Lady Panthers lost three straight games at midseason, it seemed to signal a falloff for a program that has been nothing but excellent for so long. Forget that.
The Lady Panthers won their 13th straight game on Feb. 22, a 99-70 triumph at Missouri S&T. Reese Schaaf had 17 points and 11 rebounds, her 14th double-double of the season.
Drury (21-4 overall, 16-3 Great Lakes Valley Conference) plays at Maryville on Feb. 24 before returning home Feb. 29 against Upper Iowa. Drury is tied with Lewis atop the GLVC standings.
