47th Annual New Years Singles Classic
Staten Island Singles Classic: From beginning of tourney to end, Mickey Endress leaves no doubt
![2022 Staten Island Singles Classic winner Mickey Endress stands between tournament director Michael Ruffe, left, and his mom, Peggy Lee Endress. (Photo courtesy of Mike Giovinazzo)](https://bowlatrabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/RuffeEndress-SISingles2022-1024x699.jpeg)
2022 Staten Island Singles Classic winner Mickey Endress stands between tournament director Michael Ruffe, left, and his mom, Peggy Lee Endress. (Photo courtesy of Mike Giovinazzo)
By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
silive.com | Click here for Full Story
Mickey Endress owned the 44th Staten Island Singles Classic from start to finish in 2022.
The right-handed Endress, who took over the qualifying lead during the opening weekend and held onto the top spot throughout the qualifiers, slipped past southpaw Jason Wichnovitz, 235-224, in the title game of the 24-person finals Saturday at Rab’s Country Lanes.
It was Endress’ first S.I. Singles Classic crown.
[Read more…]
Staten Island Singles Classic: Mickey Endress takes early qualifying lead
By Staten Island Advance Sports Desk
silive.com | Click here for the full story
Mickey Endress, bowling scratch, rolled games of 267, 241 and 243 en route to a 751 pinfall and the early qualifying lead in the 44th Staten Island Singles Classic — A Donnie Walters Tradition — Saturday at Rab’s Country Lanes.
“I think the shot was very fair and it gave an emphasis on shot making and leaving makable spares,” said Endress. “I bowled on tough stuff before so I’m confident on those types of shots especially when I leave makable spares on my misses… I had only three opens today so that was key for me.”
Melissa Kammerer currently sits in second place with a 734 set and is followed by Steve Chiarella (724) and CJ Cariffe (724), who are tied for third, and Sal Fabozzi (717), who is currently fifth.
Chiarella (1991) was one of seven past champions who competed on the opening day of the event. The others are three-time winner Jeff Scire (’95, ‘18′, 19), Sean McAuliffe (’07), Alan Liu (’10), Bill Salvatore (’12), Michele Dash (’15) and Todd David (’17)
The current cut is only 607, but that will change for sure
Qualifying continues next weekend for six more squads slated for Saturday and Sunday at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. each day.
For the full standings click here.
Standings after first weekend
Name Scratch W/Hcp
1 Mickey Endress* 751 751
2 Melissa Kammerer** 710 734
3 Steve Chiarella** 721 724
3 CJ Cariffe* 679 724
5 Sal Fabozzi 687 717
6 Tim McAuliffe 714 714
7 Steve Miglino 686 686
8 Joe Lampariello 665 665
9 Josh Warner 599 635
10 Joe Scianna 634 634
11 Rob Butler 630 630
11 Joseph Vann 606 630
13 Tom Hollywood Jr. 629 629
14 Sean McAuliffe 626 626
14 Steve Miglino 626 626
16 Michelle Dash 552 624
17 Anthony Everts 615 618
17 Jeff Scire 618 618
19 Robert Devito 584 617
20 Russell Moran 547 616
21 Alan Liu 614 614
22 Jeff Martin 611 611
23 John Schnellbacher 574 610
24 Adam Abdelaziz 595 607
Unofficial: Pending 4/3/2022 Average Verification
* Denotes Squad Leader
** Denotes High Female / Senior
Long Island kegler Pierce Field cruises to victory at Jim Elliott’s 46th New Year Singles Classic
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Long Islander Pierce Field accepts the trophy from tourney director Jim Elliott at the 46th New Year Singles Classic.
By Nick Regina | nregina@siadvance.com
silive.com | Click Here for the Full Story
If they didn’t know him before, they certainly do now.
Relatively unknown Long Islander Pierce Field emerged victorious among a litany of impressive names and past champions at Jim Elliott’s 46th New Year Singles Classic held at Rab’s Country Lanes on Saturday afternoon. The 24-year-old Shirley, N.Y., native knocked off defending 2020 champion Steve Soss, outscoring him 247-193 in the final. The event did not take place in 2021 due to the pandemic.
In the finale, Field struck on four of the first seven frames — sparing the other three. Soss, meanwhile, left pins standing on two of the first seven frames, and despite a strong finish he couldn’t overcome the sluggish start. Field fired strikes on his final three frames, and struck out on the 10th to cement the triumph and take the trophy.
Field had never previously bowled on Staten Island, but earned an opening-round bye after tossing a 760 series in qualifying. He faced his stiffest challenge in round two, when he narrowly defeated Rob Butler, 266 to 244, and followed with a win over Scott Walsh, 269 to 213, before toppling Sean McAuliffe, 255 to 173, in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, Soss, who also earned a bye, kicked off his day with an impressive win over John Drabczk, 290 to 210. He proceeded to upend a pair of former champions — defeating Jeff Scire, 255 to 224, before taking down Tim McAuliffe in a semifinal rolloff, which was a rematch of the 2020 final. The pair mirrored one another with matching games of 224, but after McAuliffe spared and then struck out on the final frame, Soss answered the bell and delivered four consecutive strikes to gain the final.
Don Dunleavy and Mickey Endress were among the other final eight finishers in the 24-man field.
CROSSING THE BRIDGE
Field noted that he only competed because fellow Long Islander and former champion Dan Brezo mentioned the event to him.
“Well, can I come?” Field remembers asking his friend — and the rest is history.
“I respect everyone here,” added Field. “I had a couple of bowling balls that were working well, it was a little tighter in qualifying and match play was a little more forgiving. I was able to play where I’m comfortable in my zone and pretty much used one ball the entire time.”
As emphatic as his violent delivery and powerful fastball are, Field’s demeanor is as relaxed as can be. Despite being one of the youngest competitors in the field, he rarely showed emotion or allowed himself to get too high or too low. The results were evidenced by his dominant performance in the finale.
“Just don’t let up,” Field told himself. “I know what [Soss] is capable of and he could put a string together at any point. I just stayed focused and keep on driving no matter what happens.
“The tournament is nicely ran and well-organized. ” he added, nothing that a return next year is probable.
On the other side, Soss had to wait two years to defend his crown, but was pleased with his performance in reaching the final.
“It felt good, it really did, especially to make it all the way to the last match and try to go back-to-back,” said the native of Bayonne, who struggled with the left lane in the finale on Saturday. “[Field] is good, he was just striking. I could’ve struck with him, just one bad lane.”
Tournament director Jim Elliott noted the return to action after the two-year layoff was a rousing success.
“We had a lot of bowlers and they bowled very well,” said Elliott. “People were very happy about the finals, there was a lot of good bowling and people enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to next year.”
Prize money: Field ($900), Soss ($550), T. McAuliffe ($350), S. McAuliffe ($240), Scire ($185), Endress ($165), Walsh ($155), Dunleavy ($145), Butler ($125), Anthony Arias ($110), Mike McNichol ($105), Drabczk ($100), Najee Mayers ($95), Pete Labella ($95), Chris McNichol ($90), Mike Vlasenko ($90), Alby Pezzella ($80), Mike Gordon ($80), Frank Maloney ($75), George Cretella ($75), Jeff Martin ($70), Mike Vignola ($70), Russ Moran ($65).
*Butler, Walsh, and Sean McAuliffe received additional $25 bonuses for having been defeated by the eventual champion prior to the final.
Bowling: Labella’s 813 holds after final weekend of qualifying in New Year Singles Classic
By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
silive.com | Click here for full story
Click here for Tournament Details
Pete Labella’s 813 held up after the final weekend of qualifying in the 46th New Year Singles Classic at Rab’s Country Lanes.
Labella, who fired his big set on the tourney’s opening weekend nine days ago, will lead a star-studded 24-man field into Saturday’s finals set for 1 p.m. at Country.
Defending champ Steve Soss, who won in 2020, is second with an 812 followed by Chris McNichol (811) and Mike McNichol (790).
Joining them will be Island stalwarts Tim McAuliffe and his brother, Sean, Dan Dunleavy, Jeff Scire, Mike Endress and George Cretella, who has won this tournament six times. There’s also a handful of other scratch bowlers in the scratch finals capable of winning.
The cut to crack into the Top 24 was Mike Vignola’s 693.
46th NEW YEAR SINGLES CLASSIC
FINALISTS
BOWLER NET HCP GROSS
- Pete Labella Jr. 813 0 813 *
- Steve Soss 812 0 812 *
- Chris McNichol 811 0 811 *
- Mike McNichol 790 0 790*
- Tim McAuliffe 786 0 786 *
- Najee Mayers 768 0 768*
- Anthony Arias 760 0 760*
- Pierce Field 760 0 760*
- Robert Butler 753 0 753 *
- Jeff Martin 751 0 751
- Sean McAuliffe 743 0 743 *
- Dan Dunleavy 743 0 743 *
- Mike Gordon 714 27 741
- Jeff Scire 740 0 740 *
- Alby Pezzella 735 0 735 *
- John Drybznk 720 10 730
- George Cretella 726 0 726 *
- Frank Maloney 688 35 723
- Scott Walsh 699 21 720
- Mike Endress 719 0 719
- Don Pendelton 695 18 713
- Mike Vlassenko 699 12 711
- Russ Moran 617 84 701 *
- Mike Vignola 656 37 693 *
* denotes squad leader
Averages will be verified for accurate handicaps
New Year’s Eve bowling tradition at Rab’s Country Lanes a smashing success again
![](https://bowlatrabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3531-1024x468.jpg)
St. Joseph by-the-Sea, the Alumni division winning squad, consisting of Kevin Buono, Anthony Pizzirusso, Robert Butler and Mike Cariffe, is flanked by current and former team coaches Melissa Kammerer and Raymond Laursen, Sr. and tournament director Mike Ruffe.
By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
silive.com | Click here for the Full Story
Rab’s Country Lanes proprietor Frank Wilkinson loves New Year’s Eve for more reasons than one.
Although the day marks the end of one year and gets set to usher in another with high hopes, Wilkinson says Dec. 31 is special because it’s the day his center hosts the Battle of the Schools.
Started in 2004 as a brainchild of Terri Hart, the one-time high school-only tournament added an Alumni division four years ago thanks to the urging of Mike Ruffe. The latter division seemed to give the event new meaning and make it more successful than ever.
“We talk about it every year. We didn’t know what to expect and then 100 people showed up,” said Wilkinson. “It’s one of those events where you see people that you don’t normally see everyday all the time, that kind of come out for the same thing and I think the cool thing about it that makes this a great event is the fact that they’re not bowling for personal gain and not bowling for prizes for themselves.
“It’s more about bragging rights, representing your school in bowling with people you wouldn’t necessarily normally bowl with the opportunity to win some money for your alma mater.”
This year at the 18th annual event, more than 125 bowlers graced the lanes in the two divisions.
When the final ball had been rolled on Friday, Susan Wagner, consisting of Paul Cherry, Brandon Handog, Alex Santos and Steven Souffrin, won a second straight HS division title, beating out nine other teams, representing eight Island high schools. The same foursome also helped SW capture the PSAL city bowling crown two months ago.
Meanwhile, the Alumni crown was won by St. Joseph by-the-Sea, consisting of Kevin Buono, Robert Butler, Michael Cariffe and Anthony Pizzirusso. They earned $1,000, which was donated to the Huguenot school’s bowling program.
The Alumni division featured 76 bowlers across 16 teams, representing 20 schools from the five boroughs.
After a 10-game qualifying round (baker format), the top four teams competed for the title in a rolloff where top-seeded Curtis bowled fourth-seeded Sea and and second-seeded Susan Wagner faced third-seeded Petrides.
In the finals, the teams bowled two games with the total wood determining the winners.
In round one, Sea defeated Curtis No. 1, 416-358, while Susan Wagner defeated Petrides, 447-418. In the finals, Sea defeated Susan Wagner, 487-435. SW earned $500 that will go to the Sea View school’s bowling program.
In all, a total of $2,000 was awarded in grants and scholarships with funds matched by the Rab Wilkinson Foundation. Rab Wilkinson was the late former proprietor of Country Lanes.
Alumni Division
Champions: St. Joseph by the Sea High School (Kevin Buono, Robert Butler Michael Cariffe and Anthony Pizzirusso – $1,000)
Runners-up: Susan Wagner (Daniel Costantino, Mike Fiore, Matt Koplowitz, Sean McAuliffe and Tim McAuliffe, Jr. – $500)
High School Division
Champions: Susan Wagner – 1,903 pins (Paul Cherry, Brandon Handog, Alex Santos, and Steven Souffrin
Other event Notes:
- Amongst the field, 29 athletes were recognized as either Advance All Stars or Staten Island Bowling Hall of Fame Junior All Stars during their HS careers, three of which were four-time recipients (Melissa Kammerer, Erin Schneider and Daniel Costantino)
- 25 PSAL City Championship Teams were represented.
- 7 Staten Island Bowling/Staten Island USBC Hall of Famers competed (Jeff Scire, Tim McAuliffe, Naz Laursen, Jim Episcopia, Roe Quattrocchi, Vin D’Ambrosio III and Joe LaBargo)
After missing a year because of the pandemic, the Staten Island Singles Classic is back
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Three-time Staten Island Singles Classic champion Rob Vinci is interviewed by tourney founder Donnie Walters during the 40th anniversary 2017 event at Rab’s Country Lanes. (Staten Island Advance)
By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
silive.com | Click here for the full story
It pained Donnie Walters to have to cancel what would have been the 43rd annual Staten Island Singles Classic last year because of the pandemic.
For 42 years prior to that, the event was a staple in the local bowling community and one that always went off without a hitch.
But, this year, with the news surrounding the pandemic getting better, the 73-year-old Walters decided to proceed with the event.
“I couldn’t miss it two years in a row and I think the bowlers want to see it back,” said Walters.
Qualifying in the Classic will take place at Rab’s Country Lanes on April 3, April 10-11 and April 17 at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. each day for a total of 12 qualifiers. The top 24 finals will be held April 24 at 2:30 p.m.
Entry fee is $60. Those keglers who compete in the first squad will receive a second entry for the cost of lineage ($15) only.
With lanes at a premium because of the pandemic, spots in the first qualifier are sure to go fast.
“I made some changes. I’m not guaranteeing the prize fund,” explained Walters. “It will be based on entries.”
With his tournament sidekick, John Eadicicco, now living in Florida, Walters will rely on help from Eric Capizzi, Garett Gersh and Mike Giovinazzo.
“Eric is associated with Country Lanes and Garett is associated with Showplace so I have representatives from both Island houses helping me out,” said Walters.
Country proprietor Frank Wilkinson has also “been a big asset” to Walters in helping get this year’s event off the ground.
Walters said competitors in the tournament will have to follow the pandemic protocols of Country Lanes at the time of the tourney.
“It’s house rules,” said Walters. “The state and city laws are changing all the time when it comes to the pandemic. Right now, I believe the bowlers would have to wear masks on the lanes.”
Red-hot Jeff Scire is the two-time defending champ, winning in 2018 and 2019.