2022 CENTRAL DIVISION OPEN

Ken Degenhardt Potlicker Pairs

Aaron & Bob

Bob Schneider and Aaron Zangl won the last game against 2021 champs Rob Behcke and Jim Cavender to win in 2022 and capture the $1000 first place prize.  Rob and Jim finished in second place.

Team Event

Mark, Frankie, Rob, Jim, and Tony

 In a format similar to that of the NAC, four person teams played a round robin featuring singles, pairs, triples, and fours.  The final game of fours between the two teams tied for first place provided some fireworks in the last end.    The team of Bob Schneider, Tony Baer, Aaron Zangle, and Nancy Santos was three shots down to the team of Rob Behncke, Tony Santos, Frankie Napoli, and Jim Grzybowski/Mark Mathwig.  With one bowl to go, Bob Schneider trailed the jack back to a cluster of friendly bowls to lie four.  Rob Behncke delivered his final bowl slightly off line, but got a nice rub finish in the head cutting out two shot bowls and winning both the game and the championship.

       
       
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2022 US National Championship Playdowns

Bob Schneider and Rob Behncke swept through the round robin event against some very strong teams, defeating seveal teams who finished tied for for second place.  Bob and Rob were undefeated and captured the 2022 Central Division Pairs Championship.  They will be heading to Sun City AZ  for the National Championships running from October 31 to November 5.  They are former pairs champions, having won in 2015.  Mark Mathwig and newcomer Karl Freund finished second with Tony Baer and Aaron Zangl in third.

Aaron Zangl won the Singles Playdowns. All the players had to deal with 90+ degree weather and the noise levels from the Blue Angels air show…great visuals but hard on the ears. Aaron got off to an early lead and never faltered.  Aaron (who is inexplicably well tanned for a Wisconsin lad) combined an exceptional draw game with an occasional spot on drive shot to finish undefeated.  Tony Baer made a strong run to finish up in second place.  Jim Cavender, a former National Champion in pairs and singles, finished in third place.

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2021 Central Division Open Results

Central Division Open Results

Team event

First Place – Rob Behnke (CD),  Giulia Gallo (PMID),  Frankie Napoli (PMID),  Bob Schneider (CD)

Second Place – Brian Stewart (SW), Tad Dutch (SW), Bill Buchannan (SW), Allen O’Brien (SW)

 

National Potlicker Pairs event:

First Place – Rob Behnke (CD),  Jim Cavender (CD)

Second Place – Jim Grzybowski (CD),  Randy Grzybowski (CD)

Third Place – Sandy Wall (SED), Martha Nilsen (SED)

Fourth Place – Bob Schneider (CD) , Mark Mathwig (CD)

Fifth Place – Carl Landgren (CD),  Joe Blaney (CD)

Sixth Place – Brian Stewart (SW),  Bill Buchannan (SW)

Seventh Place – Tad Dutch 9SW),  Allen O’Brien (SW)

Eighth Place – Scott Lehmann (CD),  Dale Parsens (CD)

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POTLICKER 2021

MARK AND BOB

SCHNEIDER AND MATHWIG TAKE THE POTLICKER CUP FOR 2021

Once again, Bob Schneider and his partner Mark Mathwig prevailed in the latest edition of the POTLICKER CUP.  Bob has dominated in the last several years despite playing against some very competitive opposition.  This year there were three teams that tied for second with only one loss:  Tony Baer & Rob Behncke, Max Cavender & Jim Cavender, and Jim Grzybowski and Randy Gryzbowski.  All of these players have national and/or international experience.  It was a heated competition.

Tony gives Max an ice water cool down.

Rob thought that was a good idea.

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2020 Central Division Open Results

Do You Recognize These Masked Men?

This so far unidentified pair stormed through the Covid curtailed Central Pairs tournament.  The Pairs on Saturday found these guys with an insurmountable lead going into the last game, which they lost to a team that was happy to win.  The team of Bob Schneider and Brian Schieble finished second with Jim and Randy Grzybowski in third.  Instead of the usual two day events, both the pairs and the singles had to be played in one day each.  The length of games and formats of the two events had to be far different from what they would be in normal times.  Nevertheless, it was great to be playing bowls again. 

The Singles on Saturday also saw these two taking the lead with left guy winning and right guy in second after a very close game.  Bob Schneider came in third.  Of course the guy on the left is Tony Baer and on the right is Rob Behncke.  It was Rob’s birthday, so his family arranged Hawaiian themed party for him. 

 

 

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POTLICKER CUP 2020

Bob & Brian

A few intrepid bowlers braved the bug to kick off the season with the Potlicker Cup.  After a hard fought round robin, the team of Bob Schneider and Brian Schieble defeated Jim and Randy Grzybowski for the championship. 

 

 

Central player observing social distancing and face mask use.

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Steve Nelson Named to Hall of Fame

Long time Central Division member Steve Nelson is the newest member of the Hall of Fame.  He was recognized both for his accomplishments on the greens and his contributions to US and Central Division Bowls as a division officer and councilor.  In 2018 Steve managed Team USA to its first overall victory in the North American Challenge.  Oh yes, he was also the Central Division webmaster for a number of years.  On the greens he is a two time US National Champion and competed at a high level in several international events.  In 2011 he was ranked #22 in the world by World Bowls after a fifth place finish in the Champion of Champions tournament.  Steve is now competing in the Southeast Division and bedeviling his opponents there instead of beating up on his old Central Division buddies.  Congratulations Steve!  (PS:  We love you, but don’t hurry back.)

Here’s Steve and his partner Carl Landgren being presented with the Potlicker Cup by Ken Degenhardt after two of their wins.  Steve has won many other division championships.

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National Tournaments

US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Rob Behncke

Rob Behncke found himself in a four way playoff for first place after the round robin in the singles event at the beautiful Golden Gate Park venue in San Francisco.  All the Central Division players had to cope with the varying playing and weather conditions, but on the day of the playoffs the temperature dropped to somewhere in the high 60’s after it being in the 90’s a day or so before.  A cold breeze made it even harder on the spectators… hmm… maybe on the players as well.  Anyhow, Rob could not prevail against the Northwest’s Chris Davis who, in turn, could not prevail against the eventual champion Charlie Herbert.  The  Central Division team was:  Anna Witt & Rebecca Nguyen – pairs , Olia Behncke – singles, Jim Grzybowski & Leif Andresen -pairs, and Rob Behncke – singles.

US OPEN

Bob Schneider

Joe Zinna

Bob Schneider and Hall-of-Famer Joe Zinna, both Central Division members, teamed up with Frank Souza and Phil Luth to capture first place in the third flight of the US Open.  Winning any flight at the Open is a great accomplishment.  Other Central members who competed on the immaculate Arizona greens were Jim Grzybowski, Randy Grzybowski, Leif Andresen, and Anna Witt.

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