Sletba Open: Umali tops Youth division; Alvarez, Tagulinao score

Kenzo Mali after posting a perfect score Saturday night

National Youth pool member Kenzo Umali put on an amazing display of power bowling Saturday night to capture the youth masters division of the 22nd Sletba Open at Sta. Lucia Mall Bowling Center in Cainta, Rizal.

Umali, 18, of TBAM-Prima, capped a brilliant performance with a perfect game in the sixth of the 8-game series to pull away from 18 other finalists. He ended up with a total of 1930, or an average of 241.

Four other players from TBAM-Prima made up the top five—Art Barrientos with 1705, Bill Yambao (1688), Merwin Tan (1678) and Danielle Evangelista (1673).

Umali’s perfect game was the fifth in his young career. He achieved the feat on lanes 19-20 using a 15-pound Black Hammer urethane ball.

Earlier, Arnold Alvarez of Sletba topped the classified masters field with a total of 1764 pitfalls in eight games, followed by Mark Legurpa of PTBA with 1714 and Zal Barrientos and Annie Estrada, both of Sletba, with 1667 and 1661, respectively.

In the senior masters held Friday night, Ricky Tagulinao of PBA clinched the title over four Sletba players.

The ladies and 15-under divisions were ongoing at press time. —ABEL ULANDAY