The Professional Bowlers Tour took a break from the weekly grind of singles play and held the 2008 PBA Exempt Doubles Classic this past Sunday in Las Vegas.

Danny Wiseman and Michael Fagan teamed up to beat Joe Ciccone and Ronnie Russell 210-208 to split the $40,000 top prize. Ciccone and Russell were both looking to win their first PBA title, but Ciccone completely missed a 2-5 spare attempt in the tenth to give the win to Wiseman and Fagan.

The win was the first for Fagan and the 12th for Wiseman. Both earned a one-year exemption. Ciccone and Russell beat Bill O'Neill and Mike Scroggins 233-223 in the semi-final, and they defeated Chris Barnes and Wes Malott 235-193 in the opening match.

Trivia

Ethel Brumick and Elsie Spicer of Santa Monica, Calif. hold the USBC record for the oldest combined age for a double team. How old do you think Ethel and Elsie were when they broke the record in 1984? Answer at the end of the column.

Top Scorers

Todd Voltz tossed a 300 game to lead the Imperial League. Voltz also lead the league with a 762 series.

Other top scorers: Ron Lehman, 278 (740), Ron Henry, 266 (722), Perry Chepelsky, 266 (717) ... Tom Fry topped the BCMTL with a 279 game and 1,052 quad. Others who bowled well were Barry Barger, 278 (1013), Troy Strezeski, 248 (939), and Brian Marcellus, 236 (904) ...

City League: Jeff Suchonic, 277 (741), Henry Austin, 247 (729), Kevin Richardson, 256 (708), Ron Burka, 256 (707) ...

Fox's Pizza Den: Mike Strutt, 277 (724), Jim Hepler, 249 (690), Gary Gregg, 251 (686) ...

Armco C: Bill Cress, 258 (691), Ben Hoffman, 226 (654), Don Bender, 224 (643) ...

Buckhorn: Wayne Dunkle, 269 (671), Ed Desmond, 226 (682), Mike Fair, 226 (647) ...

Automotive: Dean McIndoe, 279 game, Dave Morgan, 699 series, Paul Zitzman, 699 series ...

Firearms: Butch Basham, Jr. just missed a perfect game, tossing a 299 as part of a 695 series. Ed Montgomery led the league with a 288 game and 741 series. Angela Malis led the ladies with a 189 game and Kristi Erkens led with a 519 series ...

Kelly Automotive: Dave Schrecongost, 239 (664), Mike Evans, 279 (655), Kurt Weaver, 225 (662) ...

Coins League: Linda Smith, 198 (531).Tip Of The WeekVarying lane conditions can make it tricky to find the right line. Rolling a straight second ball will help you on both oily and dry lanes. A lot of oil on the lanes will cause the ball to roll straighter no matter how you throw it. Dry lanes can make the ball hook too much.Throwing a straight ball increases the forward rotation on the ball and reduces the side roll, which decreases the tendency of the ball to hook.Try these techniques to throw a straighter ball: Point your forearm at your target line through the back and forward swings and release. Point your ring finger at your lane target at the point of release. These tips will help keep your hand behind the ball instead of on the side at the release point.Trivia AnswerIn 1984, Ethel Brunnick was 92 years old and Elsie Spicer was 82 years old, a combined 178 years when they entered the WIBC National Tournament, a USBC record.Not Too Late ...to get your league information into this column. Contact me via e-mail at wiseguyrondo@zoominternet.net.Ron Willison is a bowling columnist for the Butler Eagle.