Santos, Funtilon FEDBG champs for November

Archie Santos emerged the men’s champion while Grace Funtilon used a fast start to claim the ladies crown at the end of the November Bowlfest 2012 conducted by the Filipino Expatriate Damayan Bowling Group at the Bowling City here.
Santos, one of the pioneers and avid members of FEDBG, skipped the semis and qualified third direct to finals with well a 15-game series of 3446 including a hig game of 247.
Top qualifier Marcelo Manalo and second place keeper Bobby Baraquel had 3523 and 3456 with respective high games of 261 and 265. Ruel Santoc won the class B overall high game at 268 but missed the cut at 3366.
After a 222, Santos was within striking distance at sixth place behind Manalo 248, Dariel Loquias 237, Tito Cruz 237, Class C top qualifier Rolly Vistal 232 and Baraquel 224.
Hobbled by splits in game 2 Santos dropped to 10th place with 404 to be four marks away from Vistal who grabbed the lead with his 440.
Fresh faces over the borderline were Jowet Carreon, Serge Rivera and Romy Bunagan who respectively pulled through with 431, 430 and 428 along with Loquias on 427.
Santos then transformed the entire Bowling City into real championship arena when he started hitting strikes halfway through the ultimate game where he scored 268 to become the men’s champion on three-game handicap series of 672. Carreon tied with Manalo on 654 but took second place after the tiebreak of rule of consistency at 9-76 was applied. Jun Estefano ranked fourth on 638 and Vistal saved fifth place on 635.
On the ladies division, Funtilon at 205 was on shaky ground at the top after the first game with Letty Mendoza just two pins behind at 203.
Sally Sañosa, Eloisa Fernandez and Mariz Resano followed on 187, 164 and 160. With Mendoza lapsing into splits and errors, Funtilon pulled clear from her nearest pursuer at 390-370 after a second game 185
On the last lane transfer Sañosa broke the jinx and rallied with 206. But this pursuit was good only for second place as Funtilon cemented the top post with 174 to become the ladies division champion on 564.
Sañosa was second on 559, Mendoza third on 548 while Resano and Fernandez placed fourth and fifth.
Nurissa Ramos, Imelda Sayago, Andrie Parena, Ester Santoc, Aisah Silabay and Minda Guevara were the other lady bowlers to participate.