Professional Bowlers Association

Tom Crites, Tampa, Fla., won the plaudits of the crowd and the lion's share of the money, $45,000, but it was Mike Aulby who gained the hearts of the national television audience.

Crites defeated Aulby in the title game of the $235,000 Toledo Trust PBA National Championship, 190-184, and it was a richly deserved triumph . . . but for Aulby, who came within an eyelash of successfully defending the rich title, the defeat was a heartbreaker.

The Indianapolis pro was coming off a three-week layoff after not bowling up to the pace he set one year ago when he captured six Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) titles and more than $200,000.

But even the rest didn't appear to have accomplished what Aulby set out to do, until the final game of qualifying in the 56-game test, when he rolled a four-bagger to barely make it into 24th position for the start of match game competition.

From there, while Crites, Frank Ellenburg, Mark Baker and Pete Weber battled for the lead, Aulby just kept chipping away at the front runners and after a tense position round game on Friday night, Aulby found himself lodged into third place, along with top-seeded Crites, 32-time champion Mark Roth, Spring Lake Heights, N.J., Mike Edwards of Tulsa, Okla., and Weber, one of Aulby's chief rivals in 1985.

While a capacity and noisy crowd at Ducat's Imperial Lanes cheered them on, Edwards ousted Weber, 248-212. Aulby then entered the fray and won a two-frame (9th and 10th) rolloff from Edwards, 49-39, after they had tied at 202.

The ensuing match with the veteran Roth was a thriller all the way, Roth holding a 16-pin lead early in the duel. But Aulby found the range and finished with five consecutive strikes for a 236-234 victory and the opportunity to defend the title he won a year ago on the same lanes.

But it was not to be. Crites went quietly about his game plan, which had carried him to the biggest game of his career and opened a slight lead over Aulby. Aulby left the 6-7 split in the ninth frame and everyone thought it was all over, but Aulby converted it. After Crites finished with his 190, Aulby had a chance to win with a 10th frame double, but couldn't collect the first and Crites was the winner.

"Yes, I was watching when he (Aulby) made that 6-7," said Crites, "but I didn't want to get beat sitting on the bench and I was making the shots I knew I had to make. I knew I had $25,000 (second place) clinched and the rest of it was bonus bucks, but I also knew I would be getting a seven-year exemption into the Firestone Tournament of Champions and that made it all worthwhile."

Crites, in winning his PBA title said he recalled getting beat by Aulby in the finals of the Denver Open in 1985. Crites also was voted the Sporting News PBA Rookie of the Year in '85.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS - Edwards defeated Weber, 248-212; Aulby and Edwards tied at 202, with Aulby then winning a two-frame rolloff, 49-39; Aulby defeated Roth, 236-234; and in the championship game, Crites defeated Aulby, 190-184.

56-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Tom Crites, Tampa, Fla.		11687		208.7		17-7-0		510		12197
2		Mark Roth, Spring Lake Hts., N.J.		11710		209.1		16-8-0		480		12190
3		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis		11639		207.8		17-7-0		510		12149
4		Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla.		11761		210.0		12-12-0		360		12121
5		Pete Weber, St. Louis		11727		209.4		13-11-0		390		12117
6		Frank Ellenburg, Mesa, Ariz.		11651		208.1		15-9-0		450		12101		$6,500
7		Bruce Carter, Round Rock, Texas		11610		207.3		15-9-0		450		12060		5,700
8		Bill Peters, Englewood, Ohio		11725		209.4		10-14-0		300		12025		5,000
9		Marc McDowell, Madison, Wis.		11672		208.4		11-12-1		315		12017		4,500
10		Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn.		11540		206.1		15-8-1		465		12005		4,000
11		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.		11728		209.4		8-16-0		240		11968		3,500
12		Tony Westlake, Altus, Okla.		11631		207.7		11-13-0		330		11961		3,200
13		Ron Palombi Jr., Erie, Pa.		11501		205.4		14-10-0		420		11921		3,000
14		Rick Vittone, Salem, Ore.		11498		205.3		14-10-0		420		11918		2,800
15		Mark Baker, Garden Grove, Calif.		11545		206.2		12-12-0		360		11905		2,600
16		Rick A. Pollard, Versailles, Ind.		11557		206.4		11-13-0		330		11887		2,400
17		Tony Moore, Corbin, Ky.		11524		205.8		11-13-0		330		11854		2,200
18		Kevin McGerr, Lincoln, Neb.		11569		206.6		7-17-0		210		11779		2,100
19		Steve Wunderlich, St. Louis		11462		204.7		10-14-0		300		11762		2,000
20		Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass.		11458		204.6		10-14-0		300		11758		1,900
21		Mal Acosta, Manteca, Calif.		11433		204.2		10-13-1		315		11748		1,800
22		Sam Zurich, Hernando Beach, Fla.		11492		205.2		8-15-1		255		11747		1,700
23		Jeffrey Mackey, Mexico, Mo.		11436		204.2		9-15-0		270		11706		1,600
24		Larry Barwick, Wauchula, Fla.		11390		203.4		10-14-0		300		11690		1,500

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, Texas	$1,475
		Palmer Fallgren, Sacramento, Calif.	1,370
27		Chuck Pierce, Dallas	1,325
28		Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y.	1,300
29		Bob Handley, Pompano Beach, Fla.	1,290
30		Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill.	1,280
31		Rick Sajek, Coral Spring, Fla.	1,270
32		Storm DeVincent, Tamarac, Fla.	1,255
		David Ozio, Vidor, Texas	1,255
34		Jeff Dreyfus, Fort Wayne, Ind.	1,240
35		Jim Ragnoni, Elyria, Ohio	1,230
36		Paul Gibson, O'Fallon, Ill.	1,220
37		Purvis Granger, Lafayette, La.	1,210
38		Dave Tulak, Monroe, Mich.	1,200
39		Rey C. Perez, Cincinnati, Ohio	1,190
40		George Branham III, Arleta, Calif.	1,175
		Randy Stoughton, Indianapolis	1,175
42		Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo.	1,160
43		Jeff Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio	1,150
44		Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas	1,140
45		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A.	1,130
46		Mark Stibora, Brooklyn, Ohio	1,120
47		James A. Miller, Mesa, Ariz.	1,105
		Larry Womack. Morro Bay, Calif.	1,105
49		Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela	1,090
50		Bob Goike, Belleville, Ill.	1,080
51		Brian Voss, Tacoma, Wash.	1,070
52		John Weltzien, McHenry, Ill.	1,060
53		Steve Preston, Kokomo, Ind.	1,050
54		Randy Johnson, Webster Groves, Mo.	1,040
55		Mark Fahy, Chicago	1,030
56		Tom Laskow, Commack, N.Y.	1,015
		Bill Netzhammer, Alton, Ill.	1,015
58		Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y.	1,000
59		Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas	990
60		Ron Williams, Cahokia, Ill.	980
61		Dave Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y.	970
62		Brad Bohling, Denver, Colo.	960
63		Rowdy Morrow, St. Louis	950
64		Charlie Tapp, South St. Paul, Minn.	940
65		Wayne Webb, Indianapolis	930
66		Jim Pencak, Highland Hts., Ohio	920
67		Andrew Neuer, Milton, Pa.	910
68		Ron Bell, Akron, Ohio	900
69		Norm Duke, Fort Worth, Texas	890
70		Jeff Phipps, Troutdale, Ore.	880
71		Bill Ryan Jr., Dayton, Ohio	870
72		Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore.	860
73		Kevin Taber, Toledo, Ohio	850
74		Leroy Bornhop, St. Charles, Mo.	835
		David White, Oklahoma City, Okla.	835
76		Gerry Keslar, Lincoln, Neb.	820
77		Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla.	810
78		Mike Jasnau. Wichita, Kan.	800
79		Rod Pasteur, Atlanta, Ga.	790
80		Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J.	780
81		Don Genalo, Perrysburg, Ohio	770
82		Bob Chamberlain, Auburn Heights, Mich.	760
83		Jim Gostovich, New Baltimore, Mich.	750
84		John Bicker, Cleveland	740
85		Johnny Petraglia, Staten Island, N.Y.	730
86		Scott Devers, Centerville, Ind.	720
87		Steve Gillum, Crestwood, Mo,	710
88		Dennis Jacques, Middletown, N.J.	700
89		Jim Augustine, Tallmadge, Ohio	690
90		Jon O'Drobinak, Chicago	680