08/31/2026
Ladies and gentlemen, the first week of the Wednesday Waffle is in the books!
Congratulations are in order for JT Zimmerman, who is the top seed for this Wednesday's roll off. His 454 scratch set was the highest of the night, and his 524 handicap set is one for the record books. It will be hard to top. His opponent is Theresa Huntington, the #8 seed, who had a nice 373 set, 19 pins over her average.
Jim Emge was the #2 seed, with a strong 428 set. Jim will face Eddie Shelton, who qualified with a huge 158 game and 372 set. Bruce Steger had a 390 set and qualified 3rd, and will face Colleen David. Finally, Monica Emge qualified 4th with a good 358 set, and will face Jeremy brown, who qualified 5th with a very solid 398.
The rules are as follows:
1. THE HANDICAP WILL BE SET AT 150 - A BOWLER'S AVERAGE, just like the league.
The top 8 entries qualify for the tournament the following week. If there are any no-shows the following week, the #9 seed will be the alternate, and everyone below the absent bowler will move up. The alternate will become the #8 seed. If more than one bowler is absent, the #10, 11 and 12 seeds will move up as necessary, so that all 8 positions are filled. There will be no refunds, however the absent bowler will receive a free entry the following week, or upon their return. There will be no subs allowed to bowl.
2. If a bowler does not arrive by the 3rd frame of the first game, it is considered a forfeit, and the bowler loses his or her spot. NO EXCEPTIONS! The late bowler will be given a score for any missing frames according to existing league rules, as long as they arrive BY THE THIRD FRAME.
3. For qualifying, the higher SCRATCH SCORE will break any and all ties. If two bowlers have the same scratch score, their high game for the set will break the tie. If there is still a tie, the first game score will break the tie, then the second game, then the third. If for any reason there is still a tie, the previous week's scratch set score will break the tie, using the same format, then their
high game, then high score for games 1, 2 and 3.
4. Once play begins, if there are any ties, the higher seeded bowler will advance, regardless of their scratch scores. The lower seeded bowler must beat the higher seeded bowler's handicapped score. This rule applies to all three rounds of bowling.
5. Each week is also a qualifying round for the following week. The top 8 entries will be seeded according to their handicapped score, along with tiebreakers the same as the previous week. This is a "rolling" tournament, with new entries each week, however there is no limit to how many times a bowler can qualify.
6. The entry fee for each week is $5. Payouts are based on the number of entries, however to keep things consistent, the prize fund will be established as follows:
All 8 qualifiers will receive a free entry for the next week, worth $5, regardless of position.
The top qualifier will receive a $5 bonus.
1st place - $20 (which may increase to $25-30).
2nd place - $15 (which may increase to $20)
3rd place - $10
4th and 5th place $5 each.
7. The 5th place finisher will be determined by the 4 losers of the first game, which will enter the consolation bracket for the final paid spot. The bowlers will be seeded accordingly, with the highest original seed bowling against the lowest, and the other two bowling each other. The losers of the 2nd round are out. The other two will bowl for the $5 prize in the third game. So even if a bowler loses the first game, there is still an opportunity to cash.
8. We had a total of 24 entries last week. There were two bowlers who were absent that typically enter the tournament, so if that continues, it will allow the larger prizes for 1st and 2nd place. If that occurs, past bowlers will receive the additional money once the prize money is firmly set. The minimum prizes above are based on 21 bowlers, and we had 24 last week. It is typical for some bowlers to drop out as the season progresses. An average of 24 bowlers are required to pay out the top prizes of $30 for first and $20 for second. Please consider asking other bowlers to participate in the tournament. If more bowlers become regular participants, the prize fund may be increased even further, or more cash prizes can be awarded at the end of the season! Wouldn't that be nice?
9. A bowler's entering book average will be used for the first three weeks. After that, the bowler's average for the three weeks will be used, however it can only increase or decrease by 5 pins for the first 5 weeks. After 5 weeks the bowler's average can increase or decrease by one pin per week up until a maximum of ten pins from the entering average (after ten weeks).
10. There will be a prize fund at the end of the season. Any surplus money collected during the season will be added to the prize fund. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you don't qualify for a couple weeks, or even a few, don't worry, your time is coming. The key to success is to win once you qualify.
Here are the previous week's scores and bracket sheet. Good luck and have fun!