Ryan Ciminelli
| Ryan Ciminelli | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ryan Ciminelli March 7, 1986 Cheektowaga, NY |
| Other names | The Ryan Express, Hit Man |
| Occupation | Ten-pin bowler |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Ryan Ciminelli (born March 7, 1986) is a left-handed ten-pin bowler from Cheektowaga, New York. Since 2007, he has competed on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. Ciminelli has won six PBA Tour titles, including one major championship, in addition to nine PBA Regional titles.[1] He has earned over $450,000 on Tour to date, and has rolled eight perfect 300 games in PBA competition. Ryan is a member of the Brunswick/DV8 and Vise Grips pro staffs. He was given the nickname "The Ryan Express" in the 2012 Tournament of Champions TV introductions, while his DV8 bio lists the nickname "Hit Man".[2]
Contents
Ciminelli on the PBA Tour
Early years
Ciminelli joined the PBA in 2007. From 2007 through 2009, he labored mostly in obscurity, making match play only six times in 36 tournaments and failing to make the TV finals in any event.
2009–10 season
2009–10 proved to be his first productive season, as Ryan made match play in six of 17 events. He made the TV finals four times, but failed to win a title.
2010–11 season
Ciminelli's first PBA Tour title came at the 2011 Earl Anthony Memorial Classic in Dublin, California, where he defeated Patrick Allen in the final match, 237–215.
2011–12 season
Ciminelli's win in 2011 qualified him for the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions where he finished runner-up, losing in the final match against Sean Rash, 239–205.[3] Despite not winning a title this season, Ryan posted his best earnings to date, taking home $64,545.
2012–13 season
On November 3, 2013 (broadcast December 15, 2013), Ciminelli rose from the #3 seed and bested #1 seed Dominic Barrett, 258–203, in the title match at the PBA Chameleon Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ciminelli overwhelmed the three right-handed bowlers he faced in the TV finals, and took home $20,000 in prize money while collecting his second PBA title.[4] Celebrating the victory, Ciminelli kissed his bride-to-be, Chelsie, and then handed the trophy to his father, Angelo.
2014 season
Ciminelli took a step backward in 2014, making match play in just two of 15 events while appearing in the TV finals only once, coming away without a title.
2015 season
Ciminelli made the TV finals in the Tournament of Champions for a second time in 2015, only to have his opponent (Sean Rash) roll a 300 game against him in the opening match.
Ciminelli collected his third PBA Tour title at the PBA Xtra Frame South Point Las Vegas Open on October 22, 2015. Qualifying as the #2 seed, Ryan defeated his boyhood idol, 52-year old Parker Bohn III, in the semifinal match, and went on to defeat #1 seed and fellow New Yorker Anthony Pepe in the finals, rolling 10 strikes en route to a convincing 269–211 victory.[5]
Seventeen days after winning his third title, Ciminelli collected his fourth title and first major championship at the 2015 Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open, held in Garland, Texas. Qualifying as the #1 seed in the grueling 56-game format, Ryan defeated Dominic Barrett in his lone TV finals match, 236–223, to take home the prestigious green jacket and $50,000.[6]
At the 2015 PBA World Series of Bowling in Reno, NV, Ciminelli qualified as the #2 seed in the Rolltech PBA World Championship, but was upset in the semifinals on December 17 by eventual winner Gary Faulkner, Jr. On December 18, Ryan picked up his fifth career title in the finals of the GoBowling.com Viper Championship, defeating Thailand's Kim Bolleby, 237–201. This made Ciminelli the only player to win three titles in the 2015 season.[7] He had his best season in earnings, by far, taking home $142,661.
In an extremely close vote, Ciminelli was runner-up to Jason Belmonte for the 2015 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award. Ciminelli earned 43.22 percent of the vote, on the strength of three titles (one major) and a 225.37 average. Belmonte won two titles (both majors), led the PBA Tour in earnings, and barely edged Ciminelli in in Tour average (225.40), getting 47.36 percent of the vote.[8]
2016 season
Ciminelli earned his sixth career PBA Tour title at the BowlingBall.com Xtra Frame Maine Shootout on April 6, 2016.[9]
Personal
Ciminelli attended Erie Community College in Williamsville, New York, where he earned a degree in construction engineering and project management. He spent time as a construction laborer while refining his bowling game.[1]
References
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- ↑ ToC Tournament Results at www.pba.com [1]
- ↑ Inspired Ryan Ciminelli Wins PBA Chameleon Championship for Second Tour Title Vint, Bill at pba.com on 15 November 2013.
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