The talented righthander with the quirky backswing made the cut in last week's USBC Masters in Milwaukee.

Thomas, bowling out of his home town of Old Town, Idaho, finished qualifying in 62nd place to make it into match play.

In his opening match, Thomas ran into the hot Tommy Jones Jr., who won four stops on last year's PBA Tour and was edged out by Patrick Allen for player of the year honors.

Jones sent Thomas into the losers' bracket with a 732-532 victory.

Thomas, who just missed making the Top 16 in the 2002 U.S. Open, rebounded with a 616-574 victory over Colombia's Andres Gomez in Round 1 of the losers' bracket.

Last Thursday, he eliminated Jason Belmonte, of Brigham, Utah, 599-520 in Round 2 and went one step further with a 684-600 victory over Ray Edwards, of Middle Island, N.Y.

Friday morning, Thomas was finally eliminated, falling to Tampa's Tom Daugherty, 705-635.

Thomas' top 32 effort earned him $2,000.

If you missed Sunday, Mike Scroggins captured the crown with a 245-238 victory over the popular Norm Duke in the championship match.

Scroggins, one of three lefthanders in the finals, pocketed $100,000 for his first-place effort. Duke took home $50,000. Two amateurs, Art Brown of Lansing, Mich. and Ken Muscato, of Canadaigua, N.Y., also made the championship round, finishing third ($25,000)_ and fourth ($15,000), respectively.

The finals were televised Sunday morning at 11 on ESPN.

·  ·  ·  It's not often youth scores get mentioned in the column, but a pair of junior efforts deserve a shout-out.

First, 15-year-old Eric Crawford, bowling in the Little Sky No. 2 league at Little's, put together games of 268, 183 and 267 for a sizzling 718 set.The series was 163 total pins over his 185 average.

On Wednesday, 12-year-old Taylor Davis, who carries a 159 average, rolled a 625 series topped by a 267 game. Davis was bowling in the Mighty Mite league, also at Little's.

·  ·  ·  Don Dormady, a senior bowler out of Moore, had a big day last week at Lewistown's Snowy Lanes.

Dormady, who started bowling in 1978, rolled a whopping 616 series on games of 207, 188 and 221. With an average of 143, the set was 187 total pins over his norm.

Dormady joked that he is all stapled together because of his illnesses, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the sport.

·  ·  ·  In other scores from around the area, Robert Smith topped the men at the Elks with a 685 series, topped by games of 245 and 237. Sharon Gribble's 241 game and 604 series led the women.

At Pin & Cue, Donnie White reeled off games of 235, 247 and 246 for big 728 series. Sara Hathaway's 221 game and 601 series was high for the women.

Don Richards turned in games of 211 and 200 to take men's honors at Black Eagle Lanes. Joanne Griner's 212 game, which was 91 pins over her average, took women's honors.

John Brus led the men at Murph's with a 679 series, on games of 224, 248 and 207, in the Friday Alibi League. Monica Furst's 206 game was the high for the women.

At deadline, no scores from Little's Lanes were available.

Here are the rest of last week's honor scores:

Jack's Lanes/Fort Benton

Dust Bowlers — Dan Danreuther 267-680, Elmer Mertz 225

Monday Nite Mixed — Jack Willson 225, 225

Tuesday Nite Mixed — Jack Bateman 245

Triple L — Cindy Farwick 206

Thursday Men — Robert Olson 225, Jack Willson 225

Snowy Lanes/Lewistown

Women's scores

Tuesday Trio — Rose Huston 205

Skyliners — Karin Longshore 203

Wednesday Ladies — Sue McGuire 201, Jean Kaurin 200, Elaine Thomas 200

Wednesday Doubles — Janice Spoonheim 171(+64), Sue Costello 169(+51)

Pinetoppers — Arvadel Bodvig 214, Josie Hardy 158(+54)

Thursday Money — Terri White 206, Rose Huston 201, Leslie Smith 188(+76)

Men's scores

Monday Commercial — Tim Thomas 227, Brian Mullins 168(+62), Vern Howard 172(+50)

Tuesday Trio — Rusty Hall 203(+58), Tim Anthony 211(+57)

Skyliners — Steve Horacek 212(+51)

Wednesday Doubles — Hal Lahr 180(+51)

Seniors — Don Dormady 207-188(+45)-216-616(+187), Paul Degele 151(+50)-405(+102), Bob Conard 192(+49), George Huston 181(+48)

Thursday Merchant — Rod Wesselmann 615(+129), Eric Bowen 208(+51), Dave Wiewick 222(+50)

Sunday Mixed — Rusty Hall 200(+54)-538(+100), Dean Person 225

Glacier Lanes/Cut Bank

Women's scores

Sunday Mixed — Jamie Freed 198(+66)

Monday Ladies — Debi Duke 189(+54)-514(+99), Heather Michaels 184(+66)

Happy Bowlers — Little Parker 177(+52)

Wednesday Ladies — Miki Suta 212, Jonna Tafelmeyer 149(+50), Lanaya Vaile 213-518(+101)

Friday Mixed — Paula Augare 203, Debbie Higgins 196(+52)

Elks/Great Falls

Women's scores

Jack & Jill — Sharon Gribble 241-604, Collette Caffyn 220, Tracy Rigor 206, Shelia Brady 204-549(+102)

Elks Seniors — Shirley Christianson 202, Marilyn Rubino 192, Jean Ostlie 191, Lois Gudatis 190

Thursday Ladies — Shelia Brady 219, Barb Walker 208, Kaycee Dickey 199(+60)

Sunday Early Birds — Dawn Vernon 239, Tracy Rigor 222

Men's scores

Jack & Jill — Phil Piccono 233, Bernie K. Dickman 233, Reeves Caffyn 218(+61)

Tuesday Men — Rex Tanberg 278-652, Rich Reeve 254-236-703, Bob Standley 244, Rich Teesdale 242-652, Gale Swanson 235, Gary Willits 234, Darwin Reeve 234, Mike Beggs 234, Bud Lee 234-226, Al Ridder 232-667, Lee Leveque 225, Ken Love 222(+67), Larry Veatch 222(+56), Fred Preble 203(+53)

Bull Elks — Joe Murray 244, Scott Rodger 237, Randy Guill 235, Dave Culliton 234-234-650, Jim Pickering 233-233-669, Ed Mattix 228-588(+102), Norm Miller 226, Ken Ferguson 225, Willie Heupel 225, Tom Kapptie 210(+58), Bob Dickenson 213(+54), Marty Basta 171(+52)

Elks Seniors — Dave Shadrick 266, Roger Sherman 252, Willie Heupel 225, Mel Kerbs 212, Shannon Ostlie 210-205-607, Rod Hackett 209, Ed Mattix 207, Jim Remsh 207, Ron Levandowski 204-575(+122), Roy Curtis 203, Sherm Mills 201, Cal Hering 201, Dale Gullings 184(+60), Jean Black 179(+58), Rudy Harms 190(+55)

Friday Mixed — Robert Smith 245-237-685, Shannon Ostlie 239, Tom Croskrey 235, Steve Vernon 225

Early Birds — Duane Zeier 258-256-727, Bob Standley 228-648(+108), Rod Hackett 226, Chuck Martin 225

Pro Alley Bowl/Belt

Belt Valley Mixed — Bob Berard 245

Monday Night Ladies — Lita Howes 179(+53), Peggy Kvislen 200(+73)

Aces High/Malmstrom

Thursday Mixed Doubles — Bryon Mullett 257, Patty Morris 202, Larry Morris 246, Leon Clement 221(+58), Tina Harem 202-210

Black Eagle Lanes/Great Falls

Women's scores

Volunteers — Joanne Griner 212

Tuesday 55 Club — Maggie Deaton 179

Black Eagle Seniors — Mary Reuter 192

Friday Fallouts — Debbie Maurer 193(+53)

Men's scores

Black Eagle Seniors — Cal Hering 215, Dan Ruff 212(+63), Don Richards 211-200

Howard Ghee Thursday Mixed — Brett Schoenen 192(+58), Mike Wilson 165(+58)

Friday Fallouts — Dustin Curtis 223(+50)

Murph's/Great Falls

Christian Intramural — Bruce Steffani 225-229-656, Charlie Pepos 224

Wednesday Men — Kelly Gilligan 227, Rich Janzers 234, Larry Taylor 227, Abe Zigan 237, Larry Debolt 246, Drew Warner 225, Terry Burs 201-226-213-640(sr.), Lucas Cyr 225-234-673, Josh Calvert 234, Mark Pepin 237, MIke Brown 225, Josh Moody 234-651, Butch Preston 234, Tim Preston 231

SkyRaiders — Lori Heinen made the 4-7-10 split

Friday Alibi — Jim Whethan 235, Del Erickson 235, Jim Miller 231, Monica Furst 206, John Brus 224-248-679, Rich Fisher 235, Terry Brus 222(sr.)

K-Lines/Rudyard

Women's scores — Doral Anderson made the 4-7-10 and 6-7 splits; Laurel Walker converted the 2-7; Terry Lilievedt made the 5-10 and 2-7-10 splits; Fern Lohse made the 4-7-9 split, Lana Herman converted the 3-10 split

Men's scores — Barry Crowder 237, Bryan Watson 244-650, Randy Lee Christofferson 235, Allan Twedt 232, Todd Langel 232, Darrell Hassa 245, Ron Turner 231

Pin & Cue/Great Falls

Women's scores

535 — Terri Nall 214

Thursday Leftover — Stretch Richards 202

Friday Mixed — Sara Hathaway 221-211-601, Lisa Truman 217

Wednesday Mixed — Dee Standley 204, Barb Dahlman made the 5-10 split

Men's scores

Sunday Mixed — Leonard Peterson 225-232

535 — Nelson Messimer 243, George Levandoski 254, Joe Skaggs 226-651, Don White 235-247-246-728, John Kurtz 242, Dale Leveque 236

MFCU — Ducky Faler 222(sr.), Don White 236

Friday Mixed — Ducky Faler 219(sr.)