Tenpins crowns latest 'King of the Hill' winner

RIO RANCHO — The next round of the “King of the Hill” bowling tournament series kicked off this past weekend at Tenpins & More as competitors from across the region gathered to test their meddle and gain the coveted crown.

After a competitive afternoon, Jacob Gill emerged as the winner after an impressive 219-171 victory over previous winner Eric Vanderlip.

“Gill opened only three frames during the event, commendable and proof once again that sport lane conditions' first requirement is always to close frames with spares and then strikes,” said Tenpins owner and event organizer Steve Mackie in a news release.

Gill's qualifying set, made up of 257, 192, 237 and 194, totaling 880, was more than 100 pins ahead of second place. He defeated nine other bowlers to move on to the final, where Vanderlip waited, having already qualified with a previous King of the Hill win.

The championship match got out to an exciting start, with both bowlers on fire and staying neck-and-neck.

Then Vanderlip left a nasty 6-8 pocket split (not an easy pickup for a lefty like him) open, and Gill took full advantage of the misstep. He spared the first seven frames before slamming the door closed with four strikes in a row to finish the round with a decisive victory.

For more information, visit tenpinsmore.com.

Up next...

• Nov. 16-17: Start of state finals for 25th New Mexico Games.
• Dec. 14: The 25th annual "Champion of Champions" tournament starts the first of 13 qualifying squads. Entry is open to all league bowlers with verifiable averages from any center. Local league and tournament winners receive discounted entry fees. Last year, this event paid out more than $5,100 in prize money and youth scholarships.