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Rhino Page said he only looked at the scoreboard once and just tried to remain relaxed during Friday night's Round of 16 match play. That mantra seemed to work for him as he ended up edging out Wes Malott by 72 pins for the No. 1 seed in Sunday's live televised ESPN finals of the Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship, the eighth stop of the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

"Last week (at the Cheetah Championship in Cheektowaga, N.Y.) I made it to match play and I just pressed and pressed, I wanted it so bad and I got ahead of myself," Page said. "This time I was relaxed and just took my time. I just tried to bowl in the 220s, I made the moves and I had the right equipment in my hand."

Page of Topeka, Kan. finished with a 13-4-1 match play record, 7,727 pins and averaged 228.81. It is Page's first television appearance of the season and he is seeking his second career title.

"I'm very happy (to be the No. 1 seed)," the 25-year-old said. "I put myself in a situation where I'm automatically in the title match. It's been a tough year for me, but I've worked on some things and it feels good to be back and play the way I know how to."

No. 2 seed Malott is making his fourth televised finals appearance this season and seeking his second title of the year, and fifth overall. He finished Friday with a 10-8 record, 7,655 pins and 229.84 average.

"I am the only righty on the show again (he was the sole right-hander in the finals at the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship in Vernon Hills, Ill.) so hopefully that will help me."

Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, Fla. struck out in the 10th in the final position round to beat out Mika Koivuniemi by six pins to nab the fourth and final spot in Sunday's finals. Allen, who will be making his second consecutive televised appearance, finished at 9-8-1, 7,544 pins and averaged 226.84.

"It's just emotional bowling against Mika," Allen said. "We've locked heads on TV and gone back and forth in the past, it was a very intense finish. I fought really hard tonight. It came down to the 10th, Mika needed a strike and fortunately he didn't make it."

Allen will face No. 3 seed Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J. in the first men's stepladder match. Bohn III is looking for his second consecutive title after winning last week's Cheetah Championship in Cheektowaga, N.Y. as the No. 1 seed. Bohn III finished with a 13-5 record, 7,579 pins and 224.66 average.

"I always want to be in the top position but going into the last game tonight, I just wanted to bowl a good game and make the telecast," Bohn III said. "I knew Wes and Rhino were striking and were 50 pins ahead so I wasn't worried about catching them. I have three games on Sunday ... I will be more than happy to bowl three consecutive games."

In the Women's Series, sponsored by the U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC), Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of N. Richland Hills, Texas and Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio finished No. 1 and 2, respectively, to earn spots in Sunday's live ESPN finals.

Dorin-Ballard is seeking her second consecutive PBA Women's Series title after winning in Cheektowaga last week and Woessner is making her second finals appearance this season (she lost to Michelle Feldman in the championship match of the Chameleon Championship in Taylor, Mich.).

Dorin-Ballard led the entire tournament, finishing 5-4 in match play with 5,204 pins and 219.74 average.

"This is definitely not my pattern (Shark)," Dorin-Ballard said. "I came in with an open mind but I knew there were girls here who can bowl well on this pattern so I did not expect to finish in the top two when I first started. I'm really fortunate to be on this telecast."

Woessner is seeking her first career PBA Women's Series title. She finished at 7-2, 5,113 pins and averaged 213.17.

"I had a good feeling coming here this week," Woessner said. "The first set I didn't do so well but in the second set I made some adjustments."

Ronnie Russell and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard each dominated their respective fields in Thursday's second block of qualifying to finish atop the field in the Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship, the eighth stop on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

Russell of Indianapolis, Ind. was 11th after the first seven game block with 1,578 pins, and he came on strong in the second block adding 1,681 pins for a total score of 3259, plus-459, averaging 232.79 over the 14 games. Russell edged out second-place Wes Malott of Argyle, Texas by 27 pins.

"Honestly I've never really bowled well on Shark (oil pattern)," Russell said. "I won a regional tournament on Shark but it was a different lane machine. I was pretty relaxed all day which helped me bowl really well."

Russell, who lost his exemption last season when he and teammate Joe Ciccone lost in the finals of the PBA Exempt Doubles Classic, recently gained exempt status at the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship in Vernon Hills, Ill. Patrick Healey was unable to bowl the number of tournaments required to retain his exemption and Russell was next on the PBA points list, so PBA Commissioner Fred Schreyer awarded him the exemption.

"My mind really isn't on the exemption, I'm just trying to bowl well and put myself in a position to keep it now," Russell said. "I just want to keep trying to bowl well and give myself a chance to win."

Local favorite Eddie Van Daniker Jr. of Essex, Md. also advanced to the Round of 32 match play, finishing seventh in qualifying with a score of 3,135.

Also of note, Doug Kent, Joe Bailey and Rhino Page all shot 300 games during qualifying. All advanced to Friday's play in which the top 32 men and top 10 women advanced.

Dorin-Ballard, who had held a 31 point lead after the first block over the 16-player field, managed to double her lead, finishing 98 pins ahead of Clara Guerrero of Colombia. Dorin-Ballard, who won last week at the Cheetah Championship in Cheektowaga, N.Y., finished the day with 3,045 pins, averaging 245 over the 14 games.

"I was bowling real well last week and of course winning brings confidence but you can't be too confident because I think the conditions are tough," Dorin-Ballard said. "My plan for tomorrow will be the same as it was last week, use the same equipment which has worked for me, watch my ball reaction and make my moves based off that."