From Grind to Glory: Wilkins & Chapman Break Through for First PBA Title
FIRST TIME. FULL SEND. 🏆🔥
For the first time in their careers, Zach Wilkins and AJ Chapman aren’t just knocking on the door—they kicked it in.
The duo captured the Owen’s Craft Mixers PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, taking down Sean and Anthony Lavery-Spahr in convincing fashion with wins of 216-201 and 247-218 in the Race-to-Two finals.
And just like that… two grinders became champions.
💥 YEARS OF WORK… ONE MOMENT
You could feel it. The pressure. The build-up. The finally.
Wilkins summed it up best—this was the moment every bowler imagines when they’re grinding in practice, throwing that “last shot” over and over in their head. When it actually happened? Heart pounding, adrenaline flowing… but ice in the veins when it mattered most.
Chapman? Man, this one hit deep.
Ten years on tour. Thirty years of putting in the work. This wasn’t just a win—it was validation. The kind that reminds you why you never quit in the first place.
🎳 THE ROAD TO THE TITLE
This wasn’t some cakewalk.
32 of the best teams in the world showed up. Only four made the TV show. And once you’re there? It’s survive and advance.
- Lavery-Spahr brothers came out firing in the semifinals, shutting the door with a dominant 254-238 win.
- Wilkins and Chapman? Nearly flawless—10 strikes in 12 shots to edge past a stacked Tahvanainen/Fiore duo, 268-256.
Translation: you had to bring heat… or go home.
⚡ CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH DRAMA
The finals had a little extra spice.
Chapman vs. his former teammate Sean Lavery-Spahr. Friends, competitors… now standing in each other’s way.
Game 1? Wilkins and Chapman capitalized when it counted—taking advantage of a couple costly opens from the twins.
Game 2? Straight-up statement.
Seven strikes out of the gate and momentum fully on their side. But this is bowling—nothing comes easy.
In the ninth frame, Chapman sent one into the channel. Yeah… that kind of moment. But here’s the difference between good and great:
He bounced back. Converted. Stayed locked. Trusted his partner.
That’s championship DNA.
🎯 THE WALK-OFF MOMENT
It all came down to Wilkins.
The Lavery-Spahr brothers finished their frames, leaving just a handful of pins needed.
Five pins.
That’s it.
Fitting, right? The Canadian started in five-pin bowling… and now needed just five to become a PBA Tour champ.
No drama. No hesitation.
He went straight at it—and struck.
Ball game. Titles secured. Champagne moment unlocked. 🍾
🚀 WHAT’S NEXT?
The tour rolls on to the PBA Tournament of Champions in Ohio.
Chapman’s been there before.
Wilkins? This time, he’s walking in different.
Not as a hopeful.
As a champion.
🔥 MOJO TAKE
This is why we love this sport.
No shortcuts. No handouts. Just years of work, belief, and showing up when the lights are brightest.
Wilkins and Chapman didn’t just win—they earned every bit of it.
And if you’re a bowler reading this thinking about your own grind…
Stay with it.
Your moment’s coming. 💪🎳
