UNITED STATES ENDS 2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH MASTERS GOLD MEDALS
ARLINGTON, Texas – On paper, there was no question about the strength of the United States contingent headed to the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships, and the group was dominant this week at Dream-Bowl Palace near Munich, earning nine of the event’s 10 gold medals.
The tournament ended as it began, with United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, atop the podium, this time celebrating her Masters gold medal. World Senior Championships rookie Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, also a hall of famer, won on the men’s side.
The Masters portion of the World Senior Championships included the top 24 men and top 24 women from the all-events standings (18 games) competing in a bracket-style format featuring best-of-three matches. The top eight all-events finishers received first-round byes.
In the women’s final, Barnes cruised to a 2-0 victory over Norway’s Janne Monsen, winning 192-135 and 199-157.
On the way to the gold-medal match, Barnes downed her Team USA teammate Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 2-0 (236-207 and 247-184). Monsen defeated all-events gold medalist Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, 2-0 (236-216 and 204-177).
Nearly a decade ago, Barnes formally announced her retirement from the Team USA program after 12 appearances on the team, allowing her to focus her attention on her family, which includes husband, Chris, a Professional Bowlers Association star, and twin sons, Ryan and Troy.
Though she still bowled regularly, the return of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour in 2015 really gave her an extra push to get sharp. Once again representing her country on the lanes has been a priceless opportunity.
“The last eight or nine years have been about raising a family and bowling when I could to stay sharp, but when the Tour came back, I wanted to be out there to support it,” Barnes said. “I have not bowled very well on the Tour, but I’ve learned a lot by watching the young players and trying to get smarter. I think it panned out well here, again, with the help of supportive teammates.”
During her Team USA career, Barnes won a pair of gold medals at the World Youth Championships in 1990 but did not earn a gold medal in four appearances at the adult version of the World Championships.
Her senior debut also included gold medals in singles and team, silver in all-events and bronze in doubles with Dorin-Ballard.
“I’m overwhelmed, speechless and super excited to be here,” said Barnes, the 2005 QubicaAMF World Cup champion. “I was excited to get picked, and it was an honor to bowl with such amazing bowlers and teammates. It also was great to see old friends and make new ones and get to play with the best in the world.”
Bohn’s 2-1 victory against Canada’s Joe Ciach was a little more dramatic and ended with the experienced left-hander striking on his final fill ball to shut out Ciach and lock up the gold medal, the third of his international debut with Team USA on his back, in a 238-237 finale.
Ciach had the early momentum after a lopsided 256-170 win to start the match, but Bohn rebounded with a 197-188 win. Bohn was clean in the effort, while back-to-back open frames from Ciach in the sixth and seventh frames were the difference.
Bohn earned his spot in the final with a 2-0 (227-172, 230-159) win over Australia’s Shaun Cummings, and Ciach advanced with a 2-0 (213-180, 215-192) performance against Sweden’s Stefan Yngstrom.
The dominance for the United States this week in Germany included singles wins for Barnes and Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, a doubles win for Bohn and Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pennsylvania, a successful title defense of the men’s and women’s team titles and all-events victories for Hulsenberg and Mohr.
The contingent also included Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, while USBC Hall of Famer and USBC Gold coach Bill Spigner served as the Team USA coach for the event.
In all, the United States won 18 medals – nine gold, four silver and five bronze. The only event the United States didn’t win at the 2017 World Senior Championships was women’s doubles, where the team settled for silver and bronze medals.
“The whole week was high-energy and high-pressure, especially with just trying to make the cuts,” Spigner said. “(Team USA head coach) Rod Ross said there would be nothing like standing on the podium and getting a medal, and he was absolutely right. You can’t describe the pride you feel, and I am very grateful for the chance I’ve gotten to help represent the USA.”
All bowling this week at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships took place on the 41-foot World Bowling Montreal oil pattern.
For more information on the World Bowling Senior Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.
2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Dream-Bowl Palace, Unterfohring, Germany
Sunday’s Results
WOMEN’S MASTERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Lynda Barnes, United States def. Janne Monsen, Norway, 2-0 (192-135, 199-157)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Barnes def. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, United States, 2-0 (236-207, 247-184)
Monsen def. Leanne Hulsenberg, United States, 2-0 (236-216, 204-177)
MEN’S MASTERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Parker Bohn III, United States def. Joe Ciach, Canada, 2-1 (170-256, 197-188, 238-237)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Bohn def. Shaun Cummings, Australia, 2-0 (227-172, 230-159)
Ciach def. Stefan Yngstrom, Sweden, 2-0 (213-180, 215-192)
UNITED STATES SWEEPS TEAM, ALL-EVENTS GOLD MEDALS AT 2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
ARLINGTON, Texas – The representatives from the United States traveled to the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships in Germany with a goal of claiming as many medals as possible, but winning gold as a team always is the sweetest victory of all.
The men and women from the United States reached that pinnacle again Saturday at Dream-Bowl Palace near Munich, with both teams successfully defending the world championships they claimed in Las Vegas in 2015.
The all-events medals also were decided Saturday, with Team USA’s Ron Mohr and Leanne Hulsenberg winning gold in their respective categories. Lynda Barnes secured the silver medal on the women’s side.
Three members of the men’s team – Mohr, Bob Learn Jr. and Lennie Boresch Jr. – returned to put their title on the line and got to share the latest win with United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III, who made his world championships debut.
The group earned the gold with a 2-0 win against Mexico in the best-of-three Baker final, 212-194 and 212-176.
Team USA started the final round with four strikes in its first five frames to build a lead that proved to be big enough, despite a missed single pin along the way.
In the deciding game, Team USA started with back-to-back open frames and clung to a small lead after six frames, but Mohr, Learn and Bohn rallied late in the game, closing with five consecutive strikes to hold off Mexico.
The United States downed Canada, 2-1 (187-197, 214-196, 239-194), to earn a spot in the final, and Mexico defeated Finland in the semifinals, 2-0 (214-143, 206-199), to advance.
“Toward the end of the team event on the men’s side, it really could’ve been any of eight or nine teams making it to the semifinals, so it was exciting, but also very stressful at the same time,” said USBC Hall of Famer and USBC Gold coach Bill Spigner, who is coaching the United States contingent this week. “The biggest thing of all about our men’s team was the ability to finish off games, while other teams didn’t seem to have that. The whole day was exciting, and to win the team event back to back is amazing.”
USBC Hall of Famer Tish Johnson was the only returning member for the United States on the women’s side, but she was joined in the victory Saturday by a trio of fellow hall of famers – Barnes, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Hulsenberg.
The quartet cruised to the gold medal with a 2-0 performance against Canada, winning 235-191 and 199-169.
Seven strikes from the United States in the first eight frames of the gold-medal match put the opening game out of reach, and consecutive strikes in frames seven through nine after a missed 1-2-4-10 washout in the second game were enough to stay in control of the match.
“It’s such an honor,” said Johnson, the lone left-hander on the women’s team. “Our team was really good again this year. They talked and communicated well when it came to making moves, and they were very supportive when it was my turn to bowl. I did the best I could, and it was awesome. They were fun to bowl with, and when you know each other for 30 years, it makes it a little bit easier.”
The United States defeated Japan, 2-0 (232-179, 222-158), to advance to the gold-medal match, and Canada collected a semifinal win against Sweden, 2-1 (162-181, 154-145, 202-184).
The team event at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships featured six traditional team games over two days, after which, the top four men’s teams and top four women’s teams advanced to the best-of-three Baker medal round.
On the men’s side, the United States entered the day in second place but was able to find the top of the standings to earn the top seed for the semifinals with a six-game total of 4,845, just ahead of Finland (4,803), first-day leader Mexico (4,776) and Canada (4,769).
For the women, the United States averaged nearly 205 as a team to earn the No. 1 seed for the semifinals with a 4,917 six-game total. Sweden was second with 4,535 and followed by Canada (4,466) and Japan (4,399).
In the all-events race, Mohr collected his second all-events gold medal in three trips to the World Senior Championships. The right-hander averaged 217.06 during his 18 games this week at Dream-Bowl Palace for a 3,907 winning total.
So far this week, Mohr has won gold medals in singles, team and all-events, as well as silver in doubles with Boresch. Mohr’s first all-events win at the World Senior Championships came in 2013, the inaugural year of the event.
“While I’m not surprised with the success of either team, especially our incredible ladies contingent, I’m ecstatic about my own good fortune,” Mohr said. “Three gold medals in four events far transcends anything I expected.”
The silver all-events medal went to Belgium’s Marc Franceus (3,859), and Australia’s Andrew Frawley claimed the bronze with a 3,830 total. Learn and Bohn finished fourth and fifth with 3,821 and 3,800, respectively.
Boresch finished 17th with a 3,613 total, meaning all four men from the United States qualified for Sunday’s Masters competition.
Hulsenberg, who celebrated her 50th birthday this week in Germany, saw singles and doubles end with the gold medals just out of reach, but her overall performance at Dream-Bowl Palace netted her the all-events gold medal.
The right-hander averaged more than 216 on the way to a 3,900 total for her 18 games, outdistancing Barnes, who claimed the silver medal with a 3,815 effort. The bronze went to Reija Lunden of Finland with a 3,540 total.
Team USA’s Carolyn Dorin-Ballard finished sixth with 3,490, and Johnson was ninth with 3,433, so all four women from the United States also advanced to the Masters event.
Competition at Dream-Bowl Palace continues Sunday with Masters competition, which features the top 24 men and top 24 women from the all-events standings.
All bowling this week at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships is taking place on the 41-foot World Bowling Montreal oil pattern.
For more information on the World Bowling Senior Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.
2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Dream-Bowl Palace, Unterfohring, Germany
Saturday’s Results
WOMEN’S TEAM
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
United States def. Canada, 2-0 (235-191, 199-169)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
United States def. Japan, 2-0 (232-179, 222-158)
Canada def. Sweden, 2-1 (162-181, 154-145, 202-184)
WOMEN’S ALL-EVENTS
(18-game pinfall totals – six games of singles, doubles and team)
Gold – Leanne Hulsenberg, United States, 3,900
Silver – Lynda Barnes, United States, 3,815
Bronze – Reija Lunden, Finland, 3,540
MEN’S TEAM
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
United States def. Mexico, 2-0 (212-194, 212-176)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
United States def. Canada, 2-1 (187-197, 214-196, 239-194)
Mexico def. Finland, 2-0 (214-143, 206-199)
MEN’S ALL-EVENTS
(18-game pinfall totals – six games of singles, doubles and team)
Gold – Ron Mohr, United States, 3,907
Silver – Marc Franceus, Belgium, 3,859
Bronze – Andrew Frawley, Australia, 3,830
UNITED STATES MEN WIN DOUBLES AT 2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
ARLINGTON, Texas – United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, and Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pennsylvania, both threw three strikes in their final frames to claim the doubles gold medal Friday at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships in Germany.
The duo downed their Team USA teammates, USBC Hall of Famer Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, 439-427, at Dream-Bowl Palace, just outside Munich. Boresch and Mohr earned the silver medal.
Bohn and Learn held a two-pin lead as the anchor bowlers stepped up to close out the match. Learn, who was working on a strike, struck for the first time on the right lane to extend the margin and force Mohr to match his effort for a chance at the victory.
Mohr left a 4 pin on his second offering after a strike to start the 10th frame, and Learn added another strike to lock up the gold medal, the first of Bohn’s international career.
Bohn led the way in the championship match with a 233 effort, while Learn finished with 206. Boresch had 234 in the loss, and Mohr added 193.
“This is an unbelievable feeling, and when Bob threw the second strike in the 10th to clinch it for us, I can’t tell you how gratifying it was to see all 10 pins go down to win us the gold medal,” said Bohn, who was a member of Team USA in 2008. “It has been a dream of mine to stand on the podium and hear our national anthem, either because of something I did or because of something I was a part of. I’ve won a lot of things in the bowling world, but this is on a whole different level.”
The win was the second for Learn at the World Senior Championships. He helped the United States to the team gold medal at the 2015 event in Las Vegas.
“I knew I had control of the pocket on that lane, but we could not win unless I was able to throw a strike,” Learn said. “I moved a half board and got my hand around it a little more to get the ball to finish. As soon as I let go of it, I knew it was good, and it’s a great feeling because that’s what we practice for. I have a partner who set up the 10th for us, and it’s always a great feeling to seal the deal with a great shot. When shots matter that much, and you’re able to perform, that’s what it’s all about.”
Both men’s teams from the United States advanced to the doubles final relatively unchallenged.
Learn (222) and Bohn (173) defeated Canada’s Richard Lafleur (177) and Joe Ciach (157) in the first semifinal, 395-334, while Boresch (202) and Mohr (200) eased past Australia’s Shaun Cummings (182) and Andrew Frawley (139) by a final score of 402-321.
On the women’s side, USBC Hall of Famers Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, and Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, came up short in the bid for the sweep, falling to Canada’s France Joubert and Jill Friis, 401-390.
Hulsenberg was looking to celebrate her 50th birthday with the doubles gold medal, while Johnson was searching for some redemption after struggling during the qualifying portion of the event.
The two led by 22 pins heading into the 10th frame of the final, but Hulsenberg (196) was unable to convert the 4-10 split, and Johnson (194) failed to strike, giving the Canadians the opportunity to take the gold.
Friis hadn’t struck through the first eight frames but was able to close the match with four strikes for a 195 game. Joubert, who tossed four consecutive strikes after starting the gold-medal match with a 1-2-4-10 washout, contributed a 206 game to the winning performance.
“We got really, really close to having a chance to win the gold medal, but a couple of bad breaks stopped us in the match with Canada,” Hulsenberg said. “It’s a little disappointing but still a lot of fun to compete on your birthday. The team stuff is going really well, though, so we’re hoping to be able to come away with the gold medal in team.”
Johnson (249) and Hulsenberg (221) earned their spot in the final with a 470-343 win over Mexico’s Teresa Piccini (176) and Margarita Ramos (167).
In the other semifinal, Friis (213) and Joubert (203) topped Lynda Barnes (185) and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (175) by a final score of 416-360.
The doubles medal presentation is scheduled for Saturday.
Competition at Dream-Bowl Palace continues Saturday with the second half of qualifying in the team event, after which, six-game pinfall will determine the four teams in each division that advance to Saturday night’s semifinals.
At the halfway point on the men’s side, Mexico leads with a 2,437 total, the United States is second with 2,433, Belgium is third with 2,410 and Canada is fourth with 2,406.
Learn set the pace for the USA men with a 631 series. He was followed by Boresch (611), Bohn (602) and Mohr (589).
On the women’s side, the United States is out to a commanding lead with a 2,489 total.
Hulsenberg led the way with a 649 series and was followed by Johnson (636), Dorin-Ballard (614) and Barnes (590).
Sweden is second with 2,307, Canada is third with 2,234 and Australia is fourth with 2,181.
The end of the team event Saturday also will determine the gold, silver and bronze all-events medalists and the 24 players in each category advancing to Masters competition.
Competition this week at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships is taking place on the 41-foot World Bowling Montreal oil pattern.
For more information on the World Bowling Senior Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.
2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Dream-Bowl Palace, Unterfohring, Germany
Friday’s Results
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
France Joubert/Jill Friis, Canada def. Leanne Hulsenberg/Tish Johnson, United States, 401-390.
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Joubert/Friis def. Lynda Barnes/Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, United States, 416-360
Hulsenberg/Johnson def. Teresa Piccini/Margarita Ramos, Mexico, 470-343
MEN’S DOUBLES
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Parker Bohn III/Bob Learn Jr., United States def. Lennie Boresch Jr./Ron Mohr, United States, 439-427
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Bohn/Learn def. Richard Lafleur/Joe Ciach, Canada, 395-334
Boresch/Mohr def. Shaun Cummings/Andrew Frawley, Australia, 402-321
UNITED STATES SWEEPS SINGLES GOLD MEDALS AT 2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
ARLINGTON, Texas – United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, had a memorable debut on the senior scene, claiming the women’s singles gold medal Wednesday at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships.
Barnes shared the top spot on the medal stand with Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, who completed the sweep for the United States at Dream-Bowl Palace near Munich by earning the men’s title for his fourth overall gold medal in three trips to the World Senior Championships.
The win was bittersweet for Barnes, who delivered a double in her final frame to defeat teammate and fellow USBC Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, in the final, 214-204. Mohr downed Canada’s Joe Ciach in the men’s final, 202-180. Hulsenberg and Ciach each earned silver medals.
“Today was unreal, unbelievable and a great start to the week, and I can’t wait to get back out there to bowl alongside teammates I really respect,” Barnes said. “I’m also a little overwhelmed. I didn’t think I was going to squeak into the top four, and when I did, it was just about going out and having some fun. When Leanne and I were bowling in the finals, it really was a win-win because it was going to be 1-2 no matter what, and the main goal is for our country to win as many medals as possible.”
Hulsenberg led by 32 pins after seven frames, but as Barnes started to gain momentum with strikes in the eighth and ninth frames, Hulsenberg was derailed by a 7-10 split in her ninth frame.
Had Hulsenberg thrown three strikes in her final frame, it would’ve forced Barnes to do the same to secure a tie and force a roll-off. Hulsenberg delivered the first strike but left the 6-7-10 combination on her second offering, giving Barnes a chance to win the match.
“To try and step up and find a way, with the idea I had a chance at something I didn’t ever think I’d have a chance at, I was lucky enough to shake it off my hand going in the right direction,” said Barnes, who won a pair of gold medals at the World Youth Championships in 1990 but did not earn a gold medal in four appearances at the adult version of the World Championships. “I’m super ecstatic, and the messages I got from so many family members and friends brought tears to my eyes. It’s overwhelming, and you definitely never do any of this alone when you have such great supporters and teammates.”
In the women’s semifinals, Barnes defeated Finland’s Reija Lunden, 193-185, and top-seeded Hulsenberg earned her spot in the title match with a 175-157 win against Russia’s Larisa Stashchenko. Lunden and Stashchenko each received bronze medals.
Mohr has represented the United States in all three editions of the World Senior Championships, held every other year since 2013. His previous gold medals came in doubles and all-events in 2013 and team in 2015.
In Wednesday’s win over Ciach, Mohr started the finale with three strikes in his first four frames to build an early lead and doubled in his final frame to shut out Ciach.
“This was by far the strongest field I’ve seen at this event, and I feel this gold medal was much more difficult to win than the others,” Mohr said.
Mohr qualified third for Wednesday’s medal round and snuck past teammate Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, also a member of the USBC Hall of Fame, after the two tied in the semifinals at 217.
The tie resulted in a pair of one-ball roll-offs to decide who would advance to the championship match. Both players left 10 pins on their first attempts, and Mohr advanced with a strike on his second shot. Boresch left a 4 pin and settled for a bronze medal.
In the other semifinal, Ciach defeated top seed Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, 221-191.
Competition at Dream-Bowl Palace immediately shifted to doubles, with the first of two men’s qualifying squads taking place Wednesday afternoon. Bohn (1,226) and Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pennsylvania (1,293), set the bar with a 2,519 six-game total.
The other half of the men’s field, along with two squads of women’s doubles teams, will take the lanes Thursday for their six-game qualifying rounds. The top four teams in each division, based on six-game pinfall totals, will advance to Friday’s doubles medal round.
The 2017 World Senior Championships also will include medal opportunities in team, all-events and Masters competition.
For more information on the World Bowling Senior Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.
2017 WORLD BOWLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Dream-Bowl Palace, Unterfohring, Germany
Wednesday’s Results
WOMEN’S SINGLES
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Lynda Barnes, United States, def. Leanne Hulsenberg, United States, 214-204
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Barnes def. Reija Lunden, Finland, 193-185
Hulsenberg def. Larisa Stashchenko, Russia, 175-157
MEN’S SINGLES
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Ron Mohr, United States def. Joe Ciach, Canada, 202-180
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Mohr def. Lennie Boresch Jr., United States, 217-217 (9-9, 10-9)
Ciach def. Parker Bohn III, United States, 221-191
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
