JODI WOESSNER WINS 2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
LAS VEGAS – Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, had been waiting two years to make her debut at the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens by the time she laced up for the first day of the 2022 event, and she capped a dominating performance by claiming the title Monday at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino.
Woessner recorded the win with an exciting 238-223 victory over USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida, to collect the tiara awarded to the champion and $8,000 top prize. Sandelin earned $6,000 for the runner-up finish.
All rounds of competition from the Gold Coast Bowling Center were broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
As the only undefeated player from the tournament’s double-elimination bracket, Woessner earned the top seed for the stepladder and would’ve had to lose twice in the finals to be denied the title.
The back-and-forth championship match included four strikes in the first five frames for both competitors, but Sandelin benefited from crossover strikes in the second and fourth frames on the right lane.
The three-time USBC Senior Queens champion made the adjustment to get to the pocket in the sixth frame, but she left a 5-7 split she was unable to convert, giving the advantage to Woessner.
Sandelin bounced back with three consecutive strikes after the split, but Woessner stepped up in the ninth frame with the chance to lock her out after rolling six strikes in her first eight frames.
A 2 pin in the ninth from Woessner meant Sandelin would have the chance to win the first game, but three strikes in the 10th from Woessner forced Sandelin to record two strikes and four pins to extend the championship to a second game.
Sandelin left a 4 pin on her first delivery to seal the victory for the 52-year-old right-hander.
“I put it all out there,” said Woessner, a three-time winner of the Ohio State USBC Queens. “I did what I needed to do to force her to double, but I fully expected her to do so because she’s an amazing bowler. This win means a ton. I am very proud of what I fought through to execute.”
Woessner averaged more than 225 over 31 games through qualifying, match play and the stepladder on the event’s 41-foot oil pattern, and she had been on top of her moves during the entire week at Gold Coast.
In the title match, she elected to use a different bowling ball on each lane, which allowed her to attack both lanes in the same area.
She had bowled on the same pair against Sandelin in the match to determine the top seed earlier Monday and had seen early hook on the left lane. She earned the No. 1 seed with a 698-586 win.
“I saw how they broke down in that match, and the left lane ended up hooking really early,” Woessner said. “I figured with all the bowling on that pair (in the stepladder), I needed to throw something cleaner on that lane. When I tried the same ball on the right lane, it didn’t pick up as much, so I used a different ball to be able to stand in the same place. I felt like that was the thing to do from what I saw.”
Woessner was eligible to compete in the 2020 Senior Queens, an event for the top female USBC members age 50 and older, but her first appearance had to wait until this week due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 editions.
“It’s a long time coming,” Woessner said. “I didn’t want to get ahead of myself by saying I lost out on my first two years of being able to compete and have to make the most of this one. I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself, either. In practice, I felt like I had a good look, so it all kind of started clicking. I think I did a really good job of controlling my heart rate and breathing, and I was able to make it happen.”
Sandelin was looking for a record-breaking fourth Senior Queens title. She previously had captured wins at the 2007, 2013 and 2017 events, and her win in 2017 tied her with fellow USBC Hall of Famers Sandra Postma and Robin Romeo with three victories at the tournament.
She earned a return trip to the title match after making a late ball change in her semifinal victory over April Lord-Wittig of Steilacoom, Washington.
Sandelin was clean through the first six frames, but she had not recorded a double. She switched to a different ball in the seventh frame, resulting in three consecutive strikes to take the lead. A nine-count on her first delivery in the 10th frame secured the win, 218-198.
Lord-Wittig advanced to the semifinals with a 192-161 win over 2018 champion Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Lord-Wittig avoided trouble on the way to the victory over the USBC and Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Famer, who opened four times in the first eight frames.
In the first match of Monday’s stepladder, Lord-Wittig started with four consecutive strikes on her way to a 213-189 win over Ann Coleman of Fairborn, Ohio.
All competitors at the 2022 Senior Queens bowled 15 games of qualifying over two days to determine the top 32 players advancing to the bracket. Defending champion Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket but did not compete in this year’s event.
Advancers bowled match play Sunday and Monday to determine the five athletes for the stepladder finals. All bracket matches leading up to the stepladder were three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
The final three earned their way into the finals by battling through the Elimination Bracket and then surviving a four-bowler, three-game shootout Monday. The top three advanced to the stepladder and were ranked based on their series totals.
Johnson earned the No. 3 seed with a 684 set, while Coleman and Lord-Wittig advanced to the first match of the stepladder with totals of 607 and 572, respectively.
Carmen Aguilar of St. Petersburg, Florida, was fourth in the shootout with a 561 series and was eliminated, finishing in sixth place.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
At Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas
Monday’s Results
Final standings
1, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 238 (one game), $8,000.
2, Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Florida, 441 (two games), $6,000.
3, April Lord-Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., 603 (three games), $4,500.
4, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 161 (one game), $3,500.
5, Ann Coleman, Fairborn, Ohio, 189 (one game), $2,500.
Stepladder results
Match 1 – Lord-Wittig def. Coleman, 213-189.
Match 2 – Lord-Wittig def. Johnson, 192-161.
Semifinal – Sandelin def. Lord-Wittig, 218-198.
Championship – Woessner def. Sandelin, 238-223.
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
ROUND 3 – WINNERS BRACKET
(Winners remain in Winners Bracket. Losers move to Elimination Bracket).
(16) Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., def. (8) Karen Barcal, Albuquerque, N.M., 678-677.
(12) April Lord-Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., def. (13) Debbie Ayers, La Mesa, Calif., 694-575.
(22) Carmen Aguilar, St. Petersburg, Fla., def. (3) Linda Walbaum, Brighton, Colo., 614-575.
(2) Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, def. (23) Ann Coleman, Fairborn, Ohio, 690-663.
ROUND 3 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, finish tied for 13th, earn $850)
(1) Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., def. (14) Mandy Wilson, Dayton, Ohio, 650-569.
(18) Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., def. (25) Lauri Cohrs, Colorado Springs, Colo., 614-542.
(11) Pam Pancoast, Lomita, Calif., def. (24) MeiLing Billingsley, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 616-528.
(28) Stacey Gomen, Portland, Ore., def. (26) Michelle Silver, Los Angeles, 599-567.
ROUND 4 – WINNERS BRACKET
Sandelin def. Lord-Wittig, 579-574.
Woessner def. Aguilar, 581-577.
ROUND 4 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, finish tied for ninth, earn $1,050)
Powers def. Ayers, 618-544.
Johnson def. Barcal, 642-602.
Coleman def. Pancoast, 624-545.
Gomen def. Walbaum, 650-547.
ROUND 5 – WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner earns No. 1 seed for stepladder finals; loser is No. 2 seed)
Woessner def. Sandelin, 698-586.
ROUND 5 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, finish tied for seventh, earn $1,450)
Johnson def. Powers, 660-615.
Coleman def. Gomen, 663-568.
ROUND 6 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Three highest scores advance to stepladder finals, high score is No. 3 seed, second high is No. 4, third high is No. 5, lowest score is eliminated, earns $2,050).
Johnson 684, Coleman 607, Lord-Wittig 572, Aguilar 561.
SANDELIN MAKES RETURN, UNDEFEATED IN MATCH PLAY AT 2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
LAS VEGAS – The road to the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens has not been easy for USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida.
The three-time champion wondered whether or not she’d be able to compete again on the national stage after being diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2020, but her passion for the sport and goal of living her life the way she wants has brought her back among her fellow competitors and longtime friends.
The week at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino for the 65-year-old right-hander has been all about enjoying her time on the lanes, but she’s also been able to find some success and is one of eight undefeated players after the first two rounds of match play Sunday.
Sandelin will face Karen Barcal of Albuquerque, New Mexico, when competition resumes Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern in the double-elimination bracket, and she’s two wins away from securing a spot in the stepladder finals for a chance at a record-breaking fourth tiara and $8,000 top prize.
A total of 16 players remain in the field, including 2018 champion Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Johnson will take on Lauri Cohrs of Colorado Springs in the Elimination Bracket.
The stepladder finals of the 2022 USBC Senior Queens will take place Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern, and all competition will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
Sandelin was prepared and eager for her chance at a fourth win at the 2020 Senior Queens, before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the end of the year approached, an annual visit to the doctor quickly changed things for Sandelin as she looked ahead to 2021 and beyond.
“I did my annual mammogram, and they found something suspicious,” Sandelin said. “They did all the tests and determined it was breast cancer. It was on the left side, but they did a test which determined I had the BRCA gene. That told me I needed to remove my right breast even though it didn’t have cancer, because it will come back.”
The first steps after making her decision involved chemotherapy for five months, before having the surgery in May 2021. Radiation followed from August through October.
“I was exhausted and had to be careful not to get COVID, and I thought I may never competitively bowl again,” Sandelin said. “Finally, when everything ended in October, I sort of realized that maybe I can at least bowl. Winning wasn’t on my mind, but it was going to be about seeing my friends and hanging out and just competitively throwing a bowling ball.”
Sandelin started back on the lanes with an 8-pound plastic ball, and she progressed to 10 and 12 pounds before settling in with 14 pounds for her strike ball.
She started bowling again in local tournaments, and though she didn’t practice as much as she would have liked leading up to her appearance at Gold Coast, she has been able to enjoy the experience of competing on the biggest stage.
Sandelin averaged 196.3 in qualifying this week to earn the No. 16 seed for the bracket with a 2,942 total, and she collected wins over Barbara Batt of Jacksonville, Florida (601-566), and Karen Medalen of Monterey, California (579-522), on Sunday.
“I’m just in awe that I’m still in the Winners Bracket,” said Sandelin, who won the Senior Queens in 2007, 2013 and 2017. “For tomorrow, I’m going to have the same game plan as today – have fun, enjoy bowling with my opponent, take it one shot at a time and follow my routine. If someone beats me, they beat me. It’s OK.
“I have my life. I’ve decided because I have the BRCA gene, and there’s a chance cancer is coming back somewhere else, I’m going to live as hard as I can for what I have left. This tournament means a lot to me, and so do the friends I haven’t seen since 2019. Bowling is what I do. I just want to live whatever time I have left, and bowling is going to be a part of it until my last breath.”
All competitors bowled 15 qualifying games over two days at Gold Coast to determine the top 32 players advancing to the bracket. Defending champion Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket but did not compete this week.
Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, was the qualifying leader, finishing with a 3,424 total (228.27 average). Medalen was the final player to advance with a 2,817 total (187.8 average).
Bracket matches will continue Monday until the top five athletes are determined for the stepladder finals. The Senior Queens features a true double-elimination format, so the No. 1 seed for the stepladder would have to lose twice in the championship match.
All bracket matches leading up to the stepladder will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
For more information on the Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
At Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas
Sunday’s Results
QUALIFYING – ROUND 3
(15 games)
1, Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 3,424. 2, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,359. 3(tie), Jill Friis, Canada, and Linda Walbaum, Brighton, Colo., 3,139. 5, Lori Yamasaki, Torrance, Calif., 3,112. 6, Char Hammel, Las Vegas, 3,092.
7, Bianca Voelkl-Brandt, Germany, 3,080. 8, Karen Barcal, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,032. 9(tie), Wanda Parker, Garland, Texas, and Shirley Stahl, Milwaukee, 3,007. 11, Pamela Pancoast, Lomita, Calif., 2,998. 12, April Lord-Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., 2,980.
13, Debbie Ayers, La Mesa, Calif., 2,966. 14, Mandy Wilson, Dayton, Ohio, 2,965. 15, Donna Smith, Middleburg, Fla., 2,954. 16, Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., 2,942. 17, Barbara Batt, Jacksonville, Fla., 2,940. 18, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,937.
19, Terri Ward, Loveland, Colo., 2,910. 20, Beth Owen-Cipielewski, Bradenton, Fla., 2,902. 21, Tracy Calfee, Flat Rock, N.C., 2,899. 22, Carmen Aguilar, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2,894. 23, Ann Coleman, Fairborn, Ohio, 2,885. 24, MeiLing Billingsley, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 2,881.
25, Lauri Cohrs, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,858. 26, Michelle Silver, Los Angeles, 2,856. 27, Lauraine Fast, Canada, 2,853. 28, Stacey Gomen, Portland, Ore., 2,843. 29, Lana Mink, Kapolei, Hawaii, 2,842. 30, Heidi Holloway, Derby, Kan., 2,827.
31, Michele Carter, National City, Calif., 2,826. 32, Karen Medalen, Monterey, Calif., 2,817.
DID NOT ADVANCE
33, Deborah Lee, Canada, 2,811. 34, Yolanda Payton, Frisco, Texas, 2,789. 35, Lisa Wasson, Murphy, Texas, 2,786. 36, Paula Vidad, Sun City, Calif., 2,783.
37, Lynne Walker, United Kingdom, 2,773. 38, Suzette Draper, Dumont, N.J., 2,771. 39, Tracey Magnuson, Lakeville, Minn., 2,762. 40, Penny Fentiman, Sweet Home, Ore., 2,757. 41, Diane Marget, Champlin, Minn., 2,747. 42, Lori Schultz, Hutto, Texas, 2,745.
43, Devera Buckley, St. Louis, Mo., 2,742. 44, Judith Leroux, Meraux, La., 2,728. 45, Angie Brown, England, 2,724. 46, Pam Lawrence, Hutto, Texas, 2,719. 47(tie), Laurie Lanfier, Muscatine, Iowa, and Shandy Simchen, Tacoma, Wash., and Della Kallenback, Fairfield, Calif., 2,717.
50, Jacqueline Smith, Avondale, Ariz., 2,715. 51, Joan Simi-Dalton, Lubbock, Texas, 2,713. 52, Christina Niles, Florence, Ariz., 2,707. 53, LaTonya Walker, Stockbridge, Ga., 2,701. 54, Karen Miller, Las Vegas, 2,696.
55, Wanda Elias, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,694. 56, Geri Hoefs, Mobile, Ala., 2,680. 57, Ann Sperling, Byram Township, N.J., 2,679. 58, Kathy Allen, Henderson, Nev., 2,644. 59, Barbara Wilson, Phoenix, 2,627. 60, Sherry Robinson, Wasilla, Alaska, 2,623.
61, Georgette Hill-Coad, Teterboro, N.J., 2,617. 62, Jessica Diso, Lake Forest, Calif., 2,586. 63, Lynn Minning, Austin, Texas, 2,573. 64, Tracy Adams, Wasilla, Alaska, 2,561. 65, Annabelle Rivera, Fort Lee, N.J., 2,557. 66, Jacqueline Delawski, Williston Park, N.Y., 2,528.
67, Jennifer McLean, Seattle, 2,516. 68, Kelly Kruschel, Canada, 2,511. 69, Marion Marko, Canada, 2,506. 70, Debra Cramer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,504. 71, Patricia Sikes, Wasilla, Alaska, 2,495. 72, Lisa Goodson, Ardmore, Okla., 2,414.
73, Melanie McAllister, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,407. 74, Elizabeth Wong, Canada, 2,340. 75, Lillie Murphy, Sacramento, Calif., 2,238. 76, Karen Murphy, Sacramento, Calif., 1,856.
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
ROUND 1
(Winners remain in Winners Bracket. Losers move to Elimination Bracket).
(32) Karen Medalen, Monterey, Calif., def. (1) Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 568-557.
(16) Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., def. (17) Barbara Batt, Jacksonville, Fla., 601-566.
(24) MeiLing Billingsley, Lee’s Summit, Mo., def. (9) Wanda Parker, Garland, Texas, 572-500.
(8) Karen Barcal, Albuquerque, N.M., def. (25) Lauri Cohrs, Colorado Springs, Colo., 627-624.
(28) Stacey Gomen, Portland, Ore., def. (5) Lori Yamasaki, Torrance, Calif., 552-492.
(12) April Lord-Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., def. (21) Tracy Calfee, Flat Rock, N.C., 592-577.
(13) Debbie Ayers, La Mesa, Calif., def. (20) Beth Owen-Cipielewski, Bradenton, Fla., 611-589.
(4) Jill Friis, Canada, def. (29) Lana Mink, Kapolei, Hawaii, 627-546.
(3) Linda Walbaum, Brighton, Colo., def. (30) Heidi Holloway, Derby, Kan., 677-628.
(14) Mandy Wilson, Dayton, Ohio, def. (19) Terri Ward, Loveland, Colo., 585-566.
(22) Carmen Aguilar, St. Petersburg, Fla., def. (11) Pamela Pancoast, Lomita, Calif., 546-539.
(6) Char Hammel, Las Vegas, def. (27) Lauraine Fast, Canada, 579-515.
(7) Bianca Voelkl-Brandt, Germany, def. (26) Michelle Silver, Los Angeles, 568-541.
(23) Ann Coleman, Fairborn, Ohio, def. (10) Shirley Stahl, Milwaukee, 672-490.
(18) Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., def. (15) Donna Smith, Middleburg, Fla., 578-521.
(2) Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, def. (31) Michele Carter, National City, Calif., 747-627.
ROUND 2 – WINNERS BRACKET
Sandelin def. Medalen, 579-522.
Barcal def. Billingsley, 584-525.
Lord-Wittig def. Gomen, 636-521.
Ayers def. Friis, 606-512.
Walbaum def. Wilson, 605-554.
Aguilar def. Hammel, 598-569.
Coleman def. Voelkl-Brandt, 622-615.
Woessner def. Johnson, 666-599.
ROUND 1 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, finish tied for 25th, earn $700)
Powers def. Batt, 622-610.
Owen-Cipielewski def. Mink, 566-564.
Cohrs def. Parker, 681-564.
Yamasaki def. Calfee, 607-589.
Holloway def. Ward, 611-551.
Pancoast def. Fast, 605-497.
Carter def. Smith, 592-548.
Silver def. Stahl, 623-531.
ROUND 2 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, finish tied for 17th, earn $750)
Powers def. Hammel, 591-530.
Wilson def. Owen-Cipielewski, 600-559.
Cohrs def. Voelkl-Brandt, 617-579.
Johnson def. Yamasaki, 677-474.
Billingsley def. Holloway, 567-524.
Pancoast def. Medalen, 622-499.
Gomen def. Carter, 634-477.
Silver def. Friis, 605-528.
SHARON POWERS LEADS AFTER FIRST DAY AT 2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
LAS VEGAS – The trip to Las Vegas for Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, may have started off slowly, but she has gained nothing but momentum on the lanes and leads after two rounds of qualifying at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens.
The 65-year-old right-hander averaged more than 226 for her 10 games Saturday at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, finishing with a 2,261 total, to lead the 76-player field made up of the top female USBC members age 50 and older.
Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, sits in second place with a 2,230 total, and Linda Walbaum of Brighton, Colorado, is third with 2,207. Canada’s Jill Friis (2,083) and Shirley Stahl of Milwaukee (2,079) round out the top five.
All competitors will return to Gold Coast on Sunday at 11 a.m. Eastern for the final five-game qualifying block. After 15 games, the top 32 players will advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket.
After 10 games, Penny Fentiman of Sweet Home, Oregon, is 32nd with a 1,882 total, a 188.2 average.
Defending champion Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket as the defending champion, but the USBC and Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Famer is not competing this week.
Powers’ time in Las Vegas kicked off several days prior to the start of the USBC Senior Queens at the 31st Annual International Golden Ladies Classic, which took place nearby at The Orleans Hotel and Casino from March 13-17.
Her start at The Orleans didn’t go as planned, however, as she faced some struggles during the first two blocks. Powers was able to find her rhythm as the event progressed and eventually secured the top seed for the stepladder in the super senior division.
Though Powers was unable to claim her third title at the International Golden Ladies Classic, falling to Heidi Pagenkopf of Lynnwood, Washington, in the title match, 223-189, she felt the experience helped ease her into Saturday’s rounds on the 41-foot oil pattern at the Senior Queens.
“I did not bowl well during the first day at the Golden Ladies,” said Powers, who captured the senior title at the 2014 Golden Ladies Classic and super senior win in 2018. “But, I just kept trying and plugging away. I think bowling that event helped me feel more relaxed coming here.”
Powers also enjoyed the camaraderie she has shared with the athletes she is crossing with at Gold Coast. She was joined by two competitors from her home state of Colorado – Walbaum and Terri Ward of Loveland – and three-time Senior Queens champion and USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida.
Powers and Sandelin captured team gold medals as part of Senior Team USA at the 2018 PANAM Senior Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and 2019 International Bowling Federation Masters (formerly Senior) World Championships in Las Vegas.
Looking ahead to the final five-game block, Powers isn’t going to get too far ahead of herself. She knows the long journey needed through the bracket to advance to the stepladder finals, after finishing in third place at the 2018 Senior Queens.
“I’m just going to play my game, stay slow and stay down,” Powers said. “I felt like I was really throwing the ball well today, and I’m just going to do what I can. I don’t have to be first. As long as I’m in the top 32, I’m happy, because anything can happen after that.”
Bracket matches will get underway Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern and continue through Monday, until the top five are determined for the stepladder finals. The Senior Queens features a true double-elimination format, so the No. 1 seed for the stepladder would have to lose twice in the championship match.
All bracket matches leading up to the stepladder will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
BowlTV.com is providing livestream coverage of each round of competition. The stepladder finals will take place Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern, with the champion taking home the tiara presented to winner and an $8,000 top prize.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
2022 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
At Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas
Saturday’s Results
QUALIFYING – ROUND 2
(10 games)
1, Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 2,261. 2, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 2,230. 3, Linda Walbaum, Brighton, Colo., 2,207. 4, Jill Friis, Canada, 2,083. 5, Shirley Stahl, Milwaukee, 2,079. 6, Wanda Parker, Garland, Texas, 2,078.
7, Mandy Wilson, Dayton, Ohio, 2,074. 8, Karen Barcal, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,045. 9, Bianca Voelkl-Brandt, Germany, 2,033. 10, Donna Smith, Middleburg, Fla., 2,008. 11, Lori Yamasaki, Torrance, Calif., 2,006. 12, Heidi Holloway, Derby, Kan., 1,991.
13, April Lord-Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., 1,989. 14, Terri Ward, Loveland, Colo., 1,982. 15, Lauraine Fast, Canada, 1,977. 16, Tracy Calfee, Flat Rock, N.C., 1,975. 17, Lauri Cohrs, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,973. 18, Barbara Batt, Jacksonville, Fla., 1,963.
19, Char Hammel, Las Vegas, 1,956. 20, Michelle Silver, Los Angeles, 1,943. 21, Deborah Lee, Canada, 1,942. 22, Pamela Pancoast, Lomita, Calif., 1,934. 23, Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., 1,927. 24, Lana Mink, Kapolei, Hawaii, 1,924.
25, Tracey Magnuson, Lakeville, Minn., 1,915. 26, Ann Coleman, Fairborn, Ohio, 1,907. 27, Beth Owen-Cipielewski, Bradenton, Fla., 1,902. 28, Debbie Ayers, La Mesa, Calif., 1,898. 29, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,895. 30, Carmen Aguilar, St. Petersburg, Fla., 1,890.
31, Stacey Gomen, Portland, Ore., 1,883. 32, Penny Fentiman, Sweet Home, Ore., 1,882. 33, Karen Miller, Las Vegas, 1,879. 34, MeiLing Billingsley, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 1,875. 35, Michele Carter, National City, Calif., 1,870. 36, Kathy Allen, Henderson, Nev., 1,868.
37, Diane Marget, Champlin, Minn., 1,867. 38, Karen Medalen, Monterey, Calif., 1,864. 39, Suzette Draper, Dumont, N.J., 1,861. 40, Christina Niles, Florence, Ariz., 1,852. 41, Lori Schultz, Hutto, Texas, 1,850. 42, Yolanda Payton, Frisco, Texas, 1,843.
43, Della Kallenback, Fairfield, Calif., 1,839. 44, Lynne Walker, United Kingdom, 1,825. 45, Geri Hoefs, Mobile, Ala., 1,820. 46, Ann Sperling, Byram Township, N.J., 1,798. 47(tie), Pam Lawrence, Hutto, Texas, and Judith Leroux, Meraux, La., 1,790.
49(tie), Wanda Elias, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Lisa Wasson, Murphy, Texas, 1,785. 51, Shandy Simchen, Tacoma, Wash., 1,782. 52, Annabelle Rivera, Fort Lee, N.J., 1,777. 53, LaTonya Walker, Stockbridge, Ga., 1,774. 54(tie), Jacqueline Smith, Avondale, Ariz., and Sherry Robinson, Wasilla, Alaska, 1,770.
56, Laurie Lanfier, Muscatine, Iowa, 1,769. 57, Joan Simi-Dalton, Lubbock, Texas, 1,768. 58, Paula Vidad, Sun City, Calif., 1,750. 59(tie), Angie Brown, England, and Devera Buckley, St. Louis, 1,747.
61, Barbara Wilson, Phoenix, 1,741. 62, Lynn Minning, Austin, Texas, 1,734. 63, Georgette Hill-Coad, Teterboro, N.J., 1,725. 64, Tracy Adams, Wasilla, Alaska, 1,723. 65, Kelly Kruschel, Canada, 1,705. 66(tie) Jessica Diso, Lake Forest, Calif., and Patricia Sikes, Wasilla, Alaska, 1,693.
68, Jennifer McLean, Seattle, 1,675. 69, Marion Marko, Canada, 1,670. 70, Debra Cramer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,663. 71, Jacqueline Delawski, Williston Park, N.Y., 1,660. 72, Lisa Goodson, Ardmore, Okla., 1,633.
73, Melanie McAllister, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,611. 74, Elizabeth Wong, Canada, 1,580. 75, Lillie Murphy, Sacramento, Calif., 1,467. 76, Karen Murphy, Sacramento, Calif., 1,251.
USBC SENIOR QUEENS RETURNS TO NATIONAL STAGE IN LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – For the first time since 2019, the top female United States Bowling Congress members age 50 and older will take to the lanes at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino for the USBC Senior Queens.
The 2022 edition of the event will kick off Friday with the tournament’s official practice session, before the first round of qualifying gets underway Saturday at 11 a.m. Eastern.
More than 75 competitors will be looking to claim the championship tiara and $8,000 top prize.
The 2020 and 2021 editions of the Senior Queens were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
USBC and Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Famer Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, won the 2019 event for her first tiara, defeating Australia’s Lee Booth in the final, 245-209.
Naccarato will not be defending her title in 2022, however, so there’s an opportunity for one of the four past champions in the field to add another title to their collection or a new competitor to add their name to the historic list of tournament champions.
The past champions in the field include three-time winner and USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida (2007, 2013 and 2017); USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado (2018); Paula Vidad of Sun City, California (2011); and Char Hammel of Henderson, Nevada (2010).
The roster for the 2022 event also includes several athletes who medaled at the International Bowling Federation Masters (formerly Senior) World Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2021.
All four members of the team that represented the United States will be competing at the Senior Queens after collecting four bronze medals in singles, doubles, team and mixed team competition – Johnson; Debbie Ayers of La Mesa, California; Tracy Calfee of Flat Rock, North Carolina; and Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado.
Three of the four members that claimed the silver medal in team competition for Canada also will be on the lanes at Gold Coast this week – Lauraine Fast of Calgary, Alberta; Jill Friis of Mount Brydges, Ontario; and Deborah Lee of White Rock, British Columbia.
Many of the players in the field at the Senior Queens also competed at the 31st Annual International Golden Ladies Classic from March 13-17 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Regina Aboud of San Jose, California, won the senior division at the 2022 International Golden Ladies Classic, and Heidi Pagenkopf of Lynnwood, Washington, won her second title in the super senior division. Aboud and Pagenkopf will not be competing at the Senior Queens.
All competitors at the 2022 Senior Queens will bowl 15 games of qualifying over two days. The top 32 players, based on total pinfall, will advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket.
Naccarato would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket as the defending champion based on her qualifying total, but the spot now goes back to the field.
The bracket will feature three-game matches, with total pinfall determining who advances. The five players who make their way through the bracket will advance to the stepladder finals. The event features a true double-elimination format, so the No. 1 seed for the stepladder would have to lose twice in the championship match.
BowlTV.com will provide livestream coverage of each round of competition. The stepladder finals will take place Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts chahips – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,519 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.
