McEwan caps off PABCON with Masters gold

CALI, Colombia - Danielle McEwan capped off a dominating week for Team USA as she won the Masters gold medal Wednesday to give the U.S. five of the six gold medals at the 2014 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships.

McEwan defeated teammate Missy Parkin, 2-1, in the best-of-three championship match at the Cali Bowling Coliseum. The United States also won gold medals in doubles, trios, team and all-events.

Parkin won the opening game of the championship match, 227-219, but McEwan rallied to take the next two games, 239-235 and 217-181. Parkin could have won the title in the second game, but left a 10 pin on her second shot in the 10th frame.

"This was my first time traveling with the whole team, and it was so amazing learning from them," McEwan said. "It was awesome to spend time with the team because they are all so unbelievably knowledgeable, and I was just trying to keep up and learn as much as I could."

In the semifinals, McEwan defeated Colombia's Clara Guerrero, 2-0, in a dramatic finish. McEwan took the first game, 238-188, and Guerrero had a chance to force a decisive third game but got seven on her final ball to lose, 211-209.

Parkin advanced to the gold-medal match by defeating teammate Liz Johnson, 2-1. Johnson took the opening game 232-183 before Parkin won the next two, 242-201 and 216-214.

The PABCON Women's Championships featured bowlers from 13 countries. In addition to the medal competition, four countries earned spots in the 2015 Pan American Games. The United States, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico all punched their tickets for Toronto next July.

2014 PABCON WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Cali Bowling Coliseum, Cali, Colombia
Wednesday's results

MASTERS
(Best-of-three matches)


GOLD - Danielle McEwan, United States
SILVER - Missy Parkin, United States
BRONZE - Liz Johnson, United States; Clara Guerrero, Colombia

Semifinals: Parkin def. Johnson, 2-1; McEwan def. Guerrero, 2-0. Championship: McEwan def. Parkin, 2-1