California team shakes up standings at USBC Women's

By Matt Cannizzaro and Jessica Gilgor
USBC Communications

RENO, Nev. -
When the members of Harbor Ladies of Eureka, California, arrived at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, they had one goal in mind - to have fun.

By the time they finished their nine games at the National Bowling Stadium, their mission had been accomplished, and they held the top spot in multiple events.

On Thursday, they hit the lanes for their team event and put together games of 604, 628 and 710 for a 1,942 total, which moved them into the lead in Sapphire Team. CWE Inspirators of Bloomfield, New Mexico, previously held the lead with a 1,804 total.

LaDeena Gray led the way with a career-high 554 series and was joined by Carrie Hagedorn (505), Stacy Rafferty (495) and Deborah Smith (388).

"Our lane monitor told us we could take the lead in the seventh or eighth frame of the third game," said Hagedorn, who made her second USBC Women's Championships appearance. "We really had no idea. We were excited and ecstatic."

Hagedorn and Gray returned to the one-of-a-kind NBS on Friday and carried that momentum into doubles and singles.

051515Hagedorn_465x262Hagedorn, a 43-year-old right-hander, closed her 2015 Women's Championships campaign with games of 146, 194 and 206 for a 546 singles series and moved into the lead in Amethyst Singles and Amethyst All-Events with a career-high 1,515 total. She added 464 during doubles to get to her leading all-events total.

Marlyn Bisnar of Henderson, Nevada, previously held the lead in Amethyst Singles with a 538, while Ellena Dominguez of Las Vegas led the way in Amethyst All-Events with a 1,503.

051515Gray_465x262Gray, a 39-year-old right-hander, was right behind her teammate with games of 153, 163 and 163 for a 479 singles total, which places her in a tie for third place in Topaz Singles. The effort was enough to catapult her into the lead in Topaz All-Events with a 1,474. The total includes a 441 doubles set in doubles.
 
Michelle Jensen of Estherville, Iowa, previously held the lead in Topaz All-Events with 1,370, and still tops the Topaz Singles standings with a 487.

"I knew since I bowled well in team that if I bowled decent today, I would have a chance," said Gray, who bowls regularly at Harbor Lanes in Eureka. "I just didn't know until the end."

Even with their names atop the leaderboards, the Harbor Ladies didn't forget the original reason they traveled to the Women's Championships.

"We came together and traveled together," Hagedorn said. "We come to have fun."

Teams in the Sapphire Division enter the Women's Championships with combined averages of 574 and below. Bowlers in Amethyst Singles and All-Events have entering averages of 130-144, while bowlers in Topaz Singles and All-Events have entering averages of 129 and below.

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