Pluhowsky, Johnson to represent USA at Pan Am Games

ARLINGTON, Texas – Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, will represent Team USA at the prestigious 2015 Pan American Games this July in Toronto.

The qualifying process was based on performance at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials and the 2015 USBC Queens. Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kansas, and Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, were announced in February as the men’s representatives for Team USA.

Pluhowsky, above, who won the 2015 Team USA Trials, topped the standings with 1,670 points, while Johnson, who won the Queens this week, was second with 1,640 points. Brittni Hamilton of Wood Ridge, New Jersey, will be the first alternate, finishing third with 1,610 points.

Sixty percent of the qualifying points came from the Team USA Trials - 40 percent based on overall finish and 20 percent based on daily finish. The final 40 percent was based on performance at the Queens - 30 percent based on qualifying position and 10 percent based on final position in the bracket.

PA-JohnsonPluhowsky and Johnson, left, have competed previously at the Pan American Games. In 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Pluhowsky won the singles gold medal and earned a silver medal in mixed doubles. Johnson is the Pan American Games defending champion in singles and doubles, winning the events in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“I’m excited to represent Team USA in the Pan American Games again,” said Pluhowsky, who earned 1,300 points at the Team USA Trials and 370 points at the Queens. “The first time I went, I had a great time, and it’s definitely been a tournament that I have wanted to be able to compete in again.”

Johnson earned her spot by picking up 1,220 points at the Team USA Trials and adding 420 points at the Queens.

“Having the chance to bowl against some of the best bowlers in the world is a very humbling and amazing opportunity,” Johnson said. “At the same time, it is also an honor and a privilege to be able to bowl and represent Team USA.”

The Pan American Games are an Americas version of the Olympic Games which includes the Olympic program sports and others that are not part of the Olympics. The United States Olympic Committee has specific requirements for selecting players to compete in the event.

Two men and two women will represent Team USA at the event, which is considered the most important event in the four-year cycle of the Team USA bowling program. In order to represent the United States at the Pan American Games, athletes must be U.S. citizens and members of Team USA in 2015.

For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.