Collegiate standouts take lead at 2016 Women's Championships
May 17, 2016
LAS VEGAS - The collegiate atmosphere was alive and well at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships on Tuesday as two teams of former and current collegiate standouts made their way up the standings in Diamond Team.
The members of 3 Webbers And An Outcast of Omaha, Nebraska, put together a consistent effort and improved each game on their way into the lead in Diamond Team with a 2,629 total, while Team Jearnest moved into third place with 2,501 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Atlanta's Finest of Lithia Springs, Georgia, previously held the lead with 2,534.
Daria Pajak led the effort for 3 Webbers And An Outcast with a 676 series, and she was followed by Team USA member Erin McCarthy (660), Verity Crawley (655) and Taylor Bulthuis (638).
Amanda Fry paced Team Jearnest with 675, and she was joined on the championship lanes by Jessica Earnest (631), Robyn Renslow (604) and Team USA's Josie Earnest (591).
McCarthy and Josie Earnest both found collegiate success, and now are up-and-coming stars on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour. McCarthy first found success with Nebraska before making her way to Midland, while Earnest flourished at Vanderbilt.
In looking to put together two teams for the 2016 USBC Women's Championships, they went back to school to recruit some of the next generation of stars.
Pajak, Crawley and Bulthuis recently competed in the title match of the 2016 Intercollegiate Team Championships for Webber International, which will air Tuesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network, while Jessica Earnest, Renslow and Fry were part of the Vanderbilt program.
"Josie and I wanted to put two teams together, so we looked at some of the girls finishing up college," said McCarthy, who made her second Women's Championships appearance. "Josie had her Vanderbilt alumni, and I knew some of the girls from Webber, and we all ended up together."
The performance on the lanes also felt like a trip to the ITC as both teams started to pile on the strikes. The members of 3 Webbers And An Outcast used games of 849, 882 and 898 to get to their leading total, while Team Jearnest finished with 792, 894 and 815.
"We all bowled collegiately and are all friends off the lanes, too," McCarthy said. "We talked through any adjustments, and it really was like a collegiate atmosphere, with your team standing behind you on every shot. We tried to find the right part of the lane for all of us to play, and we matched up well with our equipment."
With the 2016 USBC Queens starting Saturday at The Orleans Bowling Center, just a few miles north of the Bowling Plaza, the top players in the world will be making their way to Las Vegas to compete.
Many also will stop at the Women's Championships to see if they can chase down the new leading total.
"It's great to set the bar with that number, but I don't know if it will hold up," said McCarthy, who finished second at the 2015 Queens. "We hope it does, but there's a lot of good talent coming here with the (USBC) Senior Queens and Queens in town. We'll play the waiting game and see what happens."
Diamond Team features four-player teams with combined entering averages of 725 and above.
The members of 3 Webbers And An Outcast of Omaha, Nebraska, put together a consistent effort and improved each game on their way into the lead in Diamond Team with a 2,629 total, while Team Jearnest moved into third place with 2,501 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Atlanta's Finest of Lithia Springs, Georgia, previously held the lead with 2,534.
Daria Pajak led the effort for 3 Webbers And An Outcast with a 676 series, and she was followed by Team USA member Erin McCarthy (660), Verity Crawley (655) and Taylor Bulthuis (638).
Amanda Fry paced Team Jearnest with 675, and she was joined on the championship lanes by Jessica Earnest (631), Robyn Renslow (604) and Team USA's Josie Earnest (591).
McCarthy and Josie Earnest both found collegiate success, and now are up-and-coming stars on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour. McCarthy first found success with Nebraska before making her way to Midland, while Earnest flourished at Vanderbilt.
In looking to put together two teams for the 2016 USBC Women's Championships, they went back to school to recruit some of the next generation of stars.
Pajak, Crawley and Bulthuis recently competed in the title match of the 2016 Intercollegiate Team Championships for Webber International, which will air Tuesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network, while Jessica Earnest, Renslow and Fry were part of the Vanderbilt program.
"Josie and I wanted to put two teams together, so we looked at some of the girls finishing up college," said McCarthy, who made her second Women's Championships appearance. "Josie had her Vanderbilt alumni, and I knew some of the girls from Webber, and we all ended up together."
The performance on the lanes also felt like a trip to the ITC as both teams started to pile on the strikes. The members of 3 Webbers And An Outcast used games of 849, 882 and 898 to get to their leading total, while Team Jearnest finished with 792, 894 and 815.
"We all bowled collegiately and are all friends off the lanes, too," McCarthy said. "We talked through any adjustments, and it really was like a collegiate atmosphere, with your team standing behind you on every shot. We tried to find the right part of the lane for all of us to play, and we matched up well with our equipment."
With the 2016 USBC Queens starting Saturday at The Orleans Bowling Center, just a few miles north of the Bowling Plaza, the top players in the world will be making their way to Las Vegas to compete.
Many also will stop at the Women's Championships to see if they can chase down the new leading total.
"It's great to set the bar with that number, but I don't know if it will hold up," said McCarthy, who finished second at the 2015 Queens. "We hope it does, but there's a lot of good talent coming here with the (USBC) Senior Queens and Queens in town. We'll play the waiting game and see what happens."
Diamond Team features four-player teams with combined entering averages of 725 and above.