Team USA men qualify for 2019 Pan American Games
October 26, 2018
RIO DE JANEIRO - A couple years ago, Matt Farber of Plainview, New York, was at a bowling crossroad.
His time with Junior Team USA had come to a close, and he seemed to lose confidence in his bowling game. Understandably, he was frustrated, so he stepped away from competitive bowling for more than a year.
The temporary retirement ended when new doors in bowling opened for him. He found himself surrounded by people who were supportive and motivating, and it inspired him to want to compete again.
Fast forward a year, and the 24-year-old right-hander now is as confident as ever and enjoying a week in Brazil, where he's had the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event.
Along with the chance to add to the collection of six medals he won in three years with Junior Team USA (2013-2015), Farber and teammate Matt Russo of Millstone Township, New Jersey, walked into the 26-lane Bowling Social Club this week also looking to put the United States among the five countries to qualify for the 2019 Pan American Games, which will be held in Lima, Peru, next summer.
The duo was successful on both accounts, combining to win six medals, including the gold medal in men's doubles, while their combined all-events total of 7,046 for 16 games paced the 13-country men's field and secured a place in Lima for the United States.
Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala and Aruba also qualified on the men's side this week, and Brazil, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Bermuda and Ecuador were the countries that advanced on the women's side from the 11-country field.
The Team USA women qualified last month during the 2018 PABCON Women's Championships in the Dominican Republic.
"Just having the opportunity to be here and represent Team USA was special, but to know my coaches and teammates also trusted us with this extra responsibility meant a lot," said Farber, a team gold medalist at the 2014 World Bowling Youth Championships. "This has been a great experience, and I'm glad we were able to make our teammates and country proud."
Farber's medal haul this week also included silver in singles and bronze in all-events.
Russo, competing internationally for the first time, was dominant from the left side and added gold medals in singles, all-events and the tournament-ending Masters event.
"We think this has been a pretty cool opportunity, especially since we're the new guys on the team," said Russo, a 21-year-old two-hander and two-time member of Team USA. "For them to call up two rookies to come to this event gave us a lot of confidence, but to then let us know we'd also be the ones trying to qualify us for the Pan Am Games, made it that much better. We've gotten a lot of support from the guys back home, and to be able to come through has been amazing."
All countries have designated two PABCON or other regional events, such as the Central American Games or Caribbean Games, as their qualifying attempts, and the United States chose the PABCON Championships (the men's edition will be held in early 2019) and the PABCON Champion of Champions event.
Men's and women's teams each must qualify separately.
On the women's side, Argentina, Aruba, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela had qualified through other events, while Peru automatically earns spots in both the men's and women's categories as the host country.
Men's teams that already had qualified were Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
"This week's trip to Brazil was two-fold, and we were successful on both accounts, medaling in every event and qualifying the men for the Pan American Games," Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. "Matt Russo and Matt Farber had amazing debuts with our adult team, and Kelly (Kulick) and Danielle (McEwan) again proved why they are two of the best in the world. It was a proud week for the Team USA program."
The Pan Am Games are held every fourth year and last were contested in Toronto in July 2015.
The first edition of the Pan Am Games was held in Buenos Aires in 1951 and welcomed 22 countries competing in 18 sports.
Despite temporarily walking away from bowling, Team USA never was far from Farber's mind. In fact, his initial drive to practice again was for the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials. Unfortunately, a disappointing 55th-place finish at that event made the comeback short-lived.
Because he was not highly recruited out of high school, Farber initially decided he'd pursue a business degree from nearby Stony Brook University, which allowed him to be close to home, bowl locally if he wanted to and gave him a career path to fall back on when it seemed like his adult bowling career was over before it started.
An invitation to intern at USBC during the summer of 2017 made bowling important again, however. Being able to live with one of bowling's most accomplished couples - Lynda and Chris Barnes - while working in Texas, surrounded Farber with the support he needed.
Not long after, another special husband and wife duo Farber had grown close to through the Junior Team USA program - Bryan and Shannon O'Keefe - invited him to join their coaching staff at McKendree University, where he'd simultaneously be able to earn a Master's degree.
Coaching the Bearcats led to bowling for the McKendree men's team, and winning a national championship in 2018 was all the fuel Farber needed to change career paths once again.
"I really have an interest in marketing and international business, and I'm really into entrepreneurship - the creative side of the field, travel and different cultures - and especially as it all relates to sports," Farber said. "But, bowling ultimately is special to me. After graduating, I went to job interviews, and some went well, but the whole time, I kept wondering how I was going to keep up with my bowling game and all the practice it requires. That's when I decided I wanted to try bowling for a living."
In the short-term, Farber is enjoying the opportunities that come with being on Team USA. He's competing in the top-tier events domestically and he's leaning on his Team USA teammates and friends for guidance in trying his hand at some major international tournaments.
He recently traveled to the Professional Bowlers Association International-World Bowling Tour Thailand event, won by Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, who also bowled in Brazil this week.
Farber also is considering the possibility of joining the PBA to make his career intent more formal, but he first has another big goal in mind - winning the U.S. Amateur title at the 2019 USBC Team USA Trials.
"I don't think it's a secret that it's difficult to make a living bowling, but I don't know that I would've forgiven myself if I didn't at least try," Farber said. "It's going to be a process, and I'm OK with that. It's hard to get a good grasp on where I stand, especially just two months into this new journey, so I'll continue working and learning and re-evaluate along the way. Either way, I'm excited about bowling again and very grateful for each opportunity."
All competitors at the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions event bowled eight games of singles and eight games of doubles, before the top eight men and top eight women advanced to Masters match play based on their 16-game pinfall.
This week's event was the fifth edition of the tournament, first contested in 2008, and included 11 women's teams and 13 men's teams, each with two players.
For more information and results from the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions, visit PABCON.org.
His time with Junior Team USA had come to a close, and he seemed to lose confidence in his bowling game. Understandably, he was frustrated, so he stepped away from competitive bowling for more than a year.
The temporary retirement ended when new doors in bowling opened for him. He found himself surrounded by people who were supportive and motivating, and it inspired him to want to compete again.
Fast forward a year, and the 24-year-old right-hander now is as confident as ever and enjoying a week in Brazil, where he's had the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event.
Along with the chance to add to the collection of six medals he won in three years with Junior Team USA (2013-2015), Farber and teammate Matt Russo of Millstone Township, New Jersey, walked into the 26-lane Bowling Social Club this week also looking to put the United States among the five countries to qualify for the 2019 Pan American Games, which will be held in Lima, Peru, next summer.
The duo was successful on both accounts, combining to win six medals, including the gold medal in men's doubles, while their combined all-events total of 7,046 for 16 games paced the 13-country men's field and secured a place in Lima for the United States.
Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala and Aruba also qualified on the men's side this week, and Brazil, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Bermuda and Ecuador were the countries that advanced on the women's side from the 11-country field.
The Team USA women qualified last month during the 2018 PABCON Women's Championships in the Dominican Republic.
"Just having the opportunity to be here and represent Team USA was special, but to know my coaches and teammates also trusted us with this extra responsibility meant a lot," said Farber, a team gold medalist at the 2014 World Bowling Youth Championships. "This has been a great experience, and I'm glad we were able to make our teammates and country proud."
Farber's medal haul this week also included silver in singles and bronze in all-events.
Russo, competing internationally for the first time, was dominant from the left side and added gold medals in singles, all-events and the tournament-ending Masters event.
"We think this has been a pretty cool opportunity, especially since we're the new guys on the team," said Russo, a 21-year-old two-hander and two-time member of Team USA. "For them to call up two rookies to come to this event gave us a lot of confidence, but to then let us know we'd also be the ones trying to qualify us for the Pan Am Games, made it that much better. We've gotten a lot of support from the guys back home, and to be able to come through has been amazing."
All countries have designated two PABCON or other regional events, such as the Central American Games or Caribbean Games, as their qualifying attempts, and the United States chose the PABCON Championships (the men's edition will be held in early 2019) and the PABCON Champion of Champions event.
Men's and women's teams each must qualify separately.
On the women's side, Argentina, Aruba, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela had qualified through other events, while Peru automatically earns spots in both the men's and women's categories as the host country.
Men's teams that already had qualified were Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
"This week's trip to Brazil was two-fold, and we were successful on both accounts, medaling in every event and qualifying the men for the Pan American Games," Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. "Matt Russo and Matt Farber had amazing debuts with our adult team, and Kelly (Kulick) and Danielle (McEwan) again proved why they are two of the best in the world. It was a proud week for the Team USA program."
The Pan Am Games are held every fourth year and last were contested in Toronto in July 2015.
The first edition of the Pan Am Games was held in Buenos Aires in 1951 and welcomed 22 countries competing in 18 sports.
Despite temporarily walking away from bowling, Team USA never was far from Farber's mind. In fact, his initial drive to practice again was for the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials. Unfortunately, a disappointing 55th-place finish at that event made the comeback short-lived.
Because he was not highly recruited out of high school, Farber initially decided he'd pursue a business degree from nearby Stony Brook University, which allowed him to be close to home, bowl locally if he wanted to and gave him a career path to fall back on when it seemed like his adult bowling career was over before it started.
An invitation to intern at USBC during the summer of 2017 made bowling important again, however. Being able to live with one of bowling's most accomplished couples - Lynda and Chris Barnes - while working in Texas, surrounded Farber with the support he needed.
Not long after, another special husband and wife duo Farber had grown close to through the Junior Team USA program - Bryan and Shannon O'Keefe - invited him to join their coaching staff at McKendree University, where he'd simultaneously be able to earn a Master's degree.
Coaching the Bearcats led to bowling for the McKendree men's team, and winning a national championship in 2018 was all the fuel Farber needed to change career paths once again.
"I really have an interest in marketing and international business, and I'm really into entrepreneurship - the creative side of the field, travel and different cultures - and especially as it all relates to sports," Farber said. "But, bowling ultimately is special to me. After graduating, I went to job interviews, and some went well, but the whole time, I kept wondering how I was going to keep up with my bowling game and all the practice it requires. That's when I decided I wanted to try bowling for a living."
In the short-term, Farber is enjoying the opportunities that come with being on Team USA. He's competing in the top-tier events domestically and he's leaning on his Team USA teammates and friends for guidance in trying his hand at some major international tournaments.
He recently traveled to the Professional Bowlers Association International-World Bowling Tour Thailand event, won by Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, who also bowled in Brazil this week.
Farber also is considering the possibility of joining the PBA to make his career intent more formal, but he first has another big goal in mind - winning the U.S. Amateur title at the 2019 USBC Team USA Trials.
"I don't think it's a secret that it's difficult to make a living bowling, but I don't know that I would've forgiven myself if I didn't at least try," Farber said. "It's going to be a process, and I'm OK with that. It's hard to get a good grasp on where I stand, especially just two months into this new journey, so I'll continue working and learning and re-evaluate along the way. Either way, I'm excited about bowling again and very grateful for each opportunity."
All competitors at the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions event bowled eight games of singles and eight games of doubles, before the top eight men and top eight women advanced to Masters match play based on their 16-game pinfall.
This week's event was the fifth edition of the tournament, first contested in 2008, and included 11 women's teams and 13 men's teams, each with two players.
For more information and results from the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions, visit PABCON.org.