Stepladder finalists determined at 2026 USBC Senior Queens
April 19, 2026
From left to right: Lynda Barnes, Liz Johnson, Kristen McEntee, Rina Sabo, Jodi Woessner
Bracket
LAS VEGAS – After the final rounds of match play at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens, only five players remain in the hunt for the title and tiara at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Top seed Lynda Barnes of Denton, Texas, went 5-0 in the bracket and can be just the fourth person to hold USBC Queens and USBC Senior Queens titles if she can win just one more game on Sunday. As the No. 1 seed, Barnes will have to be defeated twice, but she hopes that she won’t need the extra game.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position,” Barnes said, winner of the 1998 and 2008 USBC Queens. “I’m hoping I can just set myself up mentally to be loose and just play. I have nothing to lose – I’m just going to go bowl, bowling for my kids. I’m here to have a good time, and obviously I want to win. So I’m just trying to be smart, I want to win one. I only want to bowl one game.”
When asked about potentially being a part of that short list that has a Queens and Senior Queen title, which includes Sandra Postma, Anne Marie Duggan and Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, Barnes said, “That’s awesome. To be in that group of people… honestly, just to be here is cool. Winning would be everything, and to share that with my kids would mean a lot.”
Speaking of Johnson, she’ll be the No. 2 seed after losing to Barnes in the final winner’s bracket despite a herculean comeback attempt. Johnson was down by 76 pins heading into the last game of the match before throwing strike after strike, eventually having the front 10 before a 10 pin stood and losing the match by just five pins, 691-686.
The pair Barnes and Johnson bowled on – 17-18 – gave Johnson trouble early on.
“I felt like my shot and my reaction weren’t the best, and I was trying to make things happen that weren’t there,” said Johnson. “I was kind of going back and forth, and then I hit a mental block.”
But Johnson did what she has done her entire career and didn’t back down.
“I started to feel a little more comfortable. I knew I had to make moves, so I was like, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose.’ I switched to a cleaner ball and went to using two different balls, which I had done in previous matches as well. That got me into a better spot.”
Johnson won’t have the luxury of the extra game like last year when she was the No. 1 seed and won, but has won a number of times when not in the top seed and knows what she has to do.
“I’ve been in this position before, coming from the second seed. There are a lot of games to go tomorrow, so it’s just about getting into a good rhythm and executing.”
Joining Barnes and Johnson in the stepladder will be Kristen McEntee of Whiting, Indiana, Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado, and Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, as the Nos. 3-5 seeds, respectively, after advancing through the final contender’s match where the final four remaining bowled on the same pair.
McEntee rolled 707 series to earn the No. 3 seed, Sabo shot 690 while Woessner had 667. 2023 champion Dana Ausec of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the odd woman out with a low series of 562. McEntee and Sabo are looking for their first tiara while Woessner seeks a second after winning the 2022 event.
For Woessner, getting here means shedding the last couple of years of disappointment.
“The last couple of years have been a little rough,” said Woessner. “I had a couple losses in match play. So it was good to win my first few matches yesterday and the third one this morning, and be able to at least get into the stepladder.”
Meanwhile, Sabo hopes that she can earn a win after placing second to Johnson in 2025. She credits USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer Tish Johnson for fixing a mechanical tweak in her physical game.
“Tish noticed something when I was bowling where my elbow was going out and I wasn’t coming through the ball,” said Sabo. “That was about two weeks ago, so I worked on that and she was right. There has also been just a lot of equipment changes and mental preparation — focusing on the pins and not worrying about what everyone else is doing, because I can’t control that.”
Finally, McEntee earned a third-place finish in 2024 but finished tied for 7th in 2025, losing by just two pins in the second-to-last contender’s match.
“It’s such a great opportunity to be able to lace up against the top senior bowlers,” said McEntee. “I’ve always kind of felt like I left something out there in that last match last year, so it really has fueled me. It’s just kept me hungry and motivated. It also makes you realize you’ve got to continue to bring your best, because these ladies are amazing athletes, and they proved it once again today.”
All five women will return Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern for the stepladder finals, streamed live on BowlTV. The winner will earn the title, tiara, $8,000 top prize and an automatic spot in match play for the 2027 event should they choose to bowl.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/senior-queens.
Bracket
LAS VEGAS – After the final rounds of match play at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens, only five players remain in the hunt for the title and tiara at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Top seed Lynda Barnes of Denton, Texas, went 5-0 in the bracket and can be just the fourth person to hold USBC Queens and USBC Senior Queens titles if she can win just one more game on Sunday. As the No. 1 seed, Barnes will have to be defeated twice, but she hopes that she won’t need the extra game.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position,” Barnes said, winner of the 1998 and 2008 USBC Queens. “I’m hoping I can just set myself up mentally to be loose and just play. I have nothing to lose – I’m just going to go bowl, bowling for my kids. I’m here to have a good time, and obviously I want to win. So I’m just trying to be smart, I want to win one. I only want to bowl one game.”
When asked about potentially being a part of that short list that has a Queens and Senior Queen title, which includes Sandra Postma, Anne Marie Duggan and Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, Barnes said, “That’s awesome. To be in that group of people… honestly, just to be here is cool. Winning would be everything, and to share that with my kids would mean a lot.”
Speaking of Johnson, she’ll be the No. 2 seed after losing to Barnes in the final winner’s bracket despite a herculean comeback attempt. Johnson was down by 76 pins heading into the last game of the match before throwing strike after strike, eventually having the front 10 before a 10 pin stood and losing the match by just five pins, 691-686.
The pair Barnes and Johnson bowled on – 17-18 – gave Johnson trouble early on.
“I felt like my shot and my reaction weren’t the best, and I was trying to make things happen that weren’t there,” said Johnson. “I was kind of going back and forth, and then I hit a mental block.”
But Johnson did what she has done her entire career and didn’t back down.
“I started to feel a little more comfortable. I knew I had to make moves, so I was like, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose.’ I switched to a cleaner ball and went to using two different balls, which I had done in previous matches as well. That got me into a better spot.”
Johnson won’t have the luxury of the extra game like last year when she was the No. 1 seed and won, but has won a number of times when not in the top seed and knows what she has to do.
“I’ve been in this position before, coming from the second seed. There are a lot of games to go tomorrow, so it’s just about getting into a good rhythm and executing.”
Joining Barnes and Johnson in the stepladder will be Kristen McEntee of Whiting, Indiana, Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado, and Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, as the Nos. 3-5 seeds, respectively, after advancing through the final contender’s match where the final four remaining bowled on the same pair.
McEntee rolled 707 series to earn the No. 3 seed, Sabo shot 690 while Woessner had 667. 2023 champion Dana Ausec of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the odd woman out with a low series of 562. McEntee and Sabo are looking for their first tiara while Woessner seeks a second after winning the 2022 event.
For Woessner, getting here means shedding the last couple of years of disappointment.
“The last couple of years have been a little rough,” said Woessner. “I had a couple losses in match play. So it was good to win my first few matches yesterday and the third one this morning, and be able to at least get into the stepladder.”
Meanwhile, Sabo hopes that she can earn a win after placing second to Johnson in 2025. She credits USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer Tish Johnson for fixing a mechanical tweak in her physical game.
“Tish noticed something when I was bowling where my elbow was going out and I wasn’t coming through the ball,” said Sabo. “That was about two weeks ago, so I worked on that and she was right. There has also been just a lot of equipment changes and mental preparation — focusing on the pins and not worrying about what everyone else is doing, because I can’t control that.”
Finally, McEntee earned a third-place finish in 2024 but finished tied for 7th in 2025, losing by just two pins in the second-to-last contender’s match.
“It’s such a great opportunity to be able to lace up against the top senior bowlers,” said McEntee. “I’ve always kind of felt like I left something out there in that last match last year, so it really has fueled me. It’s just kept me hungry and motivated. It also makes you realize you’ve got to continue to bring your best, because these ladies are amazing athletes, and they proved it once again today.”
All five women will return Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern for the stepladder finals, streamed live on BowlTV. The winner will earn the title, tiara, $8,000 top prize and an automatic spot in match play for the 2027 event should they choose to bowl.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/senior-queens.