49th Tournament of the Americas set to begin

The United States will be well-represented next week when the 49th annual Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas takes place in Tamarac, Fla.

A total of 20 bowlers will represent the United States, including members of Team USA and Junior Team USA. Tournament organizers expect 147 participants from 15 countries will take part in the event.

The week-long competition starts Monday at Sawgrass Lanes, and the tournament features Adult, Senior (ages 50-plus for men, 45-plus for women), Super Senior (ages 60-plus for men, 55-plus for women), Junior A (ages 16-19) and Junior B (ages 12-15) divisions.

Team USA will be represented in the Adult division by Brenda Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, Tennelle Milligan of Arlington, Texas, Jarret Mizo of Honolulu and Steven Smith of San Diego.

In the Junior A division, four Junior Team USA members will take part as Scott Boyle of Salida, Calif., Matt Gasn of Laurel, Md., Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., will take to the lanes.

Representing the U.S. in the Junior B division are Makayla Douglas of Vancouver, Wash., Melissa Perez of Miami, Andrew Heritage of Beaverton, Ore., and Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla. Last year, Coffey, at age 14 the youngest bowler on the American team, picked up six titles in the Junior B division.

The senior team will consist of Brian Brazeau of Ocala, Fla., Stan Sprow of Lakeland, Fla., Beth Owen-Cipielewski of Sarasota, Fla., and Pam Sprow of Lakeland, Fla. In the new super senior division, the U.S. representatives will be Tom Mariani, Jerry Teel, Carol Teel and Christine Srock.

The Lee Evans Tournament of The Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. The invitational competition for countries of PABCON (Pan American Bowling Confederation - the American Zone of World Tenpin Bowling Association) has four divisions for men and women.

In each division, one team comprised of two men and two women compete in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team event throughout the week-long tournament. After 36 games, individual all-events and national all-events champions are recognized.