Barnes, O'Sullivan win U.S. Amateur titles

OSullivanBarnes07SumRENO, Nev. – David O’Sullivan of Orlando, Fla., and Lynda Barnes of Flower Mound, Texas, topped a field of the nation’s top amateur bowlers over four days to earn U.S. Amateur titles Thursday at the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials.

Barnes, a 10-time Team USA member, won her third U.S. Amateur title by shooting 8,816 for 40 games, an average of 220. She also won titles in 1995 and 2005.

O’Sullivan, a two-time All-American at Morehead State University, earned a spot on Team USA for the first time by totaling 8,841 for 40 games, an average of 221 per game.

Heading into the final day, O’Sullivan trailed Rhino Page of Fresno, Calif., by 275 pins. O’Sullivan averaged just over 237 on Thursday to pass the left-hander.

“This means absolutely everything to me,” said the 22-year-old O’Sullivan, a 2004 Junior Team USA member who won two medals at the 2004 World Youth Championships. “I’ve wanted to be on Team USA for as long as I can remember. Winning is a bonus but making Team USA is the biggest thing. Every ounce of practice, every minute, every shot in my career has finally paid off.”

Barnes, meanwhile, trailed three-time U.S. Amateur champion Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix by three pins heading into the final game. Barnes fired 227 to Pluhowsky’s 181 to secure the victory.

“All I kept thinking about was the team gold medal that’s coming in August, and that’s what kept me focused,” said Barnes, speaking of the upcoming Women’s World Championships. “I wanted to keep working hard so I can be a part of the team that gets to stand on the gold medal stand.”

The top four men and top four women who were not already on Team USA 2007 earned automatic spots on the team. O’Sullivan is joined on the men’s side by Page, Cassidy Schaub of Polk, Ohio, and PJ Haggerty of Clovis, Calif.

AmandaBurgoyne07SumBarnes is joined by Tennelle Milligan of Costa Mesa, Calif., Amanda Burgoyne of Newport, Minn., Shannon O’Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., and Rose Brown of Modesto, Calif.

The National Selection Committee also selected four men and women from the field to join the team. John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., Mark Siders of Westerville, Ohio, Scott Pohl of Burnsville, Minn., Derek Eoff of Greenfield, Wis., Marcia Kloempken of Pleasant View, Utah, Brenda Viator of Lake Wales, Fla., Ashly Galante of Palm Harbor, Fla., and Tina Stickney of Goodyear, Ariz., were all picked.

Eight players entered the event having already secured spots on Team USA 2007 by virtue of their selections and performances at last year’s Team USA Trials.

Bill Hoffman of Columbus, Ohio, David Haynes of Las Vegas, Dan Patterson of Buffalo, N.Y., Fero Williams of Dayton, Ohio, Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, Stefanie Nation of Orlando, Fla., Pluhowsky and Barnes bring the total number of Team USA members to 12 men and 12 women for 2007.

TennelleMilligan07SumThe National Selection Committee also awarded two-year Team USA spots to Hoffman, Haynes, Page, Pluhowsky, O’Keefe and Milligan. O’Sullivan and Barnes automatically earned two-year spots by winning.

Team USA 2007 will compete in events such as the Pan American Games, the World Tenpin Bowling Association Women’s World Championships, the American Zone Men’s Championships and the QubicaAMF World Cup.

Visit bowl.com for complete coverage of the 2007 USBC Team USA Trials, including results, stories and photos.

2007 USBC TEAM USA TRIALS
(At National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev.)
Thursday’s Results

WOMEN
(40 Games)
Top 10

1, Lynda Barnes, Flower Mound, Texas, 8,816. 2, Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 8,773. 3, Tennelle Milligan, Costa Mesa, Calif., 8,752. 4, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 8,677. 5, Amanda Burgoyne, Newport, Minn., 8,669. 6, Shannon O’Keefe, Rochester, N.Y., 8,639. 7, Rose Brown, Modesto, Calif., 8,536. 8, Marcia Kloempken, Pleasant View, Utah, 8,479. 9, Stefanie Nation, Orlando, Fla., 8,466. 10, Brenda Viator, Lake Wales, Fla., 8,462.

MEN
(40 Games)
Top 10

1, David O’Sullivan, Orlando, Fla., 8,841. 2, Rhino Page, Fresno, Calif., 8,802. 3, Cassidy Schaub, Polk, Ohio, 8,776. 4, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 8,715. 5, Bill Hoffman, Columbus, Ohio, 8,607. 6, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 8,526. 7, Mark Siders, Westerville, Ohio, 8,522. 8, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 8,516. 9, Dan Patterson, Buffalo, N.Y., 8,429. 10, Vince Biondo, Carpentersville, Ill., 8,404.