LINCOLN, Neb. – Julia Bond of Aurora, Illinois, won her first Professional Women’s Bowling Association Regional title Sunday at the PWBA Lincoln Regional at Sun Valley Lanes.

The 23-year-old right-hander defeated Erin Czuprynski of Tinley Park, Illinois, 185-176, to nab the victory and earn her spot at the Go Bowling! PWBA Regional Showdown in August.

The eight-game qualifying round and stepladder finals of the PWBA Lincoln Regional were broadcast live at BowlTV.com.

The championship match came down to the final frame as Bond needed a double and three pins to win the title. Bond struck on the first shot and then caught a fortuitous break on the second shot as the 6 pin and 10 pin went down late to claim the victory and $1,150 top prize.

“I just needed to make sure I stayed calm” said Bond, a three-time Team USA member. “When I get excited, I know I get kind of fast and on this pattern, I really needed to slow it down. I knew if I could just focus, stay calm and keep the speed under control the shot was going to take care of itself.”

The week could’ve been disappointing for Bond after settling for a sixth-place finish at the PWBA Lincoln Open. Bond missed Saturday’s stepladder finals by 12 pins after tossing just one game over 200 during the Round of 12. 

But the former Nebraska Cornhusker didn’t let Saturday’s disappointment affect her performance on Sunday. She earned the top seed after leading Sunday’s qualifying round by 152 pins with an 1,858 total, a 232.25 average.

It didn’t hurt that Bond was in a familiar place and setting at Sun Valley Lanes. A place which became a second home to her during her time in Lincoln.

“It feels great that things worked out the way that they did,” said Bond, who helped Nebraska win the 2015 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship. “People say things happen for a reason and yesterday was disappointing. I was angry. I’ll be honest. So, I came in today with a new mindset.

“Being here at Sun Valley Lanes also helped. This is my second home, and I love saying that because it’s true. So, I think it helped it was in this venue with everybody here. I think it made it a lot easier to forget about yesterday, learn from my mistakes and then come in today with a better and more positive mindset.”

The Lincoln Regional featured a total of 40 players, with the top four qualifiers advancing to the stepladder finals.

In the semifinal match, Czuprynski defeated Jacqueline Evans of Acton, Massachusetts, 194-190. Czuprynski needed to fill 17 pins in the final frame to advance to the title match.

Czuprynski earned a victory over Justyne Falbo of New Stanton, Pennsylvania, 237-164 in the opening match. 

The 2019 PWBA Regional schedule includes five stops during the 2019 PWBA Tour season. The next event will be held June 2 in conjunction with the PWBA Sonoma County Open at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, California.

The winners of the first four scheduled regional events will compete in the Go Bowling! PWBA Regional Showdown, a special made-for-TV event to be taped Aug. 17 in conjunction with the PWBA Orlando Open. The event will air Aug. 24 on CBS Sports Network and the winner will receive $6,000.