Busy day in doubles, team at 2025 USBC Women’s Championships
May 12, 2025
PHOTO (from left): Brandy Burkhart and Desi Hurd
LAS VEGAS – The standings were shaken up Monday at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships, with new leaders ascending to the top of the leaderboard in Emerald Doubles, Diamond Doubles and Diamond Team.
Four-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour champion Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, also earned her spot in the record book Monday, recording the 16th 800 series in tournament history during her team event. She finished the set with 805.
In Emerald Doubles, Brandy Burkhart of Reno, Nevada, and Desi Hurd of Fernley, Nevada, took over the top spot by 59 pins with a 1,154 total at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
On the other side of the 60-lane venue, Alyssa Ferraro of Deltona, Florida, and Ashly Galante of Palm Harbor, Florida, combined for 1,400 to take the lead in Diamond Doubles.
An action-packed team event had seven teams roll scores above 2,700 (225 team average), with the members of Sterner Strong 1 returning to the top spot with a 2,763 total.
Burkhart was the leader on the road to the Emerald lead, with an amazing score of 640. She had heart throughout her doubles series, showcasing a consistent performance. In Game 1, she started off with a nice score of 211. Burkhart kept up the pace in Game 2 with 192. She saved her best for last in Game 3, posting a great score of 237. She finished strong in the 10th frame, too, rolling a turkey.
Hurd complimented Burkhart’s game, rolling a score of 514. She came out firing in Game 1 with a sweet score of 192. She stayed strong in Game 2 with 178 and finished with 144 in Game 3.
Burkhart and Hurd have been friends for years now.
“She’s my best friend, and we bowl together all the time,” Burkhart said. “It’s been an awesome experience out here at South Point, and we’re going to celebrate this in our home state of Nevada.”
They have only been bowling together at the USBC Women’s Championships for three years. They have been doubles partners in each of those appearances and have gotten better every single year.
“After three years and finally taking first, it really means a lot to Desi and me,” Burkhart said. “It’s an incredible feeling to share this lead with your teammate.”
Burkhart and Hurd are going to have bragging rights when they get back to the Reno area.
“To get this win in our home state together would mean everything to us,” Burkhart said. “I can’t wait to go brag to everybody in Reno that we took first.”
Emerald Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 271-310.
Alyssa Ferraro and Ashly Galante
Ferraro and Galante have been friends and teammates for a long time, too, and they were on the same page as the strikes started to add up Monday at the Bowling Plaza.
They posted nearly matching totals for the first two games – Ferraro had started with 237 and 257, while Galante had 257 and 232 – but they showed their resilience during the final game as they worked through transition.
Galante finished with the final six strikes for a 228 finish and 717 series, while Ferraro rolled a strike to start her final frame, followed by a nine count and spare, to close with 189 for 683.
Denver’s Michelle Maly and Debbie McMullen previously held the lead with 1,387.
Both players made adjustments to their game plan after Sunday’s team event, where Ferraro had 633 and Galante posted 606.
“Yesterday, I felt like my shot execution was pretty good, but I had a hard time getting my ball through the pins properly or creating a controllable shape,” Galante said. “Today, my goal was to play a little straighter and roll it a little bit more with my (Hammer) Envy Tour to really try and control the pocket and get it to go through the pins better.”
A surface adjustment was key for Ferraro, who now has made headlines in back-to-back appearances at the Women’s Championships. She rolled a 300 game during singles at last year’s event in Reno.
“I went and added some surface to some of my bowling balls,” Ferraro said. “I knocked some shine off my (Ebonite) Crusher and played farther right than I did yesterday. I also put a little surface on my (Hammer) Special Effect, which is what I finished with in the third game. I think a little bit of grit made a big difference in the way we broke down the lanes and worked together to try and take the lead.”
Ferraro credited Galante’s strong finish as they faced transition at the Bowling Plaza.
“I knew it was crunch time, so I needed to make quick moves, but I felt I stayed in one ball for too long,” Ferraro said. “I didn’t make that change quick enough, which is why I slowed down, but Ashly stepped up for the both of us and started striking. She’s the reason we held onto the lead today.”
“It’s a team effort, and we work together,” Galante followed. “When one person is off, the other person holds them up. In this competition over the years, transition can happen and it does get tricky. A lot of times, it’s about getting the ball through the pins. It’s easy to want to stay with that and not change because you’re hitting the pocket, but we both used our fill shots to try other balls. She used the Special Effect, and mine was the Hammer Effect. When my Envy Tour started slowing down, I knew I had to make the adjustment, change to it and just execute the best shots I could.”
Both credited their sponsors and support systems as well in Monday’s performance, and they enjoyed getting to share the moment together.
“I’ve known Alyssa forever, so just being able to have her as a partner and for us to experience this together is amazing,” Galante said.
“We’ve been bowling together since we were teenagers,” Ferraro added. “We have that special connection and I think that’s why we always mesh up so well. The fact that we finally got to the top together after everything we’ve endured the last couple years is a phenomenal feeling. To share with one of my friends that I’ve known for so long – definitely a good goose bump feeling.”
Diamond Doubles includes pairs with combined entering averages of 351 and above.
Sterner Strong 1 (from left): Michelle Sterner, Valerie Bercier, Terysa Wojnar and Kristin McEntee
In Diamond Team, the members of Sterner Strong 1 soared during their time at the Bowling Plaza, with games of 931, 939 and 893. Bowl Over Cancer Arizona of Cave Creek, Arizona, had started Monday in the lead with 2,686.
The team consisted of Kristin McEntee of Whiting, Indiana; Terysa Wojnar of New Lenox, Illinois; Michelle Sterner of Niagara Falls, New York; and Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan.
McEntee – a two-time winner at the Women’s Championships – led the team with an overall score of 745. In Game 1, she started strong with 258. She secured the first eight strikes in Game 2 to finish with an impressive 278. She wrapped up things in Game 3 with 209.
Wojnar – who won the Diamond Team title in 2016 at South Point alongside McEntee and Sterner – was next, finishing with a 703 series. Sterner – a three-time titlist – secured success with a 665 series, and Bercier – the 2019 PWBA Rookie of the Year – finalized the lead with a 650 series.
The team was pleased with the solid score they put up, but they were even more excited to get the news of taking the lead in a star-studded squad.
“I am overwhelmed,” Sterner said. “This is a pretty big squad, and I just wanted to execute well.”
In team competition, bowlers help one another to succeed and score high in the event. With the members of Sterner Strong 1, this was exactly what they planned for in working hard throughout the series.
“We’ve bowled together for awhile now, and we really bowl well together as a team,” Sterner said. “We talk to each other about shots, ball choices and just stay with each other to focus.”
They knew what they were capable of as a team coming in and wanted to execute to the best of their ability. Finishing off the event, the group is hopeful that their score stays at the top to the end. It would be an accomplishment showing that all their hard work has paid off.
“I’ve been bowling with them since 2016, and the first year we bowled, we won,” Sterner said. “So, I’m hoping that it holds.”
In 2016, Sterner, McEntee and Wojnar competed with Rocio Restrepo to win Diamond Team with a 2,656 total in Las Vegas.
Diamond Team consists of four-player groups with combined entering averages of 701 and above.
Josie Barnes
Barnes – the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open champion – recorded the first 800 series of the 2025 tournament.
She scored impressive games of 279 and 247 before starting the final game with nine strikes to close with 279. She left a 10 pin on her first shot of the 10th frame in Game 3.
Barnes didn’t realize how close she was to the honor score; she found out after the event was finished. She was so focused on helping her team that it was not on her radar.
Her team – Candice’s Conquerors – finished the squad tied for third place in Diamond Team with 2,725.
“I feel really good, and I didn’t realize I even shot an 800,” Barnes said. “My team was bowling very well, so I was trying to pay attention because this squad was so stacked looking at the competition.”
Seeing teamwork pay off is enjoyable, because all the hard work that bowlers put in together means a lot. For Barnes’ group, they were a mix of her collegiate teammates and student-athletes from Vanderbilt University and some friends, too.
Barnes was a tremendous competitor for the Commadores, and she now serves as the associate head coach of the women’s bowling team.
“Half of my group are Vanderbilt alums, and the other half are friends that we invite in,” Barnes said. “Isabel (Allen) and Kaylee (Hitt) are recents grads from me, so I’ve spent the last year with Isabel and last four years with Kaylee coaching them. It was a different feeling competing with them. Being able to be alongside those teammates has just been a lot of fun!”
Now that the team event has finished, she’ll go into doubles and singles Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pacific. Keeping that momentum is important for her, but so is enjoying her time at the tournament.
“For me, it’s about having fun,” Barnes said. “This event is important to me because I do compete on tour. And while I do enjoy that, this has a different fun feeling and why I love bowling.”
Her mindset going into doubles and singles is to just keep bowling well, like she did Monday.
“Of course I want to bowl well tomorrow, and winning one of these events is on my bucket list,” Barnes said. “I’m just really excited to get to bowl another day with the group of 24 girls that we have here.”
The team event went very well for Barnes, and she had a ton of support along the way. Having this support is what makes that event a lot of fun for her at the Women’s Championships.
“The thing that is so cool about team events is that you have people back there who genuinely want you to bowl well,” Barnes said. “When individually shooting 300, some people give you high-fives, but no one really wants you to bowl that well. Being able to feel like people are genuinely excited for you and happy you bowled well feels good.”
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.
LAS VEGAS – The standings were shaken up Monday at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships, with new leaders ascending to the top of the leaderboard in Emerald Doubles, Diamond Doubles and Diamond Team.
Four-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour champion Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, also earned her spot in the record book Monday, recording the 16th 800 series in tournament history during her team event. She finished the set with 805.
In Emerald Doubles, Brandy Burkhart of Reno, Nevada, and Desi Hurd of Fernley, Nevada, took over the top spot by 59 pins with a 1,154 total at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
On the other side of the 60-lane venue, Alyssa Ferraro of Deltona, Florida, and Ashly Galante of Palm Harbor, Florida, combined for 1,400 to take the lead in Diamond Doubles.
An action-packed team event had seven teams roll scores above 2,700 (225 team average), with the members of Sterner Strong 1 returning to the top spot with a 2,763 total.
Burkhart was the leader on the road to the Emerald lead, with an amazing score of 640. She had heart throughout her doubles series, showcasing a consistent performance. In Game 1, she started off with a nice score of 211. Burkhart kept up the pace in Game 2 with 192. She saved her best for last in Game 3, posting a great score of 237. She finished strong in the 10th frame, too, rolling a turkey.
Hurd complimented Burkhart’s game, rolling a score of 514. She came out firing in Game 1 with a sweet score of 192. She stayed strong in Game 2 with 178 and finished with 144 in Game 3.
Burkhart and Hurd have been friends for years now.
“She’s my best friend, and we bowl together all the time,” Burkhart said. “It’s been an awesome experience out here at South Point, and we’re going to celebrate this in our home state of Nevada.”
They have only been bowling together at the USBC Women’s Championships for three years. They have been doubles partners in each of those appearances and have gotten better every single year.
“After three years and finally taking first, it really means a lot to Desi and me,” Burkhart said. “It’s an incredible feeling to share this lead with your teammate.”
Burkhart and Hurd are going to have bragging rights when they get back to the Reno area.
“To get this win in our home state together would mean everything to us,” Burkhart said. “I can’t wait to go brag to everybody in Reno that we took first.”
Emerald Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 271-310.
Alyssa Ferraro and Ashly GalanteFerraro and Galante have been friends and teammates for a long time, too, and they were on the same page as the strikes started to add up Monday at the Bowling Plaza.
They posted nearly matching totals for the first two games – Ferraro had started with 237 and 257, while Galante had 257 and 232 – but they showed their resilience during the final game as they worked through transition.
Galante finished with the final six strikes for a 228 finish and 717 series, while Ferraro rolled a strike to start her final frame, followed by a nine count and spare, to close with 189 for 683.
Denver’s Michelle Maly and Debbie McMullen previously held the lead with 1,387.
Both players made adjustments to their game plan after Sunday’s team event, where Ferraro had 633 and Galante posted 606.
“Yesterday, I felt like my shot execution was pretty good, but I had a hard time getting my ball through the pins properly or creating a controllable shape,” Galante said. “Today, my goal was to play a little straighter and roll it a little bit more with my (Hammer) Envy Tour to really try and control the pocket and get it to go through the pins better.”
A surface adjustment was key for Ferraro, who now has made headlines in back-to-back appearances at the Women’s Championships. She rolled a 300 game during singles at last year’s event in Reno.
“I went and added some surface to some of my bowling balls,” Ferraro said. “I knocked some shine off my (Ebonite) Crusher and played farther right than I did yesterday. I also put a little surface on my (Hammer) Special Effect, which is what I finished with in the third game. I think a little bit of grit made a big difference in the way we broke down the lanes and worked together to try and take the lead.”
Ferraro credited Galante’s strong finish as they faced transition at the Bowling Plaza.
“I knew it was crunch time, so I needed to make quick moves, but I felt I stayed in one ball for too long,” Ferraro said. “I didn’t make that change quick enough, which is why I slowed down, but Ashly stepped up for the both of us and started striking. She’s the reason we held onto the lead today.”
“It’s a team effort, and we work together,” Galante followed. “When one person is off, the other person holds them up. In this competition over the years, transition can happen and it does get tricky. A lot of times, it’s about getting the ball through the pins. It’s easy to want to stay with that and not change because you’re hitting the pocket, but we both used our fill shots to try other balls. She used the Special Effect, and mine was the Hammer Effect. When my Envy Tour started slowing down, I knew I had to make the adjustment, change to it and just execute the best shots I could.”
Both credited their sponsors and support systems as well in Monday’s performance, and they enjoyed getting to share the moment together.
“I’ve known Alyssa forever, so just being able to have her as a partner and for us to experience this together is amazing,” Galante said.
“We’ve been bowling together since we were teenagers,” Ferraro added. “We have that special connection and I think that’s why we always mesh up so well. The fact that we finally got to the top together after everything we’ve endured the last couple years is a phenomenal feeling. To share with one of my friends that I’ve known for so long – definitely a good goose bump feeling.”
Diamond Doubles includes pairs with combined entering averages of 351 and above.
Sterner Strong 1 (from left): Michelle Sterner, Valerie Bercier, Terysa Wojnar and Kristin McEnteeIn Diamond Team, the members of Sterner Strong 1 soared during their time at the Bowling Plaza, with games of 931, 939 and 893. Bowl Over Cancer Arizona of Cave Creek, Arizona, had started Monday in the lead with 2,686.
The team consisted of Kristin McEntee of Whiting, Indiana; Terysa Wojnar of New Lenox, Illinois; Michelle Sterner of Niagara Falls, New York; and Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan.
McEntee – a two-time winner at the Women’s Championships – led the team with an overall score of 745. In Game 1, she started strong with 258. She secured the first eight strikes in Game 2 to finish with an impressive 278. She wrapped up things in Game 3 with 209.
Wojnar – who won the Diamond Team title in 2016 at South Point alongside McEntee and Sterner – was next, finishing with a 703 series. Sterner – a three-time titlist – secured success with a 665 series, and Bercier – the 2019 PWBA Rookie of the Year – finalized the lead with a 650 series.
The team was pleased with the solid score they put up, but they were even more excited to get the news of taking the lead in a star-studded squad.
“I am overwhelmed,” Sterner said. “This is a pretty big squad, and I just wanted to execute well.”
In team competition, bowlers help one another to succeed and score high in the event. With the members of Sterner Strong 1, this was exactly what they planned for in working hard throughout the series.
“We’ve bowled together for awhile now, and we really bowl well together as a team,” Sterner said. “We talk to each other about shots, ball choices and just stay with each other to focus.”
They knew what they were capable of as a team coming in and wanted to execute to the best of their ability. Finishing off the event, the group is hopeful that their score stays at the top to the end. It would be an accomplishment showing that all their hard work has paid off.
“I’ve been bowling with them since 2016, and the first year we bowled, we won,” Sterner said. “So, I’m hoping that it holds.”
In 2016, Sterner, McEntee and Wojnar competed with Rocio Restrepo to win Diamond Team with a 2,656 total in Las Vegas.
Diamond Team consists of four-player groups with combined entering averages of 701 and above.
Josie BarnesBarnes – the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open champion – recorded the first 800 series of the 2025 tournament.
She scored impressive games of 279 and 247 before starting the final game with nine strikes to close with 279. She left a 10 pin on her first shot of the 10th frame in Game 3.
Barnes didn’t realize how close she was to the honor score; she found out after the event was finished. She was so focused on helping her team that it was not on her radar.
Her team – Candice’s Conquerors – finished the squad tied for third place in Diamond Team with 2,725.
“I feel really good, and I didn’t realize I even shot an 800,” Barnes said. “My team was bowling very well, so I was trying to pay attention because this squad was so stacked looking at the competition.”
Seeing teamwork pay off is enjoyable, because all the hard work that bowlers put in together means a lot. For Barnes’ group, they were a mix of her collegiate teammates and student-athletes from Vanderbilt University and some friends, too.
Barnes was a tremendous competitor for the Commadores, and she now serves as the associate head coach of the women’s bowling team.
“Half of my group are Vanderbilt alums, and the other half are friends that we invite in,” Barnes said. “Isabel (Allen) and Kaylee (Hitt) are recents grads from me, so I’ve spent the last year with Isabel and last four years with Kaylee coaching them. It was a different feeling competing with them. Being able to be alongside those teammates has just been a lot of fun!”
Now that the team event has finished, she’ll go into doubles and singles Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pacific. Keeping that momentum is important for her, but so is enjoying her time at the tournament.
“For me, it’s about having fun,” Barnes said. “This event is important to me because I do compete on tour. And while I do enjoy that, this has a different fun feeling and why I love bowling.”
Her mindset going into doubles and singles is to just keep bowling well, like she did Monday.
“Of course I want to bowl well tomorrow, and winning one of these events is on my bucket list,” Barnes said. “I’m just really excited to get to bowl another day with the group of 24 girls that we have here.”
The team event went very well for Barnes, and she had a ton of support along the way. Having this support is what makes that event a lot of fun for her at the Women’s Championships.
“The thing that is so cool about team events is that you have people back there who genuinely want you to bowl well,” Barnes said. “When individually shooting 300, some people give you high-fives, but no one really wants you to bowl that well. Being able to feel like people are genuinely excited for you and happy you bowled well feels good.”
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.