Butturff's big day lifts Team USA men at 2019 Pan American Games in Peru
July 25, 2019
Standings
LIMA, Peru - Team USA's Jakob Butturff rolled the highest individual set during the opening round of doubles competition Thursday at the 2019 Pan American Games, and his record performance helped keep him and Nick Pate in medal contention halfway through the 12-game event.
Butturff posted a 1,516 six-game total at the Bowling Center of La Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA), a 252.7 average, which included games of 216, 270, 237, 235, 279 and 279. Pate added a 1,172 set for a 2,688 total. They are second overall.
"With it being doubles, we're completely focused on the team effort, and we're there to help each other," said Butturff, a 25-year-old left-hander and three-time Team USA member. "I bowled well today, and Nick had some struggles, which pretty much came in one game, but the important thing is that we're up there overall. I know he's very capable of putting together some strikes. Two days from now will be a new day and another chance to make a run."
Butturff's effort topped the previous Pan Am Games six-game record of 1,514, rolled by Canada's Dan MacLelland on the way to the doubles gold medal at the 2015 event in Toronto.
Puerto Rico's Cristian Azcona (1,470) and Jean Perez (1,449) also posted a record score Saturday as they pulled ahead of the 16-team field with a 2,919 total. They topped the previous record of 2,895, posted by MacLelland and Francois Lavoie in 2015.
The Puerto Ricans hold a 231-pin lead over Team USA and a 238-pin advantage over Mexico's Jose Llergo (1,347) and Arturo Quintero (1,334), who are third with 2,681. MacLelland and Lavoie are in Peru this week to defend their title and finished the day seventh with 2,615.
The second half of the doubles event will take place Saturday, following a day off to enjoy the official opening ceremony for the 2019 Pan Am Games. The Games are held every four years, and this year's event will feature approximately 6,700 athletes participating in 39 sports and 61 disciplines.
The gold, silver and bronze medalists in the doubles event will be determined by total pinfall over the 12 games.
Azcona said not starting too far left and knowing the right time to switch from urethane to a reactive resin ball were his keys to success, and he has no intentions of letting the break slow his team's momentum.
"We learned a lot from when we were here in April as far as the center and the things that worked and didn't work, and the fact that the pattern is similar really helped, with only some small changes needed," Azcona said. "Our mentality right now is taking it one day at a time and not treat it like a two-day event. Every day is a new day and new opportunity. For now, we're going to rest, hang out in the Athlete Village, eat some good food and make sure we're ready to do this thing one more time."
Pate, a 24-year-old right-hander, also is making his return to Lima and the bowling center where he made his Team USA debut in April during the 2019 Pan American Bowling Confederation Men's Championships.
At that event, Pate rolled one of the tournament's four perfect games and helped Team USA to the team gold medal with a record team total. Along with the medal, Pate and Team USA head coach Rod Ross gathered as much information as they could about the new venue, since they knew the Pan Am Games were on the horizon.
The 41-foot World Bowling Rome oil pattern bowlers are facing this week in Peru is a modified version of the pattern they competed on in April, so Pate knew some adjustments would be needed, but he still was confident returning to a venue where he's enjoyed some success.
Sometimes, though, things just go haywire, and it's OK to lean on a teammate.
"I felt like it was going to be a good day, and then I just struggled with some of the pairs," Pate said. "I bowled 125, but I don't feel like I threw it any differently. I had one missed spare and a bunch of splits. It was really frustrating, especially when you're watching your partner strike at will, and you can't do anything. I'm going to regroup, enjoy the day off and the opening ceremony and come back stronger than ever to chase down that gold."
Prior to leaving for Lima, Pate and Ross shared what they learned with Team USA's female representatives, Shannon O'Keefe and Stefanie Johnson, who both are right-handed, and needed to finalize their arsenals for the trip. The resourceful Butturff actually was able to benefit from the success Perez had at the PABCON event.
His fellow southpaw rolled one of the event's 300s on the way to a three-medal performance, and his equipment selection confirmed for Butturff that his own urethane-based arsenal likely would be effective on the fresh lane surface. Competitors only are allowed six bowling balls for each international tournament.
Heading into the second half of the Pan Am doubles event, Pate will use what he learned Thursday to get back on track. Late in the day, adjusting his angles and ball speed proved to be the right start.
"If I find myself in that situation again, I know I'll have options, but I'll also turn to our mental training from team camp," said Pate, a two-time Team USA member. "That'll get me in the right mindset to start striking, but not splitting also is important. My spare game has been pretty good, so I'd just hope that if I'm going to leave something, it will be makeable."
The 2019 Pan American Games will continue through Aug. 11. The bowling competition, featuring 16 men's countries and 16 women's countries, will conclude July 30.
Since bowling was added to the Pan American Games in 1991, Team USA has won 21 of a possible 32 gold medals and claimed 35 medals overall, 20 more than the next-closest country.
The week also includes singles, which will feature 12 games of qualifying over two days, before the field is cut to the top eight bowlers in each division for match play. The top four bowlers after match play will advance to the knockout-style semifinals.
LIMA, Peru - Team USA's Jakob Butturff rolled the highest individual set during the opening round of doubles competition Thursday at the 2019 Pan American Games, and his record performance helped keep him and Nick Pate in medal contention halfway through the 12-game event.
Butturff posted a 1,516 six-game total at the Bowling Center of La Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA), a 252.7 average, which included games of 216, 270, 237, 235, 279 and 279. Pate added a 1,172 set for a 2,688 total. They are second overall.
"With it being doubles, we're completely focused on the team effort, and we're there to help each other," said Butturff, a 25-year-old left-hander and three-time Team USA member. "I bowled well today, and Nick had some struggles, which pretty much came in one game, but the important thing is that we're up there overall. I know he's very capable of putting together some strikes. Two days from now will be a new day and another chance to make a run."
Butturff's effort topped the previous Pan Am Games six-game record of 1,514, rolled by Canada's Dan MacLelland on the way to the doubles gold medal at the 2015 event in Toronto.
Puerto Rico's Cristian Azcona (1,470) and Jean Perez (1,449) also posted a record score Saturday as they pulled ahead of the 16-team field with a 2,919 total. They topped the previous record of 2,895, posted by MacLelland and Francois Lavoie in 2015. The Puerto Ricans hold a 231-pin lead over Team USA and a 238-pin advantage over Mexico's Jose Llergo (1,347) and Arturo Quintero (1,334), who are third with 2,681. MacLelland and Lavoie are in Peru this week to defend their title and finished the day seventh with 2,615.
The second half of the doubles event will take place Saturday, following a day off to enjoy the official opening ceremony for the 2019 Pan Am Games. The Games are held every four years, and this year's event will feature approximately 6,700 athletes participating in 39 sports and 61 disciplines.
The gold, silver and bronze medalists in the doubles event will be determined by total pinfall over the 12 games.
Azcona said not starting too far left and knowing the right time to switch from urethane to a reactive resin ball were his keys to success, and he has no intentions of letting the break slow his team's momentum.
"We learned a lot from when we were here in April as far as the center and the things that worked and didn't work, and the fact that the pattern is similar really helped, with only some small changes needed," Azcona said. "Our mentality right now is taking it one day at a time and not treat it like a two-day event. Every day is a new day and new opportunity. For now, we're going to rest, hang out in the Athlete Village, eat some good food and make sure we're ready to do this thing one more time."
Pate, a 24-year-old right-hander, also is making his return to Lima and the bowling center where he made his Team USA debut in April during the 2019 Pan American Bowling Confederation Men's Championships.
At that event, Pate rolled one of the tournament's four perfect games and helped Team USA to the team gold medal with a record team total. Along with the medal, Pate and Team USA head coach Rod Ross gathered as much information as they could about the new venue, since they knew the Pan Am Games were on the horizon.
The 41-foot World Bowling Rome oil pattern bowlers are facing this week in Peru is a modified version of the pattern they competed on in April, so Pate knew some adjustments would be needed, but he still was confident returning to a venue where he's enjoyed some success.
Sometimes, though, things just go haywire, and it's OK to lean on a teammate.
"I felt like it was going to be a good day, and then I just struggled with some of the pairs," Pate said. "I bowled 125, but I don't feel like I threw it any differently. I had one missed spare and a bunch of splits. It was really frustrating, especially when you're watching your partner strike at will, and you can't do anything. I'm going to regroup, enjoy the day off and the opening ceremony and come back stronger than ever to chase down that gold."
Prior to leaving for Lima, Pate and Ross shared what they learned with Team USA's female representatives, Shannon O'Keefe and Stefanie Johnson, who both are right-handed, and needed to finalize their arsenals for the trip. The resourceful Butturff actually was able to benefit from the success Perez had at the PABCON event.
His fellow southpaw rolled one of the event's 300s on the way to a three-medal performance, and his equipment selection confirmed for Butturff that his own urethane-based arsenal likely would be effective on the fresh lane surface. Competitors only are allowed six bowling balls for each international tournament.
Heading into the second half of the Pan Am doubles event, Pate will use what he learned Thursday to get back on track. Late in the day, adjusting his angles and ball speed proved to be the right start.
"If I find myself in that situation again, I know I'll have options, but I'll also turn to our mental training from team camp," said Pate, a two-time Team USA member. "That'll get me in the right mindset to start striking, but not splitting also is important. My spare game has been pretty good, so I'd just hope that if I'm going to leave something, it will be makeable."
The 2019 Pan American Games will continue through Aug. 11. The bowling competition, featuring 16 men's countries and 16 women's countries, will conclude July 30.
Since bowling was added to the Pan American Games in 1991, Team USA has won 21 of a possible 32 gold medals and claimed 35 medals overall, 20 more than the next-closest country.
The week also includes singles, which will feature 12 games of qualifying over two days, before the field is cut to the top eight bowlers in each division for match play. The top four bowlers after match play will advance to the knockout-style semifinals.