Colombia rolls to gold in doubles at 2022 PANAM Bowling Women’s Championships

RESULTS AND INFORMATION

LIMA, Peru –
Colombia’s Juliana Franco and Maria José Rodriguez wanted to keep things simple during their doubles block Tuesday at the 2022 PANAM Bowling Women’s Championships, and the approach helped them capture the gold medal in convincing fashion.

Franco and Rodriguez were the only pair to average more than 200 at the Bowling Center of La Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA), finishing with a 2,525 total to collect the victory. Franco led the effort with a six-game total of 1,278, and Rodriguez added 1,247 to the winning tally.

Team USA’s Jordan Richard and Danielle McEwan earned the silver medal with a 2,344 total, and Puerto Rico’s Zorani Reyes and Estefania Cobo took bronze with 2,330.

The 2022 PANAM Women’s Championships consists of 11 countries from the Western Hemisphere competing in singles, doubles, trios and team competition. The top overall performers for 24 games (six in each event) also will be recognized with medals in all-events.

Tuesday’s action at VIDENA featured two separate squads, with competition being broadcast at FedePeruBowling.pe.

The one constant through the first two days of competition at the 2022 event has been the challenging 38-foot oil pattern keeping everyone guessing what’s next.

After averaging around 180 during singles Monday, both Franco and Rodriguez wanted to stay patient and not overreact when they encountered obstacles Tuesday. Each of them posted a game in the 170s during the block but responded with a big number in their next opportunity.

Franco rolled games of 223, 223, 174, 258, 192 and 208, while Rodriguez had 173, 212, 245, 248, 180 and 189.

“We learned it was going to be hard for everyone, so we kind of chilled and made it a little less stressful,” said Rodriguez, who collected a bronze medal in doubles with Franco at the 2016 PANAM Women’s Championships. “We knew bad games would happen and that pair to pair would be hard, so we tried to make things simple. We kept our angles a little more closed and were patient. I think we opened just as much as everyone else, but we managed to strike a little more. It’s always exciting to win, especially when the lanes are so hard.”

Franco and Rodriguez have shared a bond as teammates over the years, and they’ll look to lean on that experience and keep an open mind for the rest of the week in Lima, knowing the pattern will offer new challenges during trios and team competition.

“We have good chemistry and support each other,” said Franco, who joined Rodriguez in helping Colombia win the team gold medal at the 2016 event. “We’ll take it day by day. Tomorrow, there will be three people on each lane (six on each pair). We will bowl on more lanes, too, so it will be really different.”

Jordan Richard and Danielle McEwan at 2022 PANAM Bowling Women's ChampionshipsMcEwan and Richard were the top two athletes Monday at VIDENA, winning gold and silver in singles, respectively.

They’ll make a second appearance on the podium with their doubles performance, which was led Tuesday by Richard’s 1,253 total. McEwan finished with 1,091.

Richard nearly matched her singles set (1,252) after rolling games of 217, 202, 194, 179, 256 and 205.

Through two events at the 2022 PANAM Women’s Championships, the 26-year-old right-hander is the only athlete to post two blocks of 1,200 or higher and is averaging 208.75 for 12 games.

“I’ve taken different ways to get there,” said Richard, a five-time member of Team USA. “Today, I started a little bit farther left with a different ball. I felt like what I had yesterday was close, but I was trying to find something else. Once we got to the higher end of the house, (Team USA head coach) Bryan (O’Keefe) wanted me to try and move back to the right with a weaker ball. I jumped into my weakest ball and moved right and was able to play right up the track. You couldn’t give the pocket away, so at least I was getting nine. Yesterday, it felt like every time I missed, I left a washout. I was getting to the pocket consistently today and made a lot of spares.”

McEwan found some struggles along the way Tuesday after rolling 1,299 to win singles Monday. The 31-year-old right-hander noted the lanes might transition differently after singles, and she’s glad Richard was able to toss a couple strikes as she worked to find the right look.

“The lanes played very different today, and unfortunately for myself, it was very challenging trying to figure them out,” McEwan said. “Jordan had a really great look, so it gave me some breathing room and comfort knowing that she was going to go up there and make some good shots while I tried to figure it out and grind through it. She’s amazing.”

Team USA’s Bryanna Coté (1,153) and Lauren Pate (1,138) finished in fifth place with a 2,291 total, while Stephanie Zavala (1,189) and Breanna Clemmer (1,042) were eighth with 2,231.

Competition will resume Wednesday at 9 a.m. Central with trios, and the team event will take place Thursday and Friday (three games each day) to conclude the 2022 PANAM Women’s Championships. The medalists in singles, doubles and trios will be recognized Wednesday afternoon, and the final ceremony for team and all-events will be Friday after the final ball is rolled.

Venezuela’s Karen Marcano earned the bronze medal in singles and will join McEwan and Richard on the podium Wednesday.

Team USA is the defending champion in trios at the PANAM Women’s Championships. Coté, Julia Bond and Sydney Brummett collected the win at the 2021 event in Cali, Colombia, for the United States, while Clemmer, Pate and Gazmine Mason claimed the bronze medal at Bolera Departamental.