Eight still undefeated in match play after Day 2 at 2024 USBC Senior Queens
April 15, 2024
BRACKETS
LAS VEGAS – Match play at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens began Sunday afternoon at Gold Coast Bowling Center and only 16 bowlers remain in the quest for the title, including eight who are undefeated.
Those eight undefeated players are Kathy Ledford of Boise, Idaho; Kimberly Power-DeFer of Hayward, California; defending champion Dana Ausec of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio; Jill Friis of Canada; Linda Walbaum of Brighton, Colorado; Crystal Shaw-Wesby of Pikeville, North Carolina; and Kristin McEntee of Homewood, Illinois.
In the Elimination Bracket, the eight still alive are Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado; Traci Ellison of The Colony, Texas; Sandi Charles of Nolanville, Texas; Raelyn Hazen of Roy, Utah; Shelley Zarick of Sun City West, Arizona; Anette Fineiss of Germany; Karen Barcal of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado.
Before match play began, there was one last round of qualifying and Power-DeFer had the highest five-game total for the round as she knocked down 1,105 pins in Round 3 of qualifying and had an overall total of 3,141 to be the No. 8 seed heading into the bracket. Powers was the overall leader with a 3,215 total for 15 games.
Once match play started, Power-DeFer continued her excellent bowling, shooting 684 and 670 in the three-game pinfall matches to win and stay in the hunt for her first Senior Queens title. Through 21 total games bowled, she is averaging just over 214 in her best Senior Queens appearance to date.
“I’ve never led a round or been undefeated through the first day of match play, so this is all new to me this year,” said Power-DeFer. “In the past I’ve done okay in the tournament and made the bracket, but never this well.”
Power-DeFer is one of only a handful of players to have thrown a 300 at the Senior Queens, rolling hers in 2018 during match play against Robin Romeo in the Elimination Bracket, a match that Power-DeFer actually lost 725-747.
Since then, Power-DeFer has continued to put in the work to better her game and now sits just two wins away from making the stepladder finals.
“It would be utterly amazing to leave with a win here,” said Power-Defer. "I’ve been knocked out of the tournament by some great bowlers, and I’m hoping this time I can knock one or two out to get to the end.”
Power-DeFer will have to beat Ledford Monday at noon Eastern if she wants to stay undefeated. Ledford just barely made it into the match-play bracket as the No. 32 seed.
It’s been a little bit of déjà vu for Ledford, as last year she was matched against Powers and prevailed, before shooting 701 in her next match against Woessner, including a 297.
This year, her first match was against Powers, where she narrowly upset the No. 1 seed 625-601, before proceeding to shoot 667 in her second match where she ended with a 299.
Funny how things work out like that.
Ledford hopes to have better results this year, since in the 2023 edition of the tournament after going 2-0, she lost two straight matches to be eliminated.
“I just want to keep the focus on my follow-through and stay behind the ball, that’s really helped me carry the corners more,” said Ledford.
The remaining 16 bowlers will return at noon Eastern to continue match play and the stepladder finals for the final five competitors is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Monday.
For more information on the Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
LAS VEGAS – Match play at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens began Sunday afternoon at Gold Coast Bowling Center and only 16 bowlers remain in the quest for the title, including eight who are undefeated.
Those eight undefeated players are Kathy Ledford of Boise, Idaho; Kimberly Power-DeFer of Hayward, California; defending champion Dana Ausec of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio; Jill Friis of Canada; Linda Walbaum of Brighton, Colorado; Crystal Shaw-Wesby of Pikeville, North Carolina; and Kristin McEntee of Homewood, Illinois.
In the Elimination Bracket, the eight still alive are Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado; Traci Ellison of The Colony, Texas; Sandi Charles of Nolanville, Texas; Raelyn Hazen of Roy, Utah; Shelley Zarick of Sun City West, Arizona; Anette Fineiss of Germany; Karen Barcal of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado.
Before match play began, there was one last round of qualifying and Power-DeFer had the highest five-game total for the round as she knocked down 1,105 pins in Round 3 of qualifying and had an overall total of 3,141 to be the No. 8 seed heading into the bracket. Powers was the overall leader with a 3,215 total for 15 games.
Once match play started, Power-DeFer continued her excellent bowling, shooting 684 and 670 in the three-game pinfall matches to win and stay in the hunt for her first Senior Queens title. Through 21 total games bowled, she is averaging just over 214 in her best Senior Queens appearance to date.
“I’ve never led a round or been undefeated through the first day of match play, so this is all new to me this year,” said Power-DeFer. “In the past I’ve done okay in the tournament and made the bracket, but never this well.”
Power-DeFer is one of only a handful of players to have thrown a 300 at the Senior Queens, rolling hers in 2018 during match play against Robin Romeo in the Elimination Bracket, a match that Power-DeFer actually lost 725-747.
Since then, Power-DeFer has continued to put in the work to better her game and now sits just two wins away from making the stepladder finals.
“It would be utterly amazing to leave with a win here,” said Power-Defer. "I’ve been knocked out of the tournament by some great bowlers, and I’m hoping this time I can knock one or two out to get to the end.”
Power-DeFer will have to beat Ledford Monday at noon Eastern if she wants to stay undefeated. Ledford just barely made it into the match-play bracket as the No. 32 seed.
It’s been a little bit of déjà vu for Ledford, as last year she was matched against Powers and prevailed, before shooting 701 in her next match against Woessner, including a 297.
This year, her first match was against Powers, where she narrowly upset the No. 1 seed 625-601, before proceeding to shoot 667 in her second match where she ended with a 299.
Funny how things work out like that.
Ledford hopes to have better results this year, since in the 2023 edition of the tournament after going 2-0, she lost two straight matches to be eliminated.
“I just want to keep the focus on my follow-through and stay behind the ball, that’s really helped me carry the corners more,” said Ledford.
The remaining 16 bowlers will return at noon Eastern to continue match play and the stepladder finals for the final five competitors is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Monday.
For more information on the Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.