Finalists set at 2026 USBC Senior Championships in Green Bay
August 07, 2026
FULL RESULTS
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Qualifying concluded Thursday at Green Bay’s Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, trimming a massive field of nearly 400 competitors down to the final 72 title contenders at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Championships.
The top six bowlers across two divisions – Open and Women’s – in six age-based classifications – 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and older, have advanced to Friday’s championship rounds. The national event features men’s and women’s bowlers age 50 and older who qualified through either a state or province (Canada) senior tournament.
Qualifying scores will not be carried over to the championship rounds, but bonus pins will be awarded to each player based on his or her qualifying position. The top qualifier in the division will receive 50 bonus pins, while the second seed will receive 40. Bonus pins will decrease by 10 pins for each spot, with the sixth qualifier receiving zero bonus pins.
The championship rounds, which are set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern on Friday, will feature three games, and the bowlers authoring the highest totals, including handicap and bonus pins, will earn titles.
Below are the top six in each classification that have advanced to the championship rounds:
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
50-54:
L’Ree Hebert of New Iberia, Louisiana, was the division’s qualifying leader after posting a two-day, six-game total of 1,457, which included 1,235 scratch and 222 pins of handicap.
Round 1 co-leader Karena Miller of Eden, South Dakota, finished second with a mark of 1,416 (1,008 scratch; 408 handicap), while Alma Bossaer of Attica, Indiana, was third at 1,382.
The last three advancing spots in the division went to Jessie Pierson of Kingman, Arizona (1,363), Lanette Compton of Stillwater, Oklahoma (1,346), and Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado (1,346).
55-59:
Terry Slingerland of Colchester, Vermont, moved up from second place on Day 1 to the top of the division standings at the end of qualifying on Thursday. Slingerland claimed the top spot thanks to a two-day total of 1,385 (1,073 scratch; 312 handicap).
Katherine Ng of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada (1,379), and opening-day leader Teresa Huddleston of Moro, Arkansas (1,378), landed in second and third place, respectively.
Victoria Kinsey of Jay, Maine, was fourth at 1,374 (924 scratch; 450 handicap), while Lynn Zagorski of Lancaster, New York, qualified fifth with 1,344.
The final advancing spot in the division went to Donna Tilleman of Havre, Montana, who qualified sixth with a six-game total of 1,343 (911 scratch; 432 handicap).
60-64:
The division’s qualifying lead was captured by Kim Glankler of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who reached the top spot thanks to a six-game total of 1,465, which included 1,297 scratch and 168 pins of handicap.
Sally Hill of St. Louis used 1,171 scratch and 198 pins of handicap to settle into second place with 1,369.
Third place went to Vicki Mader of Crawford, Nebraska, who came in at 1,341 (885 scratch; 456 handicap), which left fourth place for Jennifer Aguilera of Midwest City, Oklahoma (1,338).
The last two finalist spots in the division went to Alethia Donathan of Mililani, Hawaii, and Kathy Howes of Denver who finished with totals of 1,337 and 1,320, respectively.
65-69:
Cindy Schell of Valentine, Nebraska, finished atop the division standings for the second day in a row and earned qualifying leader status courtesy of a two-day, six-game total of 1,495, which included 1,159 scratch and 336 pins of handicap.
Mary Jo Henk of Monument, Colorado, was Schell’s closest pursuer for the second consecutive round. Henk qualified for the finals in second place with 1,359 (1,059 scratch; 300 handicap).
Cathy Wild of Reeds Spring, Missouri, placed third at 1,333 (985 scratch; 348 handicap), while Karen Campbell of Ronceverte, West Virginia (1,323) and Janet Greenwood of Trumbull, Connecticut (1,322) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The sixth and final advancing spot in the division went to Kathy Pasternak of Halethorpe, Maryland, who reached the finals thanks to a six-game mark of 1,315 (967 scratch; 348 handicap).
70-74:
Top qualifier honors in this division went to Charlotte Winklepleck of Strasburg, Colorado, who used 1,053 scratch and 426 pins of handicap to post a six-game total of 1,479, which was good enough for first place among 37 competitors in the Women’s 70-74 field.
Cindy Pate of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Mandie Theus of Missouri City, Texas, were next in line, coming in with respective totals of 1,409 and 1,388.
Spots four through six in the finals were collected by Vickie Leiker of Ness City, Kansas (1,383), Ruth Messner of Ogallala, Nebraska (1,331), and Elizabeth Kopp of Columbiaville, Michigan (1,328).
75 and older:
Bernie Heidrich of Bismarck, North Dakota, put her name atop the division standings and secured the title of qualifying leader thanks to a six-game mark of 1,424, which included 1,052 scratch and 372 pins of handicap.
Carole Preszler of Lemmon, South Dakota, and Joyce Wheatley of Crofton, Maryland, were next in line, taking second and third place, respectively. Preszler earned qualifying runner-up status thanks to a two-day, six-game total of 1,380 (954 scratch; 426 handicap), while Boyd posted a third-place total of 1,339 (1,063 scratch; 276 handicap).
Fourth place went to Janet Steiner of Buena Vista, Colorado, who finished qualifying with 1,336 (994 scratch; 342 handicap).
Spots five and six were earned by Susan Axtell of Eagle River, Alaska (1,333), and Patricia Leroux of Doniphan, Missouri (1,319).
OPEN DIVISION:
50-54:
Rickie Banister of Peyton, Colorado, retained the top spot in the division standings, finishing qualifying with a two-day scratch total of 1,533 – Banister gets no handicap.
Jonathan Axness of Williston, North Dakota, placed second at 1,469 (1,397 scratch; 72 handicap).
Neil Gaspard of Lafayette, Louisiana, qualified third at 1,444, which was 43 pins better than the 1,401 fourth-place total authored by George Barnes III of Claremore, Oklahoma.
Also advancing to the finals were Oliver Marasigan of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1,400), and Michael Palser of Julesburg, Colorado (1,378).
55-59:
The top two qualifying spots in the division went to James Romeo of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and first-round leader Roy Vann Esselstine of Howard, Colorado.
Romeo captured the top spot with a six-game total of 1,418 (1,172 scratch; 246 handicap), and Vann Esselstine settled into second place with 1,406.
Paul Zettlmeier of Fowler, Indiana, and Robert Leroux of Rangeley, Maine, tied for fourth place with matching qualifying totals of 1,392.
Timothy Ritter of Rising Sun, Maryland, grabbed the sixth and final spot in the finals in the division, ending qualifying with a two-day, six-game mark of 1,381 (823 scratch; 558 handicap).
60-64:
Mathew Stegeman of Ogallala, Nebraska, reached the top of the division standings and finished as qualifying leader with a two-day total of 1,455 (1,167 scratch; 288 handicap).
Ken Reagan of Tell City, Indiana, was close behind, settling into second place with 1,440, which included 1,368 scratch and 72 pins of handicap.
Third and fourth went to Daren Breedlove of Harrison, Arkansas, and Day 1 leader Barry Slater of Locust, North Carolina, who ended qualifying with scratch totals of 1,419 and 1,405, respectively – Neither athlete receives handicap at this year’s tournament.
The division’s final advancers were Craig Riker of Fabius, New York (1,402), and Keith Kraatz of Macomb, Michigan (1,382).
65-69:
Steve Butler of Fowler, Indiana, finished as the division’s qualifying leader for the second straight day. Butler earned that position thanks to a two-day, six-game total of 1,492.
Second place went to Steven Bush of Marietta, Oklahoma, who ended qualifying with a mark of 1,442 (1,220 scratch; 222 handicap).
There was a tie for third as Henry Metz of Kingwood, West Virginia, and Michael Brown of Hooksett, New Hampshire finished qualifying with matching six-game totals of 1,406.
The last two spots in the finals went to Gene Craig of Monroe, North Carolina (1,395), and Connie Atcitty of Shiprock, New Mexico (1,393), who finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
70-74:
David Long of Durham, North Carolina, finished atop the standings with a six-game mark of 1,462. He got there thanks to 1,096 scratch and 366 pins of handicap.
Opening-round leader Clifton Southam of Vernal, Utah, finished qualifying in second place at 1,391 (923 scratch; 468 handicap).
Chris Armen of Easthampton, Massachusetts, landed in third with 1,389 (1,041 scratch; 348 handicap).
Also advancing to Friday’s finals were Michael Domicolo of Oswego, New York (1,388), John Hill of Chanhassen, Minnesota (1,341), and Lealand “Jack” Knight of West Monroe, Louisiana (1,328).
75 and older:
George Gambee of Welches, Oregon, took the overall lead in this classification, finishing with a two-day, six-game total of 1,402, which included 1,030 scratch and 372 pins of handicap.
Ken Eby of East Peoria, Illinois, was second at 1,384 (1,198 scratch; 186 handicap), and John Frei of Kentwood, Michigan, placed third with 1,339 (1,123 scratch; 216 handicap).
The final three advancing positions in the division went to opening-round leader Dave Halte of Alda, Nebraska; Robert Usagawa of Hilo, Hawaii; and Larry Hayes of Hendersonville, North Carolina, who finished qualifying with 1,330, 1,330 and 1,326, respectively.
CLICK HERE for more information on the USBC Senior Championships.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Qualifying concluded Thursday at Green Bay’s Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, trimming a massive field of nearly 400 competitors down to the final 72 title contenders at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Championships.
The top six bowlers across two divisions – Open and Women’s – in six age-based classifications – 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and older, have advanced to Friday’s championship rounds. The national event features men’s and women’s bowlers age 50 and older who qualified through either a state or province (Canada) senior tournament.
Qualifying scores will not be carried over to the championship rounds, but bonus pins will be awarded to each player based on his or her qualifying position. The top qualifier in the division will receive 50 bonus pins, while the second seed will receive 40. Bonus pins will decrease by 10 pins for each spot, with the sixth qualifier receiving zero bonus pins.
The championship rounds, which are set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern on Friday, will feature three games, and the bowlers authoring the highest totals, including handicap and bonus pins, will earn titles.
Below are the top six in each classification that have advanced to the championship rounds:
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
50-54:
L’Ree Hebert of New Iberia, Louisiana, was the division’s qualifying leader after posting a two-day, six-game total of 1,457, which included 1,235 scratch and 222 pins of handicap.
Round 1 co-leader Karena Miller of Eden, South Dakota, finished second with a mark of 1,416 (1,008 scratch; 408 handicap), while Alma Bossaer of Attica, Indiana, was third at 1,382.
The last three advancing spots in the division went to Jessie Pierson of Kingman, Arizona (1,363), Lanette Compton of Stillwater, Oklahoma (1,346), and Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado (1,346).
55-59:
Terry Slingerland of Colchester, Vermont, moved up from second place on Day 1 to the top of the division standings at the end of qualifying on Thursday. Slingerland claimed the top spot thanks to a two-day total of 1,385 (1,073 scratch; 312 handicap).
Katherine Ng of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada (1,379), and opening-day leader Teresa Huddleston of Moro, Arkansas (1,378), landed in second and third place, respectively.
Victoria Kinsey of Jay, Maine, was fourth at 1,374 (924 scratch; 450 handicap), while Lynn Zagorski of Lancaster, New York, qualified fifth with 1,344.
The final advancing spot in the division went to Donna Tilleman of Havre, Montana, who qualified sixth with a six-game total of 1,343 (911 scratch; 432 handicap).
60-64:
The division’s qualifying lead was captured by Kim Glankler of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who reached the top spot thanks to a six-game total of 1,465, which included 1,297 scratch and 168 pins of handicap.
Sally Hill of St. Louis used 1,171 scratch and 198 pins of handicap to settle into second place with 1,369.
Third place went to Vicki Mader of Crawford, Nebraska, who came in at 1,341 (885 scratch; 456 handicap), which left fourth place for Jennifer Aguilera of Midwest City, Oklahoma (1,338).
The last two finalist spots in the division went to Alethia Donathan of Mililani, Hawaii, and Kathy Howes of Denver who finished with totals of 1,337 and 1,320, respectively.
65-69:
Cindy Schell of Valentine, Nebraska, finished atop the division standings for the second day in a row and earned qualifying leader status courtesy of a two-day, six-game total of 1,495, which included 1,159 scratch and 336 pins of handicap.
Mary Jo Henk of Monument, Colorado, was Schell’s closest pursuer for the second consecutive round. Henk qualified for the finals in second place with 1,359 (1,059 scratch; 300 handicap).
Cathy Wild of Reeds Spring, Missouri, placed third at 1,333 (985 scratch; 348 handicap), while Karen Campbell of Ronceverte, West Virginia (1,323) and Janet Greenwood of Trumbull, Connecticut (1,322) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The sixth and final advancing spot in the division went to Kathy Pasternak of Halethorpe, Maryland, who reached the finals thanks to a six-game mark of 1,315 (967 scratch; 348 handicap).
70-74:
Top qualifier honors in this division went to Charlotte Winklepleck of Strasburg, Colorado, who used 1,053 scratch and 426 pins of handicap to post a six-game total of 1,479, which was good enough for first place among 37 competitors in the Women’s 70-74 field.
Cindy Pate of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Mandie Theus of Missouri City, Texas, were next in line, coming in with respective totals of 1,409 and 1,388.
Spots four through six in the finals were collected by Vickie Leiker of Ness City, Kansas (1,383), Ruth Messner of Ogallala, Nebraska (1,331), and Elizabeth Kopp of Columbiaville, Michigan (1,328).
75 and older:
Bernie Heidrich of Bismarck, North Dakota, put her name atop the division standings and secured the title of qualifying leader thanks to a six-game mark of 1,424, which included 1,052 scratch and 372 pins of handicap.
Carole Preszler of Lemmon, South Dakota, and Joyce Wheatley of Crofton, Maryland, were next in line, taking second and third place, respectively. Preszler earned qualifying runner-up status thanks to a two-day, six-game total of 1,380 (954 scratch; 426 handicap), while Boyd posted a third-place total of 1,339 (1,063 scratch; 276 handicap).
Fourth place went to Janet Steiner of Buena Vista, Colorado, who finished qualifying with 1,336 (994 scratch; 342 handicap).
Spots five and six were earned by Susan Axtell of Eagle River, Alaska (1,333), and Patricia Leroux of Doniphan, Missouri (1,319).
OPEN DIVISION:
50-54:
Rickie Banister of Peyton, Colorado, retained the top spot in the division standings, finishing qualifying with a two-day scratch total of 1,533 – Banister gets no handicap.
Jonathan Axness of Williston, North Dakota, placed second at 1,469 (1,397 scratch; 72 handicap).
Neil Gaspard of Lafayette, Louisiana, qualified third at 1,444, which was 43 pins better than the 1,401 fourth-place total authored by George Barnes III of Claremore, Oklahoma.
Also advancing to the finals were Oliver Marasigan of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1,400), and Michael Palser of Julesburg, Colorado (1,378).
55-59:
The top two qualifying spots in the division went to James Romeo of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and first-round leader Roy Vann Esselstine of Howard, Colorado.
Romeo captured the top spot with a six-game total of 1,418 (1,172 scratch; 246 handicap), and Vann Esselstine settled into second place with 1,406.
Paul Zettlmeier of Fowler, Indiana, and Robert Leroux of Rangeley, Maine, tied for fourth place with matching qualifying totals of 1,392.
Timothy Ritter of Rising Sun, Maryland, grabbed the sixth and final spot in the finals in the division, ending qualifying with a two-day, six-game mark of 1,381 (823 scratch; 558 handicap).
60-64:
Mathew Stegeman of Ogallala, Nebraska, reached the top of the division standings and finished as qualifying leader with a two-day total of 1,455 (1,167 scratch; 288 handicap).
Ken Reagan of Tell City, Indiana, was close behind, settling into second place with 1,440, which included 1,368 scratch and 72 pins of handicap.
Third and fourth went to Daren Breedlove of Harrison, Arkansas, and Day 1 leader Barry Slater of Locust, North Carolina, who ended qualifying with scratch totals of 1,419 and 1,405, respectively – Neither athlete receives handicap at this year’s tournament.
The division’s final advancers were Craig Riker of Fabius, New York (1,402), and Keith Kraatz of Macomb, Michigan (1,382).
65-69:
Steve Butler of Fowler, Indiana, finished as the division’s qualifying leader for the second straight day. Butler earned that position thanks to a two-day, six-game total of 1,492.
Second place went to Steven Bush of Marietta, Oklahoma, who ended qualifying with a mark of 1,442 (1,220 scratch; 222 handicap).
There was a tie for third as Henry Metz of Kingwood, West Virginia, and Michael Brown of Hooksett, New Hampshire finished qualifying with matching six-game totals of 1,406.
The last two spots in the finals went to Gene Craig of Monroe, North Carolina (1,395), and Connie Atcitty of Shiprock, New Mexico (1,393), who finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
70-74:
David Long of Durham, North Carolina, finished atop the standings with a six-game mark of 1,462. He got there thanks to 1,096 scratch and 366 pins of handicap.
Opening-round leader Clifton Southam of Vernal, Utah, finished qualifying in second place at 1,391 (923 scratch; 468 handicap).
Chris Armen of Easthampton, Massachusetts, landed in third with 1,389 (1,041 scratch; 348 handicap).
Also advancing to Friday’s finals were Michael Domicolo of Oswego, New York (1,388), John Hill of Chanhassen, Minnesota (1,341), and Lealand “Jack” Knight of West Monroe, Louisiana (1,328).
75 and older:
George Gambee of Welches, Oregon, took the overall lead in this classification, finishing with a two-day, six-game total of 1,402, which included 1,030 scratch and 372 pins of handicap.
Ken Eby of East Peoria, Illinois, was second at 1,384 (1,198 scratch; 186 handicap), and John Frei of Kentwood, Michigan, placed third with 1,339 (1,123 scratch; 216 handicap).
The final three advancing positions in the division went to opening-round leader Dave Halte of Alda, Nebraska; Robert Usagawa of Hilo, Hawaii; and Larry Hayes of Hendersonville, North Carolina, who finished qualifying with 1,330, 1,330 and 1,326, respectively.
CLICK HERE for more information on the USBC Senior Championships.