RENO, Nev. – Great things come in twos, and a great pair of teammates were the perfect duo to take the lead in Ruby Doubles at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships.

Melinda Walters of Sunrise, Florida, and Mary DeStasio of Coconut Creek, Florida, complimented each other well on the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium, posting nearly identical totals, to take the lead with a 1,328 score.

Jaynee Peel and Erin VanEvera-Welch of Midland, Texas, previously held the lead in Ruby Doubles with 1,298.

Walters looked very cool headed and consistent throughout her series, and she fired off a solid score of 244 in Game 1. She followed that up with a score of 204 in Game 2, and she finished off Game 3 by rolling a score of 214 for a fantastic series of 662.

DeStasio led the way with a great series of 666, which featured games of 225, 225 and 216.

“We were just focusing on bowling the best we could this weekend throughout this tournament,” DeStasio said.

The pair looked very consistent as they made their way to the lead in Game 3, and they were in sync throughout their set.

“We came in with that mentality of just doing our best and focusing specifically on ourselves,” DeStasio said. “It was just all about helping each other and making sure we’re there to support each other throughout our doubles games.”

Taking the lead in Ruby Doubles meant a lot to both Walters and DeStasio.

“It means a lot,” DeStasio said. “I have been bowling for a while now, and we’ve come to a lot of these great events. This is only my second time participating in the Women’s Championships, and I have really enjoyed myself.”

Ruby Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 311-350.

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