Hamilton top qualifier at 2014 USBC Queens
June 30, 2014
RENO, Nev. - Team USA's Brittni Hamilton of Wood Ridge, N.J., posted the highest set of the day at the National Bowling Stadium to maintain her lead and earn high qualifier honors at the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Queens presented by Storm.
The 24-year-old right-hander entered the final five games of qualifying Monday with a 49-pin advantage over the 178-player field and posted games of 204, 260, 190, 268 and 236 for a 1,158 third-round effort. She finished qualifying with a 15-game total of 3,484, a 232.27 average.
Tannya Roumimper of Indonesia sits in second place with 3,390, and Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, is third with 3,348.
"I just kept my swing loose all week and got in a groove early on," said Hamilton, who earned $800 for being the high qualifier. "I was able to keep that going all three days, which was awesome. The confidence is really high right now, but the pins drop tomorrow, and it's a whole new game. I'm going to take it one game at a time and see what happens."
The field this week featured competitors from 10 countries, and after 15 games of qualifying over three days, the top 32 competitors now advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket. Match play begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.
Defending USBC Queens champion Diana Zavjalova of Latvia finished qualifying with a 3,201 total, placing her in a tie for 17th place. She was guaranteed at least the No. 32 seed as last year's winner but was able to improve her seeding after averaging more than 213 at the NBS this week.
The final spot in the match-play bracket was determined in a one-game roll-off after Kerry Smith of Lititz, Pa., and Shayna Ng of Singapore each finished qualifying with 3,137. Ng defeated Smith, 214-182, and will face Hamilton in the first round of match play.
Match play will conclude Wednesday, and the final five players will advance to the stepladder finals, which will be televised live on ESPN2 on July 3 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The winner will take home the coveted tiara and $20,000 of the more than $91,000 prize fund, which includes a $20,000 contribution by presenting sponsor Storm.
All of the qualifying rounds and match play competition at the 2014 Queens are being broadcast live on BowlTV. The Queens is open to any female USBC member.
MILLER-MACKIE EARNS NO. 1 SEED AT 2014 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
USBC Hall of Famer Dana Miller-Mackie of Albuquerque, N.M., outlasted defending champion and fellow hall of famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., to earn the top seed heading into match play at the 2014 USBC Senior Queens presented by Storm.
Miller-Mackie paced the 56-player field through the 15 games of qualifying this week with a 3,249 pinfall total, a 216.6 average. It's a position she has been in before, but she knows that match play essentially is the start of a new tournament.
"I've been out here a long time, and I'm prepared for anything that can happen," said Miller-Mackie, who earned $500 as the high qualifier. "This is such a hard tournament to win because of the format, but I really enjoy it. It's fun to bowl in, and it's exciting to watch. I'm going to come back just as focused tomorrow and hopefully continue to throw the ball well."
Sandelin stepped up in her final frame needing a double and good count to stay ahead of Miller-Mackie, who bowled on the earlier squad, but she came up short. Sandelin settled into second place with a 3,243 total, while last year's runner-up, USBC Hall of Famer Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, is third with 3,220.
All 56 Senior Queens participants bowled 15 qualifying games over three days, vying for the chance to join Sandelin in the 16-player double-elimination match-play bracket. Penny Fentiman of Sweet Home, Ore., earned the final spot with a 2,961 total, a 197.4 average. Match play begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.
The final round of match play will take place Wednesday morning with four players advancing to the stepladder finals, which will be broadcast live on BowlTV on Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern.
The player who survives the bracket to win the event will take home $3,500 of the $21,000 prize fund, which includes a $5,000 contribution by presenting sponsor Storm.
The Senior Queens, open to all female USBC members age 50 and older, marks the second stop of the Senior Women's Triple Crown Series presented by The Orleans. The Triple Crown Series is a special competition for bowlers who compete in the Senior Queens, National Golden Ladies Classic and Bowling's U.S. Senior Women's Open.
The top 10 players in the Triple Crown standings, which combines qualifying totals from all three events, will take part in the Triple Crown Shoot-Out presented by The Orleans.
The Triple Crown Shoot-Out will be held after the U.S. Senior Women's Open qualifying rounds July 24 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill.
The 24-year-old right-hander entered the final five games of qualifying Monday with a 49-pin advantage over the 178-player field and posted games of 204, 260, 190, 268 and 236 for a 1,158 third-round effort. She finished qualifying with a 15-game total of 3,484, a 232.27 average.Tannya Roumimper of Indonesia sits in second place with 3,390, and Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, is third with 3,348.
"I just kept my swing loose all week and got in a groove early on," said Hamilton, who earned $800 for being the high qualifier. "I was able to keep that going all three days, which was awesome. The confidence is really high right now, but the pins drop tomorrow, and it's a whole new game. I'm going to take it one game at a time and see what happens."
The field this week featured competitors from 10 countries, and after 15 games of qualifying over three days, the top 32 competitors now advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket. Match play begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.
Defending USBC Queens champion Diana Zavjalova of Latvia finished qualifying with a 3,201 total, placing her in a tie for 17th place. She was guaranteed at least the No. 32 seed as last year's winner but was able to improve her seeding after averaging more than 213 at the NBS this week.
The final spot in the match-play bracket was determined in a one-game roll-off after Kerry Smith of Lititz, Pa., and Shayna Ng of Singapore each finished qualifying with 3,137. Ng defeated Smith, 214-182, and will face Hamilton in the first round of match play.
Match play will conclude Wednesday, and the final five players will advance to the stepladder finals, which will be televised live on ESPN2 on July 3 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The winner will take home the coveted tiara and $20,000 of the more than $91,000 prize fund, which includes a $20,000 contribution by presenting sponsor Storm.
All of the qualifying rounds and match play competition at the 2014 Queens are being broadcast live on BowlTV. The Queens is open to any female USBC member.
MILLER-MACKIE EARNS NO. 1 SEED AT 2014 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
USBC Hall of Famer Dana Miller-Mackie of Albuquerque, N.M., outlasted defending champion and fellow hall of famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., to earn the top seed heading into match play at the 2014 USBC Senior Queens presented by Storm.Miller-Mackie paced the 56-player field through the 15 games of qualifying this week with a 3,249 pinfall total, a 216.6 average. It's a position she has been in before, but she knows that match play essentially is the start of a new tournament.
"I've been out here a long time, and I'm prepared for anything that can happen," said Miller-Mackie, who earned $500 as the high qualifier. "This is such a hard tournament to win because of the format, but I really enjoy it. It's fun to bowl in, and it's exciting to watch. I'm going to come back just as focused tomorrow and hopefully continue to throw the ball well."
Sandelin stepped up in her final frame needing a double and good count to stay ahead of Miller-Mackie, who bowled on the earlier squad, but she came up short. Sandelin settled into second place with a 3,243 total, while last year's runner-up, USBC Hall of Famer Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, is third with 3,220.
All 56 Senior Queens participants bowled 15 qualifying games over three days, vying for the chance to join Sandelin in the 16-player double-elimination match-play bracket. Penny Fentiman of Sweet Home, Ore., earned the final spot with a 2,961 total, a 197.4 average. Match play begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.
The final round of match play will take place Wednesday morning with four players advancing to the stepladder finals, which will be broadcast live on BowlTV on Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern.
The player who survives the bracket to win the event will take home $3,500 of the $21,000 prize fund, which includes a $5,000 contribution by presenting sponsor Storm.
The Senior Queens, open to all female USBC members age 50 and older, marks the second stop of the Senior Women's Triple Crown Series presented by The Orleans. The Triple Crown Series is a special competition for bowlers who compete in the Senior Queens, National Golden Ladies Classic and Bowling's U.S. Senior Women's Open.
The top 10 players in the Triple Crown standings, which combines qualifying totals from all three events, will take part in the Triple Crown Shoot-Out presented by The Orleans.
The Triple Crown Shoot-Out will be held after the U.S. Senior Women's Open qualifying rounds July 24 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill.