Josie Barnes wins 2025 USBC Queens for second career major
May 21, 2025
Final Results
LAS VEGAS – Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, won the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Queens over Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, 211-198, at Suncoast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Barnes knew she had her work cut out for her in the title match against 2024 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Sin, who was coming off two wins in the stepladder finals in search of her first tiara. A win for Sin meant she would achieve the Triple Crown of major titles (Queens, U.S. Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championship).
The title match began as disastrously as it could for Sin, opening three times in the first six frames and starting over 50 pins behind Barnes, who stayed clean and threw a turkey in frames two through five.
Sin found new life after an open by Barnes in the seventh before throwing two strikes to begin her comeback attempt. That attempt was essentially over before the 10th frame as Barnes doubled in frames eight and nine, needing only nine pins in the final frame to win, even as Sin didn’t miss to close out the match with 198.
A 10 pin, spare for Barnes sealed the deal, closing with a strike in the fill ball for 211 to earn her first Queens title, second major title and fifth overall title to become PWBA Hall of Fame eligible when she turns 50 years old. Sin earned $30,000 for her runner-up finish.
For Barnes, her confidence, not only this week but throughout the course of a PWBA Tour season, has only grown as she gets older and juggles many things in life, even if things don’t go how they plan.
“I’m pulled in a lot of different directions, bowling isn’t my only thing,” said Barnes. “I’m also a coach and a mom, and it can be really hard to juggle all of that. I think you become better giving yourself grace as you get older. I’ve done some things different in the offseason when it comes to weight training and things like that, but I’ve also found ways to give myself grace when I don’t get things done the way I want to and it allows me to move forward a little easier.”
As Barnes grinded through the Winners Bracket in match play, she kept herself focused on what was in front of her, knowing each win meant a better end result.
“For me, it was about really managing my shots, my frames and making sure I was taking advantage of the lanes that were in front of me,” said Barnes, who was battling wrist pain throughout the week. “The longer I stayed in the Winners Bracket, the better it was going to be. I tried to be smart and not get too emotional, up and down or frustrated and take what was in front of me.”
Grabbing the No. 1 seed wasn’t as crucial for Barnes, who has won PWBA events climbing the ladder like at the 2016 PWBA Rochester Open.
“To me, the one seed is interesting,” Barnes said, going on to explain that having to climbing the ladder meant she was able to get comfortable and see how the lanes transition. “There are challenges and benefits from each experience, and I tried to see what the girls were doing (on the TV pair), but at the end of the day, you want to be that one seed.
“You’ll take your chances and roll the dice at having to figure out what the lanes were doing in those four (practice) shots (before starting the title match).”
That chance paid off for Barnes, who won the title, the tiara and the $60,000 top prize in Las Vegas with her sister, Jessica Earnest, in attendance to see Josie win the major.
“My first (major) title, Jessica wasn’t able to be there, so it felt like a little piece was missing, this one feels really special,” said Barnes.
The stepladder finals started with a close match between Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan, and Colombia’s Clara Guerrero. Bercier started with the first five strikes to pull ahead, but an open let Guerrero take the lead and seal the match with a strike in the first ball of the 10th for 237. Bercier ended with 233 and $12,500 for fifth place.
Guerrero advanced to face Sin in what turned out to be the closest match of the evening. Despite an open to start the match for Sin, she clawed her way back and struck out the final five shots for 238 to Guerrero’s 236. Guerrero earned $17,500 for her fourth-place finish.
The semifinal match pitted Sin against fellow Malaysian teammate Nur Hazirah Ramli, who was making her debut in any professional event this week. Two opens by Sin in the first four frames put Ramli ahead, but once again, Sin never wavered. Sin threw the final seven strikes for 235 and Ramli was unable to match that, bowing out with 211 and $22,500 for third place.
All rounds of qualifying and match play leading up to the stepladder finals were aired live on BowlTV.
The PWBA Tour heads to Cleveland for the three-event PWBA Summer Series – Cleveland starting on May 27.
LAS VEGAS – Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, won the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Queens over Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, 211-198, at Suncoast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Barnes knew she had her work cut out for her in the title match against 2024 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Sin, who was coming off two wins in the stepladder finals in search of her first tiara. A win for Sin meant she would achieve the Triple Crown of major titles (Queens, U.S. Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championship).
The title match began as disastrously as it could for Sin, opening three times in the first six frames and starting over 50 pins behind Barnes, who stayed clean and threw a turkey in frames two through five.
Sin found new life after an open by Barnes in the seventh before throwing two strikes to begin her comeback attempt. That attempt was essentially over before the 10th frame as Barnes doubled in frames eight and nine, needing only nine pins in the final frame to win, even as Sin didn’t miss to close out the match with 198.
A 10 pin, spare for Barnes sealed the deal, closing with a strike in the fill ball for 211 to earn her first Queens title, second major title and fifth overall title to become PWBA Hall of Fame eligible when she turns 50 years old. Sin earned $30,000 for her runner-up finish.
For Barnes, her confidence, not only this week but throughout the course of a PWBA Tour season, has only grown as she gets older and juggles many things in life, even if things don’t go how they plan.
“I’m pulled in a lot of different directions, bowling isn’t my only thing,” said Barnes. “I’m also a coach and a mom, and it can be really hard to juggle all of that. I think you become better giving yourself grace as you get older. I’ve done some things different in the offseason when it comes to weight training and things like that, but I’ve also found ways to give myself grace when I don’t get things done the way I want to and it allows me to move forward a little easier.”
As Barnes grinded through the Winners Bracket in match play, she kept herself focused on what was in front of her, knowing each win meant a better end result.
“For me, it was about really managing my shots, my frames and making sure I was taking advantage of the lanes that were in front of me,” said Barnes, who was battling wrist pain throughout the week. “The longer I stayed in the Winners Bracket, the better it was going to be. I tried to be smart and not get too emotional, up and down or frustrated and take what was in front of me.”
Grabbing the No. 1 seed wasn’t as crucial for Barnes, who has won PWBA events climbing the ladder like at the 2016 PWBA Rochester Open.
“To me, the one seed is interesting,” Barnes said, going on to explain that having to climbing the ladder meant she was able to get comfortable and see how the lanes transition. “There are challenges and benefits from each experience, and I tried to see what the girls were doing (on the TV pair), but at the end of the day, you want to be that one seed.
“You’ll take your chances and roll the dice at having to figure out what the lanes were doing in those four (practice) shots (before starting the title match).”
That chance paid off for Barnes, who won the title, the tiara and the $60,000 top prize in Las Vegas with her sister, Jessica Earnest, in attendance to see Josie win the major.
“My first (major) title, Jessica wasn’t able to be there, so it felt like a little piece was missing, this one feels really special,” said Barnes.
The stepladder finals started with a close match between Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan, and Colombia’s Clara Guerrero. Bercier started with the first five strikes to pull ahead, but an open let Guerrero take the lead and seal the match with a strike in the first ball of the 10th for 237. Bercier ended with 233 and $12,500 for fifth place.
Guerrero advanced to face Sin in what turned out to be the closest match of the evening. Despite an open to start the match for Sin, she clawed her way back and struck out the final five shots for 238 to Guerrero’s 236. Guerrero earned $17,500 for her fourth-place finish.
The semifinal match pitted Sin against fellow Malaysian teammate Nur Hazirah Ramli, who was making her debut in any professional event this week. Two opens by Sin in the first four frames put Ramli ahead, but once again, Sin never wavered. Sin threw the final seven strikes for 235 and Ramli was unable to match that, bowing out with 211 and $22,500 for third place.
All rounds of qualifying and match play leading up to the stepladder finals were aired live on BowlTV.
The PWBA Tour heads to Cleveland for the three-event PWBA Summer Series – Cleveland starting on May 27.