Michelle Feldman sets the record in singles
March 09, 2010
Michelle Feldman has been a dominating force in women's bowling for more than a decade. She showed at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships that a true champion can prevail despite early struggles.
Feldman, of Auburn, N.Y., finished her 2009 event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., in record-breaking fashion to capture the Classic Singles title. With games of 279, 249 and 288, she finished with an 816 series, the highest series in the 90-year history of the Women's Championships.
In breaking the tournament record set by Kendra Cameron of Sebring, Fla., who rolled 812 at the 2000 event also held in Reno, Feldman became just the fourth bowler in tournament history to reach the 800 mark.
With such a performance in singles, one would imagine the 33-year-old right-hander had control of the lanes throughout the entire competition. Feldman, however, admittedly struggled through the team and doubles competition leading into her historic run in singles.
"I really didn't match up well," Feldman said. "Every pair seems to play different at the Stadium, and I just couldn't find anything."
Feldman shot 565 in team and 533 in doubles, but the 12-time Professional Women's Bowlers Association champion and 2002 PWBA Player of the Year knew she was capable of a better performance. A switch in pairs helped bolster her confidence.
"When we switched pairs, it was night and day," she said. "I could miss right or left and still strike. It was strange to have such a good look out of nowhere, but it was strange in a good way."
The change in pairs led to a 29-strike performance during singles, which included a string of 17 in a row through her second and third game.
With the 2009 Classic Singles title, Feldman now has four Women's Championships titles to her credit. She also was a member of the 1998 Classic Team champion, and took home the Classic Singles and All-Events titles at the 2003 event.
"I really can't explain how it feels to be a part of history at this tournament," Feldman said. "There are so many good women bowlers across the country and world that have competed at the Women's Championships, so it's a great accomplishment."
Feldman's run on the NBS lanes wasn't quite finished as the Women's Championships took a break for the USBC Queens. She managed to stay near the top of the leader board the entire week of the Queens and made it to the televised final before finishing third.
But Feldman wasn't the only bowler to shoot high in 2009. Robin Romeo of Newhall, Calif., put up near-record scores to claim the Classic All-Events title with a 2,172 total.
Two days before Feldman's record score, Romeo rolled an 805 series in team followed by a 689 in doubles and 678 in singles to post the second-highest all-events score in tournament history. Leanne Barrette of Elk Grove, Calif., set the mark with 2,231 in 2005.
A USBC Hall of Famer who owns 17 PWBA titles, Romeo's 805 effort, at the time, was the third 800 in Women's Championships history. The Classic All-Events title was Romeo's fourth Women's Championships title; she won the 1986 Classic All-Events, 1987 Classic Doubles and 2001 Classic Team crowns.
"It's really exciting to win a title at this stage of my career," Romeo said. "The scores were pretty high this year, so I was a bit worried to see if I would hold on. I feel that winning all-events is the toughest since you have to bowl well in every event, so I'm honored."
The Classic Team championship found itself in familiar hands as Together Once Again of Keller, Texas, won its second Classic Team title in the past four years.
Led by 2009 USBC U.S. Women's Open champion Tammy Boomershine's 732 series, the 3,322 team total by Together Once Again was the third-highest in tournament history. The same team set the record (3,350) in 2006.
Joining Boomershine was Andrea Fleming (689), Cathy Dorin-Lizzi (663), USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (631) and two-time Queens champion Lynda Barnes (607).
"We are pretty excited about it," said Dorin-Ballard, who now owns five Women's Championships titles. "We've been bowling together for so long now and have so much fun, but winning makes it that much better."
Clara Guerrero of Austin, Texas, and Jenifer Larson of Tupper Lake, N.Y., were the only first-time champions in the Classic division. They won Classic Doubles with a combined score of 1,404.
Guerrero, a PBA Women's Series competitor and standout on the Colombian national women's team, led the pair with 728; Larson added 676.
"2009 was a really good year for me, and winning this title made it that much better," said Guerrero, who won gold medals in all-events and Masters competition at the 2009 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships in Las Vegas. "I have been really lucky to be part of such a good team and to have a great doubles partner in Jenifer the last two years."
Larson, the owner of Lakeview Lanes, had a solid overall performance in 2009 as she finished third in Classic Team, sixth in Classic Singles and eighth in Classic All-Events. She also had a 297 game during her singles competition.
"It was a great win for Clara and me," Larson said. "Since bowling is my life in a different sense now, I don't get on the lanes as much as I used to. So to bowl against the best women in the world and end up with the title is a great feeling."
Feldman, of Auburn, N.Y., finished her 2009 event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., in record-breaking fashion to capture the Classic Singles title. With games of 279, 249 and 288, she finished with an 816 series, the highest series in the 90-year history of the Women's Championships.
In breaking the tournament record set by Kendra Cameron of Sebring, Fla., who rolled 812 at the 2000 event also held in Reno, Feldman became just the fourth bowler in tournament history to reach the 800 mark.
With such a performance in singles, one would imagine the 33-year-old right-hander had control of the lanes throughout the entire competition. Feldman, however, admittedly struggled through the team and doubles competition leading into her historic run in singles.
"I really didn't match up well," Feldman said. "Every pair seems to play different at the Stadium, and I just couldn't find anything."
Feldman shot 565 in team and 533 in doubles, but the 12-time Professional Women's Bowlers Association champion and 2002 PWBA Player of the Year knew she was capable of a better performance. A switch in pairs helped bolster her confidence.
"When we switched pairs, it was night and day," she said. "I could miss right or left and still strike. It was strange to have such a good look out of nowhere, but it was strange in a good way."
The change in pairs led to a 29-strike performance during singles, which included a string of 17 in a row through her second and third game.
With the 2009 Classic Singles title, Feldman now has four Women's Championships titles to her credit. She also was a member of the 1998 Classic Team champion, and took home the Classic Singles and All-Events titles at the 2003 event.
"I really can't explain how it feels to be a part of history at this tournament," Feldman said. "There are so many good women bowlers across the country and world that have competed at the Women's Championships, so it's a great accomplishment."
Feldman's run on the NBS lanes wasn't quite finished as the Women's Championships took a break for the USBC Queens. She managed to stay near the top of the leader board the entire week of the Queens and made it to the televised final before finishing third.
But Feldman wasn't the only bowler to shoot high in 2009. Robin Romeo of Newhall, Calif., put up near-record scores to claim the Classic All-Events title with a 2,172 total.
Two days before Feldman's record score, Romeo rolled an 805 series in team followed by a 689 in doubles and 678 in singles to post the second-highest all-events score in tournament history. Leanne Barrette of Elk Grove, Calif., set the mark with 2,231 in 2005.
A USBC Hall of Famer who owns 17 PWBA titles, Romeo's 805 effort, at the time, was the third 800 in Women's Championships history. The Classic All-Events title was Romeo's fourth Women's Championships title; she won the 1986 Classic All-Events, 1987 Classic Doubles and 2001 Classic Team crowns.
"It's really exciting to win a title at this stage of my career," Romeo said. "The scores were pretty high this year, so I was a bit worried to see if I would hold on. I feel that winning all-events is the toughest since you have to bowl well in every event, so I'm honored."
The Classic Team championship found itself in familiar hands as Together Once Again of Keller, Texas, won its second Classic Team title in the past four years.
Led by 2009 USBC U.S. Women's Open champion Tammy Boomershine's 732 series, the 3,322 team total by Together Once Again was the third-highest in tournament history. The same team set the record (3,350) in 2006.
Joining Boomershine was Andrea Fleming (689), Cathy Dorin-Lizzi (663), USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (631) and two-time Queens champion Lynda Barnes (607).
"We are pretty excited about it," said Dorin-Ballard, who now owns five Women's Championships titles. "We've been bowling together for so long now and have so much fun, but winning makes it that much better."
Clara Guerrero of Austin, Texas, and Jenifer Larson of Tupper Lake, N.Y., were the only first-time champions in the Classic division. They won Classic Doubles with a combined score of 1,404.
Guerrero, a PBA Women's Series competitor and standout on the Colombian national women's team, led the pair with 728; Larson added 676.
"2009 was a really good year for me, and winning this title made it that much better," said Guerrero, who won gold medals in all-events and Masters competition at the 2009 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships in Las Vegas. "I have been really lucky to be part of such a good team and to have a great doubles partner in Jenifer the last two years."
Larson, the owner of Lakeview Lanes, had a solid overall performance in 2009 as she finished third in Classic Team, sixth in Classic Singles and eighth in Classic All-Events. She also had a 297 game during her singles competition.
"It was a great win for Clara and me," Larson said. "Since bowling is my life in a different sense now, I don't get on the lanes as much as I used to. So to bowl against the best women in the world and end up with the title is a great feeling."