LAS VEGAS – Krystal Hayes of St. Albans, New York, came into her third United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships just expecting to enjoy her weekend, but she didn’t imagine taking the lead in Sapphire Singles at the 2025 event.

Hayes did just that, beating the previous leading score by over 40 pins. In Game 1, Hayes rolled a 159 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. In Game 2, she bowled a solid score of 178. Hayes saved her best game for last, firing off a big score of 233.

She finished with a grand total of 570. Hayes was shocked that she had taken the lead in Sapphire Singles.

“It has been a complete shock. It was something that I just really didn’t think about,” Hayes said.

Hayes just wanted to enjoy her experience by bowling the best she could and not stress about a record.

“I just went out there and wanted to have fun and just bowl,” she said.

Hayes has really liked the set up of the Bowling Plaza at South Point.

“It’s beautiful here,” Hayes said. “This is the first time I felt like my ball knows how to work on the lanes. This is my second tournament bowling at South Point. The last time was in 2023.”

Hayes made her debut at the USBC Women’s Championships during the 2022 event in Addison, Illinois. She skipped last year’s tournament because a teammate had a medical issue, but she was happy to be back this year.

Throughout her singles set, Hayes was calm, cool and collected.

“I just wanted to stay consistent. I just made sure to watch my steps and stay out of my head and be compatible throughout my rolls,” Hayes said.

In addition to taking the lead in Sapphire Singles, Hayes also made her way into third place in Sapphire All-Events with a 1,447 score. She had 471 in doubles and 406 in team.

The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.

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