Padilla nets five gold medals at TOA

Team USA member Brenda Padilla completed an outstanding performance at the 49th Annual Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas on Saturday, helping Team USA to the Adult Team title.

Padilla, of Mansfield, Texas, not only captured a gold medal in the team competition, but took gold in the week-long Individual All-Events and National All-Events. Earlier this week she teamed with Tennelle Milligan of Arlington, Texas, to win the doubles title and Padilla also won the singles title for a total of five gold medals.

“It’s always a thrill to win a medal in international competition,” Padilla said. “It’s different when you are bowling for country. I was watching Puerto Rico this week and they were yelling and cheering … that’s the pride of international bowling.”

Padilla said the lane patterns at Sawgrass Lanes in Tamarac, Fla., were difficult all week but the U.S. team continued to work together, watching each other and helping one another.

Padilla wasn’t the only U.S. competitor to claim an all-events title on Saturday. The other gold medal winners were: Junior Team USA members Scott Boyle of Salida, Calif., and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., in the Junior A division; Makayla Douglas of Vancouver, Wash., in Junior B Women; Pam Sprow of Lakeland, Fla., in Senior Women; and Jerry Teel and Carol Teel of The Villages, Fla., in the Super Senior divisions.

Steve Smith of San Diego was edged for the Adult Men all-events title by Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli. Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., in Junior B Men and Brian Brazeau of Ocala, Fla., in Senior Men also took silver.

For complete results from the Tournament of the Americas, click here.