Pan American Games bowling events begin Wednesday
July 21, 2015
TORONTO – Team USA members went through a final practice session for the Pan American Games bowling competition on Tuesday and will begin four days of competition starting with doubles on Wednesday.
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kansas, and Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, are representing the United States at the Pan American Games.
“We’ve had three days of practice crossing the house,” Jones said. “We’ve made our notes and now it’s on us to go out and perform.”
While Johnson and Pluhowsky each previously have competed in the Pan American Games, it has been a new experience for Bidwell, left, and Jones. They spent Monday night in the athletes’ village watching coverage of the different sports, including the women’s gold-medal basketball game between the United States and Canada, alongside fellow athletes.
Jones has bowled in three World Championships and a World Cup, but said the Pan American Games has been unique.
“It’s definitely a different environment, being around different athletes as opposed to people who are just in your sport,” Jones said. “We get to ask questions, they ask us questions. It’s neat they appreciate you as an athlete, your level of play.”
Bidwell also is enjoying the experience.
“It’s pretty neat because you get to see athletes from so many sports and they are the best at what they do in that sport,” Bidwell said.
A total of 56 athletes, 28 men and 28 women, will compete in the bowling competition that starts Wednesday at the Pan Am Bowling Centre with six games of doubles. Doubles concludes Thursday with six more games, when medalists will be determined on total pinfall after the 12 games.
In the singles competition, 12 games of qualifying will take place Friday before the field is cut to the top eight bowlers in each division for match play. Saturday, bowlers will take their pinfall totals into match play, which will consist of one-game matches with the winner receiving 20 bonus pins. The top four bowlers after match play advance to the semifinals and finals.
Team USA has won 20 of a possible 28 gold medals, six silver medals and four bronze medals at the Pan American Games. The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), which is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), governs the Pan American Games, the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. Go to Toronto2015.org to learn more about the Pan American Games.
Visit BOWL.com for stories and results of Team USA at the Pan American Games in Toronto.
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kansas, and Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, are representing the United States at the Pan American Games.
“We’ve had three days of practice crossing the house,” Jones said. “We’ve made our notes and now it’s on us to go out and perform.”
While Johnson and Pluhowsky each previously have competed in the Pan American Games, it has been a new experience for Bidwell, left, and Jones. They spent Monday night in the athletes’ village watching coverage of the different sports, including the women’s gold-medal basketball game between the United States and Canada, alongside fellow athletes.Jones has bowled in three World Championships and a World Cup, but said the Pan American Games has been unique.
“It’s definitely a different environment, being around different athletes as opposed to people who are just in your sport,” Jones said. “We get to ask questions, they ask us questions. It’s neat they appreciate you as an athlete, your level of play.”
Bidwell also is enjoying the experience.
“It’s pretty neat because you get to see athletes from so many sports and they are the best at what they do in that sport,” Bidwell said.
A total of 56 athletes, 28 men and 28 women, will compete in the bowling competition that starts Wednesday at the Pan Am Bowling Centre with six games of doubles. Doubles concludes Thursday with six more games, when medalists will be determined on total pinfall after the 12 games.
In the singles competition, 12 games of qualifying will take place Friday before the field is cut to the top eight bowlers in each division for match play. Saturday, bowlers will take their pinfall totals into match play, which will consist of one-game matches with the winner receiving 20 bonus pins. The top four bowlers after match play advance to the semifinals and finals.
Team USA has won 20 of a possible 28 gold medals, six silver medals and four bronze medals at the Pan American Games. The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), which is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), governs the Pan American Games, the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. Go to Toronto2015.org to learn more about the Pan American Games.
Visit BOWL.com for stories and results of Team USA at the Pan American Games in Toronto.