Sandelin makes return, undefeated in match play at 2022 USBC Senior Queens
March 20, 2022
Qualifying Results | Brackets
LAS VEGAS - The road to the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens has not been easy for USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida.
The three-time champion wondered whether or not she'd be able to compete again on the national stage after being diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2020, but her passion for the sport and goal of living her life the way she wants has brought her back among her fellow competitors and longtime friends.
The week at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino for the 65-year-old right-hander has been all about enjoying her time on the lanes, but she's also been able to find some success and is one of eight undefeated players after the first two rounds of match play Sunday.
Sandelin will face Karen Barcal of Albuquerque, New Mexico, when competition resumes Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern in the double-elimination bracket, and she's two wins away from securing a spot in the stepladder finals for a chance at a record-breaking fourth tiara and $8,000 top prize.
A total of 16 players remain in the field, including 2018 champion Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Johnson will take on Lauri Cohrs of Colorado Springs in the Elimination Bracket.
The stepladder finals of the 2022 USBC Senior Queens will take place Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern, and all competition will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
Sandelin was prepared and eager for her chance at a fourth win at the 2020 Senior Queens, before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the end of the year approached, an annual visit to the doctor quickly changed things for Sandelin as she looked ahead to 2021 and beyond.
"I did my annual mammogram, and they found something suspicious," Sandelin said. "They did all the tests and determined it was breast cancer. It was on the left side, but they did a test which determined I had the BRCA gene. That told me I needed to remove my right breast even though it didn't have cancer, because it will come back."
The first steps after making her decision involved chemotherapy for five months, before having the surgery in May 2021. Radiation followed from August through October.
"I was exhausted and had to be careful not to get COVID, and I thought I may never competitively bowl again," Sandelin said. "Finally, when everything ended in October, I sort of realized that maybe I can at least bowl. Winning wasn't on my mind, but it was going to be about seeing my friends and hanging out and just competitively throwing a bowling ball."
Sandelin started back on the lanes with an 8-pound plastic ball, and she progressed to 10 and 12 pounds before settling in with 14 pounds for her strike ball.
She started bowling again in local tournaments, and though she didn't practice as much as she would have liked leading up to her appearance at Gold Coast, she has been able to enjoy the experience of competing on the biggest stage.
Sandelin averaged 196.3 in qualifying this week to earn the No. 16 seed for the bracket with a 2,942 total, and she collected wins over Barbara Batt of Jacksonville, Florida (601-566), and Karen Medalen of Monterey, California (579-522), on Sunday.
"I'm just in awe that I'm still in the Winners Bracket," said Sandelin, who won the Senior Queens in 2007, 2013 and 2017. "For tomorrow, I'm going to have the same game plan as today - have fun, enjoy bowling with my opponent, take it one shot at a time and follow my routine. If someone beats me, they beat me. It's OK.
"I have my life. I've decided because I have the BRCA gene, and there's a chance cancer is coming back somewhere else, I'm going to live as hard as I can for what I have left. This tournament means a lot to me, and so do the friends I haven't seen since 2019. Bowling is what I do. I just want to live whatever time I have left, and bowling is going to be a part of it until my last breath."
All competitors bowled 15 qualifying games over two days at Gold Coast to determine the top 32 players advancing to the bracket. Defending champion Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket but did not compete this week.
Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, was the qualifying leader, finishing with a 3,424 total (228.27 average). Medalen was the final player to advance with a 2,817 total (187.8 average).
Bracket matches will continue Monday until the top five athletes are determined for the stepladder finals. The Senior Queens features a true double-elimination format, so the No. 1 seed for the stepladder would have to lose twice in the championship match.
All bracket matches leading up to the stepladder will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
LAS VEGAS - The road to the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens has not been easy for USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida.
The three-time champion wondered whether or not she'd be able to compete again on the national stage after being diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2020, but her passion for the sport and goal of living her life the way she wants has brought her back among her fellow competitors and longtime friends.
The week at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino for the 65-year-old right-hander has been all about enjoying her time on the lanes, but she's also been able to find some success and is one of eight undefeated players after the first two rounds of match play Sunday.
Sandelin will face Karen Barcal of Albuquerque, New Mexico, when competition resumes Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern in the double-elimination bracket, and she's two wins away from securing a spot in the stepladder finals for a chance at a record-breaking fourth tiara and $8,000 top prize.
A total of 16 players remain in the field, including 2018 champion Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Johnson will take on Lauri Cohrs of Colorado Springs in the Elimination Bracket.
The stepladder finals of the 2022 USBC Senior Queens will take place Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern, and all competition will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
Sandelin was prepared and eager for her chance at a fourth win at the 2020 Senior Queens, before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the end of the year approached, an annual visit to the doctor quickly changed things for Sandelin as she looked ahead to 2021 and beyond.
"I did my annual mammogram, and they found something suspicious," Sandelin said. "They did all the tests and determined it was breast cancer. It was on the left side, but they did a test which determined I had the BRCA gene. That told me I needed to remove my right breast even though it didn't have cancer, because it will come back."
The first steps after making her decision involved chemotherapy for five months, before having the surgery in May 2021. Radiation followed from August through October.
"I was exhausted and had to be careful not to get COVID, and I thought I may never competitively bowl again," Sandelin said. "Finally, when everything ended in October, I sort of realized that maybe I can at least bowl. Winning wasn't on my mind, but it was going to be about seeing my friends and hanging out and just competitively throwing a bowling ball."
Sandelin started back on the lanes with an 8-pound plastic ball, and she progressed to 10 and 12 pounds before settling in with 14 pounds for her strike ball.
She started bowling again in local tournaments, and though she didn't practice as much as she would have liked leading up to her appearance at Gold Coast, she has been able to enjoy the experience of competing on the biggest stage.
Sandelin averaged 196.3 in qualifying this week to earn the No. 16 seed for the bracket with a 2,942 total, and she collected wins over Barbara Batt of Jacksonville, Florida (601-566), and Karen Medalen of Monterey, California (579-522), on Sunday.
"I'm just in awe that I'm still in the Winners Bracket," said Sandelin, who won the Senior Queens in 2007, 2013 and 2017. "For tomorrow, I'm going to have the same game plan as today - have fun, enjoy bowling with my opponent, take it one shot at a time and follow my routine. If someone beats me, they beat me. It's OK.
"I have my life. I've decided because I have the BRCA gene, and there's a chance cancer is coming back somewhere else, I'm going to live as hard as I can for what I have left. This tournament means a lot to me, and so do the friends I haven't seen since 2019. Bowling is what I do. I just want to live whatever time I have left, and bowling is going to be a part of it until my last breath."
All competitors bowled 15 qualifying games over two days at Gold Coast to determine the top 32 players advancing to the bracket. Defending champion Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, would have been guaranteed a position in the bracket but did not compete this week.
Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, was the qualifying leader, finishing with a 3,424 total (228.27 average). Medalen was the final player to advance with a 2,817 total (187.8 average).
Bracket matches will continue Monday until the top five athletes are determined for the stepladder finals. The Senior Queens features a true double-elimination format, so the No. 1 seed for the stepladder would have to lose twice in the championship match.
All bracket matches leading up to the stepladder will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.