TORONTO – Though the Pan American Games doubles bowling competition proved to be a grind-it-out affair on Wednesday, both Team USA squads remain in contention heading into medal day.

After the first six games of the doubles competition, both the Team USA men and women are in second place. Doubles concludes Thursday with six more games and medalists will be determined on total pinfall after the 12 games.

Team USA’s Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York, and Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, combined for a 2,381 total and trail leader Colombia by 28 pins with Venezuela third, just six pins behind the United States. The women’s competition is especially tight with the top seven teams separated by 152 pins.

In the men’s division, Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kansas, and Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, combined for a 2,649 total for the United States and are 63 pins back of leader Canada. Francois Lavoie and Dan MacLelland totaled 2,712 for the six games to give the host nation the lead.

The Team USA women managed to briefly grab the lead after the fifth of six games on Wednesday when Pluhowsky had a 269 game and Johnson contributed 231.

“They were probably as tough as we’ve seen it in a long time,” Johnson said of the lane conditions. “We were just trying to make the right moves and filling frames was a big key for us. Fortunately, we had that one big game, but it was tough.”

Johnson, who is competing in her third Pan American Games and is the defending champion in singles and doubles, had games of 218, 182, 191, 190, 231 and 166 for an 1,178 total. Pluhowsky had a 1,203 total on games of 194, 192, 170, 203, 269 and 175.

“You just didn’t know what the next pair would bring; pair to pair was tricky,” said Pluhowsky. “Overall everything was good, just a few less splits tomorrow and a few more strikes.”

For Team USA men, Jones had games of 203, 247, 279, 233, 214 and 204 for 1,380 while Bidwell, who admitted to being a little nervous at the start of the day, put together games of 159, 225, 299, 190, 186 and 210 for a 1,269 total.

The Team USA men were 175 pins behind leader Canada after two games.

“The first pair was a little different than the other pairs and we didn’t bowl great on it,” Jones said. “We had three 4-9s; that’s the breaks in bowling. Then later in the round we caught a really good pair and took advantage of it.”

That “good pair” would allow the U.S. team to set two Pan American Games records and vault into the lead. Bidwell had 299 game, leaving a 9 pin, while Jones had the front seven en route to a 279.

The 578 doubles game shattered the record held by Team USA teammates Chris Barnes and Bill O’Neill (515 set in 2011) and Bidwell’s 299 game set an individual game record, breaking the mark of 297 held by Canada’s Danyck Briere.

MacLelland, who had 1,416 to break Barnes’ Pan American Games record (1,400) for a six-game set, was well aware of Team USA’s third game.

“I heard the 299 for Devin and then I looked over and Tommy has 279 going,” MacLelland said. “They started on the worst pair in the house so I’m glad they came back. It’s fun competing against them.”

PAN AMERICAN GAMES RESULTS

MEN’S DOUBLES, DAY 1 (6 games)

Canada

Francois Lavoie, 238, 213, 173, 235, 192, 245, 1296, 216.0, 2712, -- 

Dan MacLelland, 269, 289, 204, 233, 214, 207, 1416, 236.0

United States

Devin Bidwell, 159, 225, 299, 190, 186, 210, 1269, 211.5, 2649, -63

Tommy Jones, 203, 247, 279, 233, 214, 204, 1380, 230.0

Colombia

Jaime Gonzalez, 167, 269, 215, 198, 181, 224, 1254, 209.0, 2605, -107

Manuel Otalora, 201, 256, 237, 225, 230, 202, 1351, 225.2

Puerto Rico

Cristian Azcona, 229, 205, 268, 205, 193, 186, 1286, 214.3, 2582, -130

Jean Perez, 216, 213, 241, 200, 202, 224, 1296, 216.0

Venezuela

Amleto Monacelli, 217, 259, 247, 137, 242, 258, 1360, 226.7, 2570, -142

Ildemaro Ruiz, 170, 171, 225, 221, 214, 209, 1210, 201.7

Costa Rica

Rodolfo Madriz, 208, 248, 187, 222, 216, 202, 1283, 213.8, 2566, -146

James Stanley, 267, 193, 212, 185, 224, 202, 1283, 213.8

Mexico

Alejandro Cruz, 197, 227, 216, 208, 206, 192, 1246, 207.7, 2562, -150

Mario Quintero, 268, 234, 223, 183, 202, 206, 1316, 219.3

Brazil

Charles Robini, 203, 161, 194, 177, 200, 213, 1148, 191.3, 2384, -328

Marcelo Suartz, 218, 195, 258, 209, 194, 162, 1236, 206.0

Guatemala

Armando Batres, 187, 178, 205, 182, 199, 180, 1131, 188.5, 2374, -338

Jose Morales, 202, 167, 234, 212, 201, 227, 1243, 207.2

Dominican Republic

Manuel Fernandez, 175, 182, 130, 192, 243, 220, 1142, 190.3, 2365, -347

Alex Prats, 200, 213, 203, 193, 191, 223, 1223, 203.8

El Salvador

Julio Acosta, 173, 157, 163, 213, 178, 196, 1080, 180.0, 2344, -368

Giancarlo Mateucci, 244, 191, 218, 213, 228, 170, 1264, 210.7

Aruba

Bryan Helmeyer, 155, 234, 237, 204, 210, 211, 1251, 208.5, 2317, -395

Jason Odor, 160, 188, 215, 182, 157, 164, 1066, 177.7

Panama

Juan Narvaez, 227, 201, 172, 155, 169, 171, 1095, 182.5, 2279, -433

Carlos Olmos, 172, 205, 243, 207, 158, 199, 1184, 197.3

Argentina

Ricardo Dalla Rosa, 203, 234, 202, 156, 167, 172, 1134, 189.0, 2186, -526

Ruben Favero, 207, 198, 179, 144, 172, 152, 1052, 175.3

WOMEN’S DOUBLES, DAY 1 (6 games)

Colombia

Clara Guerrero, 223, 143, 181, 211, 186, 232, 1176, 196.0, 2409, -- 

Rocio Restrepo, 212, 187, 168, 221, 246, 199, 1233, 205.5

United States

Liz Johnson, 218, 182, 191, 190, 231, 166, 1178, 196.3, 2381, -28

Shannon Pluhowsky, 194, 192, 170, 203, 269, 175, 1203, 200.5

Venezuela

Patricia De Faria, 212, 186, 189, 212, 199, 228, 1226, 204.3, 2375, -34

Karen Marcano, 166, 188, 191, 245, 193, 166, 1149, 191.5

Puerto Rico

Mariana Ayala, 206, 152, 169, 168, 202, 223, 1120, 186.7, 2279, -130

Kristie Lopez, 236, 142, 193, 206, 208, 174, 1159, 193.2

Dominican Republic

Aumi Guerra, 158, 214, 202, 171, 165, 214, 1124, 187.3, 2269, -140

Ana Henriquez, 215, 184, 179, 182, 195, 190, 1145, 190.8

El Salvador

Eugenia Quintanilla, 197, 180, 182, 198, 181, 202, 1140, 190.0, 2262, -147

Marcela Sanchez, 187, 191, 188, 161, 225, 170, 1122, 187.0

Canada

Robin Orlikowski, 151, 174, 211, 177, 214, 163, 1090, 181.7, 2257, -152

Isabelle Rioux, 190, 220, 173, 204, 198, 182, 1167, 194.5

Brazil

Roberta Rodrigues, 197, 198, 168, 171, 191, 171, 1096, 182.7, 2220, -189

Stephanie Martins, 214, 171, 215, 175, 192, 157, 1124, 187.3

Argentina

Maria Lanzavecchia, 174, 165, 123, 221, 158, 178, 1019, 169.8, 2219, -190

Vanesa Rinke, 188, 180, 197, 224, 222, 189, 1200, 200.0

Guatemala

Laura Barrios, 205, 208, 153, 167, 158, 200, 1091, 181.8, 2212, -197

Sofia Rodriguez, 208, 124, 206, 198, 172, 213, 1121, 186.8

Mexico

Sandra Gongora, 156, 175, 200, 147, 191, 207, 1076, 179.3, 2142, -267

Iliana Lomeli, 214, 195, 180, 156, 157, 164, 1066, 177.7

Aruba

Kamilah Dammers, 213, 170, 171, 173, 158, 216, 1101, 183.5, 2099, -310

Thashaina Seraus, 123, 202, 183, 175, 164, 151, 998, 166.3

Costa Rica

Ghiselle Araujo, 180, 145, 162, 203, 166, 158, 1014, 169.0, 2079, -330

Maria Ramirez, 182, 184, 161, 226, 157, 155, 1065, 177.5

Chile

Cony Bahamóndez, 184, 158, 160, 171, 152, 173, 998, 166.3, 2055, -354

Veronica Valdebenito, 177, 180, 157, 128, 196, 219, 1057, 176.2