Team USA wraps up successful week at TOA
Team USA took gold medals in every division of the team event as the 48th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas concluded at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday. USA also took the lion’s share of all-events medals, taking gold in every division of team all-events as well as in six of eight divisions in individual all-events.
Bolstered by three team games of 900 or greater, Team USA lapped the field in the Adult division with a 12-game total of 10,096, winning by a margin of 317 pins over the second-place team. In addition to bowling the only 900s of the Adult team event, they were also one of two teams out of all divisions to post a five-figure pinfall. 2009 Team USA Trials champion Cassidy Schaub found a groove in games four and 10 with scores of 279 and 268 respectively.
If the Adult division team earned the day’s award for dominance, the award for endurance went to Team USA’s Senior division players. The Senior team fell well behind with an opening game of 627 that landed them in fifth place after game one, then rocketed back with an 836 and stayed ahead for a winning total of 9,489. 2008 Senior Queens champion Lucy Sandelin's 275 in game ten highlighted her team's performance.
The highest 12-game total of any division in the team event went to Team USA’s Junior A division players, who seized gold in their division by nearly 800 pins with a 12-game total of 10,127. USA’s Junior A division team also posted the highest single-game team scores in any division with a 958 in game 12, a 946 in game six, and a 930 in game eight. Kyle King posted the highest individual series in Junior A division team competition with a 710 in games four through six.
“When you get a look at the same patterns day after day, eventually the better bowlers will rise to the top,” said Team USA Assistant Coach Bryan O’Keefe. “They’re too good at this to not figure it out.”
Despite Team USA’s struggles earlier in the week against two brutal lane patterns — one long and one short — they emerged in the long run to take 10 of a possible 12 gold medals in team and individual all-events to highlight a successful week of competition.
Click here for scores and standings from throughout the week.