Texas bowler inspires in 50th appearance at Women’s Championships
May 31, 2026
LAS VEGAS – Ann Hayes of Grand Prairie, Texas, has had a very satisfying experience at the United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships over the years, and she recently celebrated her 50th year of tournament participation at the 2026 event in Las Vegas.
She received a plaque, chevron and commemorative necklace during her presentation at the South Point Bowling Plaza to recognize her milestone achievement. Hayes also received a standing ovation from the crowd and fellow bowlers during her ceremony.
Hayes jokingly said it’s embarrassing when people come up to her and say congratulations on her 50th tournament. She said it’s very humbling, and she thanks God for blessing her with so much in life.
She has been a fighter and has a never-give-up type of attitude. She has been fighting terminal lung cancer for over six years now, and when she found out from her doctor that she was diagnosed, her primary goal and item to check off her bucket list was to make it to her 50th appearance at the USBC Women’s Championships.
Hayes made her tournament debut at the 1970 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has competed in a total of 29 cities and 22 states at the Women’s Championships.
Her favorite city to bowl in was Chicago. It was a wonderful memory for Hayes, as she was surrounded by great teammates and new friends. She loves that she gets to bowl with different people from different states each year, and she also enjoys exchanging gifts with the other teams at every tournament.
“With battling cancer, my friends are the ones that keep me going and bowling each year,” Hayes said. “Without them, I would never have made it. When I first had to go through chemo, I had a different friend lined up each day to take me to my scheduled appointments. Friends like that are what everyone needs in life. I make new bowling buds every year at the tournament. You just come across somebody and instantly connect with them.”
In 2024, Hayes was hospitalized and missed bowling the Women’s Championships. She checked out of the hospital in 2025 to come and bowl in Las Vegas so she could get closer to her goal.
She was praying that she could make it to her 50th appearance, and now she’s achieved just that.
“Bowling for me all started in the wonderful year of 1964,” Hayes said. “I had a party at my house and a few couples that were friends of mine invited me to go bowling with them after we saw an advertisement. We went to Expressway Lanes in Dallas, Texas, and I never looked back. That’s where my bowling career began.”
She went to a local K-Mart with her friends that week, and they purchased their own bowling shoes because they didn’t want to keep bowling in house shoes.
“We were so proud to have our very own bowling shoes,” Hayes said. “But when I went up to the lanes and began to throw my ball, I fell flat on my face. The reason why that happened was because I bowl left-handed, and the center employee didn’t tell me I needed to have left-handed shoes.”
Hayes has been a league secretary for more than 35 years, and she also was named the Texas State Association Secretary of the Year.
She started promoting the Women’s Championships to her bowlers and figured she might as well be part of the tournament action.
“We really pushed getting the word out on the Women’s Championships,” Hayes said. “We wanted to bring national prominence and visibility to women’s sports. The only way it can grow is if more people participate in it and show up. I appreciate the USBC for continuing to expand.”
The Women’s Championships is celebrating its 106th edition in 2026 and making its sixth trip to Las Vegas. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 16,000 bowlers and 4,200 four-player teams competing across 65 consecutive days at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
She received a plaque, chevron and commemorative necklace during her presentation at the South Point Bowling Plaza to recognize her milestone achievement. Hayes also received a standing ovation from the crowd and fellow bowlers during her ceremony.
Hayes jokingly said it’s embarrassing when people come up to her and say congratulations on her 50th tournament. She said it’s very humbling, and she thanks God for blessing her with so much in life.
She has been a fighter and has a never-give-up type of attitude. She has been fighting terminal lung cancer for over six years now, and when she found out from her doctor that she was diagnosed, her primary goal and item to check off her bucket list was to make it to her 50th appearance at the USBC Women’s Championships.
Hayes made her tournament debut at the 1970 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has competed in a total of 29 cities and 22 states at the Women’s Championships.
Her favorite city to bowl in was Chicago. It was a wonderful memory for Hayes, as she was surrounded by great teammates and new friends. She loves that she gets to bowl with different people from different states each year, and she also enjoys exchanging gifts with the other teams at every tournament.
“With battling cancer, my friends are the ones that keep me going and bowling each year,” Hayes said. “Without them, I would never have made it. When I first had to go through chemo, I had a different friend lined up each day to take me to my scheduled appointments. Friends like that are what everyone needs in life. I make new bowling buds every year at the tournament. You just come across somebody and instantly connect with them.”
In 2024, Hayes was hospitalized and missed bowling the Women’s Championships. She checked out of the hospital in 2025 to come and bowl in Las Vegas so she could get closer to her goal.
She was praying that she could make it to her 50th appearance, and now she’s achieved just that.
“Bowling for me all started in the wonderful year of 1964,” Hayes said. “I had a party at my house and a few couples that were friends of mine invited me to go bowling with them after we saw an advertisement. We went to Expressway Lanes in Dallas, Texas, and I never looked back. That’s where my bowling career began.”
She went to a local K-Mart with her friends that week, and they purchased their own bowling shoes because they didn’t want to keep bowling in house shoes.
“We were so proud to have our very own bowling shoes,” Hayes said. “But when I went up to the lanes and began to throw my ball, I fell flat on my face. The reason why that happened was because I bowl left-handed, and the center employee didn’t tell me I needed to have left-handed shoes.”
Hayes has been a league secretary for more than 35 years, and she also was named the Texas State Association Secretary of the Year.
She started promoting the Women’s Championships to her bowlers and figured she might as well be part of the tournament action.
“We really pushed getting the word out on the Women’s Championships,” Hayes said. “We wanted to bring national prominence and visibility to women’s sports. The only way it can grow is if more people participate in it and show up. I appreciate the USBC for continuing to expand.”
The Women’s Championships is celebrating its 106th edition in 2026 and making its sixth trip to Las Vegas. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 16,000 bowlers and 4,200 four-player teams competing across 65 consecutive days at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.