USA Contingent Collects Five Gold Medals in Singles at Tournament of Americas
August 11, 2009
Five Americans - Jessica Earnest, Josie Earnest, Carol Teel, Michael Coffey and Andrew Koff - were in possession of gold medals after singles competition came to an end Tuesday at the 47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Jessica Earnest, who dominated the Junior A Women's (16-19) Division to the tune of 1,386 pins and a 212-pin lead after Monday's first six games of singles competition, was equally impressive on Tuesday, shooting 1,323 to finish with a 12-game total of 2,709 pins, which was good for a 225.75 average and a 252-pin victory over her nearest opponent, Puerto Rico's Ashley Spaid (2,457).
"Bowling for your country is just an awesome feeling," Jessica Earnest said. "To come out and bowl as well as I did, I'm in shock. I don't think it's sunk in yet that I won the gold. It probably won't hit me until I'm up there getting the medal and hearing the national anthem."
Earnest won't have to go through that experience on her own; she will be able to share it with her sister, Josie, who earned gold in the Adult Women's Division by firing a Block 2-total of 1,316 pins, which gave her a grand total of 2,615 pins.
There are several factors to which Josie Earnest can attribute her success, but she points to the time-tested athletic mantra of taking things one shot at a time.
"In order to succeed, you just have to stay focused on what you're doing instead of worrying about all of the things that are going on around you," Josie Earnest said. "All we can do is stay focused on our own games and trying to knock the pins down. That approach got our bowlers off to a good start during singles, and I think it will be even more important as we move into the more team-oriented segments of the tournament."
Junior A Men's (16-19) Division gold medalist Andrew Koff agreed with Earnest's statements regarding the importance of a solid mental approach, but it was his solid shot-making technique and lane-play strategy that allowed him erase the deficit from Monday's fourth-place effort and emerge with the gold medal after Day 2.
"The oil patterns we're bowling on hook quite a bit, so I focused on getting my ball to the friction quicker than everybody else so that I could stay ahead of the lane transitions," Koff said. "I just stayed focused on making the best shots I could without worrying about the scoreboard or what the other bowlers were doing. In the end, my carry improved, and it all worked out for me to get the win."
Teel and Coffey also were able to collect wins, Teel in the Senior Women's Division and Coffey in the Junior B Men's, but they weren't the only U.S. bowlers to come home with medals.
Ana Koff and Daulton Shaffer secured silver medals in the Junior B Women's (12-15) and Junior B Men's (12-15) Divisions, respectively, while Ed Roberts (Senior Men's), Dayna Galganski (Junior A Women's) and Elise Bolton (Junior B Women's) brought home bronze.
"There are a lot of outstanding bowlers at this event, so to win five gold medals, two silver and three bronze is a very pleasing way to start," said Bryan O'Keefe, the USBC Coaching Specialist who is leading Team USA at the tournament. "Everybody, even the bowlers who didn't medal, are throwing the ball well; it's just a matter of fine-tuning ball reaction so that our carry improves and our scores go up. We have met our expectations so far; hopefully, we can keep it up as we move through the other events."
Tournament action resumes Wednesday with the first six games of doubles competition, which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET.
47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas
At Boardwalk Bowl
Orlando, Florida
FINAL SINGLES RESULTS
(Through 12 of 12 games)
ADULT MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Gabriel Sanchez (Puerto Rico) 2,829; Silver - Edgardo Ruiz (Puerto Rico) 2,673; Bronze Alejandro Cruz (Mexico) 2,574 4. Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,533; 11. John Szczerbinski (USA) 2,424.
ADULT WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Josie Earnest (USA) 2,615; Silver - Patricia De Faria (Venezuela) 2,507; Bronze - Ingellimar Contreras (Venezuela) 2,446; 5. Ricki Williams (USA) 2,416.
SENIOR MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Tony Santa (Puerto Rico) 2,666; Silver - Agustin Camarillo (Mexico) 2,606; Bronze – Ed Roberts (USA) 2,596; 6. Phil Prieto (USA) 2,401.
SENIOR WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel (USA) 2,364; Silver - Fransuesa Sacre (Mexico) 2,188; Bronze - Milda Dos Ramos (Venezuela) 2,170; 13. Christine Srock (USA) 1,934.
JUNIOR A MEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Andrew Koff (USA) 2,672; Silver - Kevin Belandria (Venezuela) 2,629; Bronze - Carlos Cottone (Venezuela ) 2,610; 6. Chris Pierson (USA) 2,510.
JUNIOR B MEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Michael Coffey (USA) 2,425; Silver - Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,324; Bronze - Jorge Serrano (Puerto Rico) 2,318.
JUNIOR A WOMEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest (USA) 2,709; Silver - Ashley Spaid (Puerto Rico) 2,457; Bronze - Dayna Galganski (USA) 2,391.
JUNIOR B WOMEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Tatiana Munoz (Colombia) 2,285; Silver - Ana Koff (USA) 2,269; Bronze - Elise Bolton (USA) 2,246.
Jessica Earnest, who dominated the Junior A Women's (16-19) Division to the tune of 1,386 pins and a 212-pin lead after Monday's first six games of singles competition, was equally impressive on Tuesday, shooting 1,323 to finish with a 12-game total of 2,709 pins, which was good for a 225.75 average and a 252-pin victory over her nearest opponent, Puerto Rico's Ashley Spaid (2,457).
"Bowling for your country is just an awesome feeling," Jessica Earnest said. "To come out and bowl as well as I did, I'm in shock. I don't think it's sunk in yet that I won the gold. It probably won't hit me until I'm up there getting the medal and hearing the national anthem."
Earnest won't have to go through that experience on her own; she will be able to share it with her sister, Josie, who earned gold in the Adult Women's Division by firing a Block 2-total of 1,316 pins, which gave her a grand total of 2,615 pins.
There are several factors to which Josie Earnest can attribute her success, but she points to the time-tested athletic mantra of taking things one shot at a time.
"In order to succeed, you just have to stay focused on what you're doing instead of worrying about all of the things that are going on around you," Josie Earnest said. "All we can do is stay focused on our own games and trying to knock the pins down. That approach got our bowlers off to a good start during singles, and I think it will be even more important as we move into the more team-oriented segments of the tournament."
Junior A Men's (16-19) Division gold medalist Andrew Koff agreed with Earnest's statements regarding the importance of a solid mental approach, but it was his solid shot-making technique and lane-play strategy that allowed him erase the deficit from Monday's fourth-place effort and emerge with the gold medal after Day 2.
"The oil patterns we're bowling on hook quite a bit, so I focused on getting my ball to the friction quicker than everybody else so that I could stay ahead of the lane transitions," Koff said. "I just stayed focused on making the best shots I could without worrying about the scoreboard or what the other bowlers were doing. In the end, my carry improved, and it all worked out for me to get the win."
Teel and Coffey also were able to collect wins, Teel in the Senior Women's Division and Coffey in the Junior B Men's, but they weren't the only U.S. bowlers to come home with medals.
Ana Koff and Daulton Shaffer secured silver medals in the Junior B Women's (12-15) and Junior B Men's (12-15) Divisions, respectively, while Ed Roberts (Senior Men's), Dayna Galganski (Junior A Women's) and Elise Bolton (Junior B Women's) brought home bronze.
"There are a lot of outstanding bowlers at this event, so to win five gold medals, two silver and three bronze is a very pleasing way to start," said Bryan O'Keefe, the USBC Coaching Specialist who is leading Team USA at the tournament. "Everybody, even the bowlers who didn't medal, are throwing the ball well; it's just a matter of fine-tuning ball reaction so that our carry improves and our scores go up. We have met our expectations so far; hopefully, we can keep it up as we move through the other events."
Tournament action resumes Wednesday with the first six games of doubles competition, which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET.
47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas
At Boardwalk Bowl
Orlando, Florida
FINAL SINGLES RESULTS
(Through 12 of 12 games)
ADULT MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Gabriel Sanchez (Puerto Rico) 2,829; Silver - Edgardo Ruiz (Puerto Rico) 2,673; Bronze Alejandro Cruz (Mexico) 2,574 4. Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,533; 11. John Szczerbinski (USA) 2,424.
ADULT WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Josie Earnest (USA) 2,615; Silver - Patricia De Faria (Venezuela) 2,507; Bronze - Ingellimar Contreras (Venezuela) 2,446; 5. Ricki Williams (USA) 2,416.
SENIOR MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Tony Santa (Puerto Rico) 2,666; Silver - Agustin Camarillo (Mexico) 2,606; Bronze – Ed Roberts (USA) 2,596; 6. Phil Prieto (USA) 2,401.
SENIOR WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel (USA) 2,364; Silver - Fransuesa Sacre (Mexico) 2,188; Bronze - Milda Dos Ramos (Venezuela) 2,170; 13. Christine Srock (USA) 1,934.
JUNIOR A MEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Andrew Koff (USA) 2,672; Silver - Kevin Belandria (Venezuela) 2,629; Bronze - Carlos Cottone (Venezuela ) 2,610; 6. Chris Pierson (USA) 2,510.
JUNIOR B MEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Michael Coffey (USA) 2,425; Silver - Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,324; Bronze - Jorge Serrano (Puerto Rico) 2,318.
JUNIOR A WOMEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest (USA) 2,709; Silver - Ashley Spaid (Puerto Rico) 2,457; Bronze - Dayna Galganski (USA) 2,391.
JUNIOR B WOMEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Tatiana Munoz (Colombia) 2,285; Silver - Ana Koff (USA) 2,269; Bronze - Elise Bolton (USA) 2,246.