USA sweeps the doubles titles at TOA

ARLINGTON, Texas - The United States had a dominating team performance at the 51st Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Sunrise, Fla., on Wednesday, winning each division in doubles action.

Team USA members Eddie VanDaniker of Chatsworth, Calif., and Steve Smith of San Diego totaled 2,521 pins for six games to edge Colombia's Andres Gomez and Manuel Oralora by seven pins in the Adult Men division.

Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tenn., and Brittni Hamilton of Webster, N.Y., took the Adult Women's title with a 2,502 pinfall total. Venezuela's Patricia De Faria and Alicia Marcano were second at 2,389.

In the Junior A (ages 16-19) divisions, Junior Team USA members beat out teams from Canada for the titles. Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla., and Morgan O'Brien of Lomira, Wis., (2,242) topped Brittany Crawford and Shaune Pine (2,200) for the women's title while Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., and Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., (2,470) bettered Mitch Hupe and Jordan Klassen (2,409) in the men's division.

U15 development team members Breanna Clemmer of Clover, S.C., and Ashley Dunn of Palmdale, Calif., had a 2,199 pinfall total to win the Junior B (ages 12-15) women's title while Bradley Crouse of Nazareth, Pa., and Wesley Low of Palmdale, Calif., in third place after the first three games of the day, came back to take the men's title.

Paula Vidad and Char Hammel won the Senior Women (age 45-plus) division, with Dana Miller-Mackie and Jacqueline Smith winning the Super Senior Women (age 55-plus) title for the United States. Bubba Haney and Pete Thomas won in Senior Men (ages 50-plus) while David Hurtt and Ed Roberts won the Super Senior Men (age 60-plus) title by 175 pins.

The Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. It is an invitational competition for countries in the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON), the American Zone of the World Tenpin Bowling Association.

In each division, one team comprised of two men and two women compete in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and mixed team. After 36 games, individual all-events and national all-events champions are recognized.

In the all-events race, Earnest and Smith lead in Adult, Bolton and Anderson lead Junior A, Clemmer leads Junior B, Vidad and Thomas lead in Senior, and Miller-Mackie leads Super Senior Women.

The week-long tournament continues Thursday with the mixed doubles competition.

Go to bowlingamericas.com for scores and schedules.