Pluhowsky, Koivuniemi, Jansson elected to WBW Hall of Fame
Team USA's Shannon Pluhowsky (pictured) of Kettering, Ohio, capped off a record-setting year by capturing her third World Bowling Writers Female Bowler of the Year honor and a spot in the WBW Hall of Fame. She joins Australia's Cara Honeychurch (1998) and Colombian standout Clara Juliana Guerrero (2009) as the only bowlers to receive both awards in the same year. The 2011 WBW Male Bowler of the Year is PBA star Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, and Sweden's Raymond Jansson will join Pluhowsky in the WBW Hall of Fame.
Winners will represent the United States in the 2012 QubicaAMF World Cup
Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., claimed the men's and women's titles Friday at the USBC Team USA Trials, earning the right to compete in the 2012 QubicaAMF World Cup. Kent and McEwan topped their respective divisions in a grueling four-day, 28-game format in which the players in the field earned points based on their finishing position each round to determine the final standings. Junior Team USA spots were also up for grabs at the Team USA Trials.
Tackett, Pluhowsky lead third round on 34-foot Stockholm pattern
Liz Johnson (l.) of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and AJ Johnson (r.) of Oswego, Ill., have put together three consistent days to open the USBC Team USA Trials and lead their respective divisions with just one round remaining. Liz Johnson leads the women's division with eight points, while AJ Johnson is at the top of the men's pack with 29 points at Texas Star Lanes in North Las Vegas, Nev. After four rounds, the man and women with the least amount of points will be crowned champions.
Texas Star Lanes in North Las Vegas, Nev., United States (Jan. 2-6, 2012)
In the race to earn the fewest points at this year's United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials, Liz Johnson (l.) of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Kyle King (r.) of Glendale, Ariz., lead the field after two rounds at Texas Star Lanes in North Las Vegas, Nev. Johnson leads the women's field with four points (one point for first place in Round 1 and three points for third place in Round 2), while King is on top in the men's division with 10 points (five in Round 1 and five in Round 2).
Top three men and top three women in the standings after all four rounds will earn automatic spots on Team USA for 2012
Toby Sambueno of Henderson, Nev., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., took the lead after the opening round Monday at the 2012 USBC Team USA Trials. Sambueno and Johnson led with seven-game total of 1,664 (237.71 average) and 1,543 (220.43), resp., and each earned one point for their first-place finishes in Round 1. The players in the field earn points based on their finishing position each round. After four rounds, the man and the woman with the least amount of points will be crowned champions.
When the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials take place next week, Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio, and Scott Boyle of Salida, Calif., will not only have to take on a tough field to successfully defend their 2011 titles, but they also will face a new points system to determine the champions. Standings for the Team USA Trials now will be based on a points system rather than total pinfall. All rounds will be broadcast live on BowlTV.
In two major announcements, the United States Bowling Congress has selected 10 athletes to join Team USA in 2012, while the winners of the USBC Team USA Trials will earn automatic spots to compete in the QubicaAMF World Cup. Five men and five women have been selected to Team USA members for 2012. The remainder of the roster will be determined at the Team USA Trials in Las Vegas from Jan. 2-6.
Texas Station in Las Vegas, Nev., United States (Jan. 2-6, 2012)
When the USBC Team USA Trials take place in January, members of Team USA will be determined based on a points system rather than total pinfall. The unique way of determining automatic qualifiers for Team USA as well as the Team USA Trials champions will reward consistency and versatility over the course of the four-day event, which is contested on four lane conditions. The 2012 Team USA Trials is scheduled to take place Jan. 2-6 at Texas Station in Las Vegas.
The efforts of Shannon Pluhowsky and her Team USA teammates at the World Tenpin Bowling Association Women's World Championships last month in Hong Kong were recognized by the United States Olympic Committee on Friday. Pluhowsky (pictured left) earned second place in the voting for the USOC's Female Athlete of the Month for September, while Pluhowsky and her teammates (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Stefanie Nation, Kelly Kulick, Liz Johnson and Shannon O'Keefe) finished third in the voting for the USOC's Team of the Month.
With the qualification process now complete, the Team USA roster for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, this October has been finalized. Representing the United States in the women's division will be Kelly Kulick (pictured left) of Union, N.J., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. The men's team will be represented by Bill O'Neill (right) of Southampton, Pa. and Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.
With 80 percent of the qualifying process completed for the 2011 Pan American Games, Team USA's Kelly Kulick (l.) of Union, N.J., and Liz Johnson (r.) of Cheektowaga, N.Y., are in position to earn spots in the event in Guadalajara, Mexico. Kulick and Johnson finished first and second, respectively, in the 32-game Team USA Women's Pan American Games Trials over the past two days at the International Training and Research Center.
Women's Trials will be broadcast live are on Monday and Tuesday
When the women of Team USA descend upon the International Training and Research Center next week for their annual training camp, the picture will become a little clearer as to who will represent the United States in the Pan American Games Oct. 22-27 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The biggest names in bowling will travel the world to represent the United States in international competition this year as the roster for four events was finalized Thursday. The only worldwide event on the calendar for the Team USA men in 2011 is the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Nov. 30-Dec. 7. Tommy Jones (pictured) of Simpsonville, S.C., has been selected to represent the United States in that event. Rosters for the women and juniors competing in international events will be announced at a later date.
Women will bowl their Pan Am Games Trials the first week of May
Team USA's Bill O'Neill and Chris Barnes (l-r) will represent the United States in the men's division at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October. The two stars on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour survived a qualifying process that gave them points based on their finish at the Pan American Games Trials (60 percent), the United States Bowling Congress Masters (20 percent) and the U.S. Open (20 percent).
International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas (March 22-23, 2011)
After 16 of 32 games, Bill O'Neill (l.) leads a field of eleven Team USA members competing in the Pan American Games Trials at the International training and Research Center. Powered by a 300 game, O'Neill fired 3,867, an average of 241.68, to top the field on Tuesday. Chris Barnes (r.) is second with 3,673. All bowlers will return Wednesday for the final two blocks of eight games.
PBA provides Live Streaming, Brunswick provides Live Scoring
The 11 members of Team USA, made up of the biggest stars in bowling, will compete in the Pan American Games Trials on Tuesday and Wednesday at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. PBA's Extra Frame and BOWL.com are providing Live Streaming of the Team USA Pan Am Games Trials Tuesday and Wednesday from 8.45 a.m. - Noon and 1:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (CDT) both days and Brunswick is also providing live online scoring on both days.
When the men of Team USA descend upon the International Training and Research Center next week for their annual training camp, they also will battle for spots in the Pan American Games. The Pan American Games Trials will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday with the top two players advancing to represent the United States in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October. The Pan American Games are an Americas version of the Olympic Games.
The amazing footage of Josh Scanlan's errant shot during the BOWL.com live streaming coverage of the United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials last week has gone viral and surpassed more than one million views online. Originally posted on USBC's YouTube channel Friday morning, the video has been viewed more than 1,200,000 times on Yahoo! The YouTube channel has more than 195,000 views. The video shows his entire 10th frame in which the shot occurred.
Defending champion Brenda Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, and Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., hold the lead heading into the final day at the 2011 USBC Team USA Trials. Padilla had the high nine-game block in the women's field on the 47-foot Paris lane pattern Thursday to surge into the lead with a 27-game total of 5,931, an average of 219.6. Fagan, meanwhile, stayed in the lead for the third consecutive day and has a total of 6,119, an average of 226.6.
Shannon Pluhowsky, Walter Ray Williams Jr. lead Day Two on Stockholm pattern
At the halfway point of the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials, Diandra Asbaty of Chicago and Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., remained at the top of the standings after 18 games. Asbaty holds a slim seven-pin lead with a two-day total of 3,929, an average of 218.2, while Fagan leads with 4,192, an average of 232.8, at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in suburban Las Vegas. Competition continues Thursday with the third of four nine-game blocks.
Team USA's Shannon Pluhowsky (pictured) of Kettering, Ohio, capped off a record-setting year by capturing her third World Bowling Writers Female Bowler of the Year honor and a spot in the WBW Hall of Fame. She joins Australia's Cara Honeychurch (1998) and Colombian standout Clara Juliana Guerrero (2009) as the only bowlers to receive both awards in the same year. The 2011 WBW Male Bowler of the Year is PBA star Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, and Sweden's Raymond Jansson will join Pluhowsky in the WBW Hall of Fame.
Toby Sambueno of Henderson, Nev., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., took the lead after the opening round Monday at the 2012 USBC Team USA Trials. Sambueno and Johnson led with seven-game total of 1,664 (237.71 average) and 1,543 (220.43), resp., and each earned one point for their first-place finishes in Round 1. The players in the field earn points based on their finishing position each round. After four rounds, the man and the woman with the least amount of points will be crowned champions.
In two major announcements, the United States Bowling Congress has selected 10 athletes to join Team USA in 2012, while the winners of the USBC Team USA Trials will earn automatic spots to compete in the QubicaAMF World Cup. Five men and five women have been selected to Team USA members for 2012. The remainder of the roster will be determined at the Team USA Trials in Las Vegas from Jan. 2-6.
The efforts of Shannon Pluhowsky and her Team USA teammates at the World Tenpin Bowling Association Women's World Championships last month in Hong Kong were recognized by the United States Olympic Committee on Friday. Pluhowsky (pictured left) earned second place in the voting for the USOC's Female Athlete of the Month for September, while Pluhowsky and her teammates (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Stefanie Nation, Kelly Kulick, Liz Johnson and Shannon O'Keefe) finished third in the voting for the USOC's Team of the Month.
With the qualification process now complete, the Team USA roster for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, this October has been finalized. Representing the United States in the women's division will be Kelly Kulick (pictured left) of Union, N.J., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. The men's team will be represented by Bill O'Neill (right) of Southampton, Pa. and Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.
With 80 percent of the qualifying process completed for the 2011 Pan American Games, Team USA's Kelly Kulick (l.) of Union, N.J., and Liz Johnson (r.) of Cheektowaga, N.Y., are in position to earn spots in the event in Guadalajara, Mexico. Kulick and Johnson finished first and second, respectively, in the 32-game Team USA Women's Pan American Games Trials over the past two days at the International Training and Research Center. 
The biggest names in bowling will travel the world to represent the United States in international competition this year as the roster for four events was finalized Thursday. The only worldwide event on the calendar for the Team USA men in 2011 is the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Nov. 30-Dec. 7. Tommy Jones (pictured) of Simpsonville, S.C., has been selected to represent the United States in that event. Rosters for the women and juniors competing in international events will be announced at a later date.
Team USA's Bill O'Neill and Chris Barnes (l-r) will represent the United States in the men's division at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October. The two stars on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour survived a qualifying process that gave them points based on their finish at the Pan American Games Trials (60 percent), the United States Bowling Congress Masters (20 percent) and the U.S. Open (20 percent).
After 16 of 32 games, Bill O'Neill (l.) leads a field of eleven Team USA members competing in the Pan American Games Trials at the International training and Research Center. Powered by a 300 game, O'Neill fired 3,867, an average of 241.68, to top the field on Tuesday. Chris Barnes (r.) is second with 3,673. All bowlers will return Wednesday for the final two blocks of eight games. 
Defending champion Brenda Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, and Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., hold the lead heading into the final day at the 2011 USBC Team USA Trials. Padilla had the high nine-game block in the women's field on the 47-foot Paris lane pattern Thursday to surge into the lead with a 27-game total of 5,931, an average of 219.6. Fagan, meanwhile, stayed in the lead for the third consecutive day and has a total of 6,119, an average of 226.6. 
At the halfway point of the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials, Diandra Asbaty of Chicago and Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., remained at the top of the standings after 18 games. Asbaty holds a slim seven-pin lead with a two-day total of 3,929, an average of 218.2, while Fagan leads with 4,192, an average of 232.8, at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in suburban Las Vegas. Competition continues Thursday with the third of four nine-game blocks. 