Johnson holds lead at 2026 USBC Senior Queens after two rounds of qualifying
April 17, 2026
Standings after Round 2 of qualifying
LAS VEGAS – The first two rounds of qualifying are complete at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens, contested at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas, and there’s a familiar name at the top of the standings.
Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, bowled a 10-game qualifying total of 2,342 to lead the way, similar to what she did in 2025 on her way to the Senior Queens title after leading heading into match play.
“Yeah, definitely a little bit,” Johnson said when asked if her defending champion status helped her feel more comfortable. “I was just trying to get my legs under me coming out of practice and into today, just getting an idea of what equipment is working, where to play the lanes, and getting comfortable overall because the real tournament starts Friday night.”
Lynda Barnes of Denton, Texas, is second with 2,223, while Penny Fentiman of Sweet Home, Oregon, is third with 2,200. Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado (2,179), and Bonnie Wright of Lutz, Florida (2,168), round out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Johnson, who has stayed active on the Professional Bowlers Association 50 Tour and the Professional Women’s Bowling Association tours since her win last year, credited that schedule for helping her stay sharp.
“I think doing everything as much as I can is helping me learn how to handle different shots and moves, and it keeps me sharp,” Johnson said. “For me, the more I bowl, the sharper I can be, and it helps from one tournament to another. Even if I don’t do as well in one, it becomes a learning experience for the next one.”
Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, who won the 2022 Senior Queens, sits in sixth with 2,146, while Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, and Germany’s Anette Fineiss are tied for seventh at 2,129. The 2024 Senior Queens champion, Kathy Ledford of Boise, Idaho (2,125), and Devera Buckley of St. Louis (2,123) close out the top 10. Holding the 32nd and final spot into match play is Lana Mink of Kapolei, Hawaii, with 1,962.
With match play looming after the third round of qualifying, Johnson emphasized her steady approach.
“I try to keep my mindset the same—just go one block at a time, one game at a time,” Johnson said. “In match play, one person can shoot a low score and win, another can shoot a higher score and lose. That’s just the format, especially at the Queens. It really comes down to the person—it doesn’t matter where you qualify.”
There was also a 300 rolled by Sandi Charles of Nolanville, Texas, the first at the Senior Queens since 2018 and the fourth overall since the event began in 2000.
As for a potential title defense, Johnson kept her expectations simple.
“It’d be fantastic,” she said. “I’m just going to try to do the best I can, hopefully win some matches and make it back again.”
Qualifying concludes Friday with the final qualifying squad at noon Eastern before the top 31 bowlers and Johnson advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket at 5 p.m. Eastern. All matches will utilize a three-game total-pinfall format to determine who advances. As defending champion, Johnson is guaranteed no worse than the No. 32 spot in match play and can improve her seeding in qualifying.
Match play will continue all day Saturday starting at noon Eastern, with the final two bowlers in the Winners Bracket scheduled to bowl at 4:30 p.m. Eastern for the top seed in Sunday’s stepladder finals. The remaining three spots will be determined a short time later in the final Elimination Bracket match, where the final four bowlers will bowl, and the lowest score will be eliminated.
The stepladder finals begin at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday to find out who will take home the title, tiara and $8,000 top prize. As a true double-elimination format event, the No. 1 seed in the stepladder finals will have to be beaten twice in the championship match in order to be denied the title.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.
LAS VEGAS – The first two rounds of qualifying are complete at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens, contested at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas, and there’s a familiar name at the top of the standings.
Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, bowled a 10-game qualifying total of 2,342 to lead the way, similar to what she did in 2025 on her way to the Senior Queens title after leading heading into match play.
“Yeah, definitely a little bit,” Johnson said when asked if her defending champion status helped her feel more comfortable. “I was just trying to get my legs under me coming out of practice and into today, just getting an idea of what equipment is working, where to play the lanes, and getting comfortable overall because the real tournament starts Friday night.”
Lynda Barnes of Denton, Texas, is second with 2,223, while Penny Fentiman of Sweet Home, Oregon, is third with 2,200. Rina Sabo of Bennett, Colorado (2,179), and Bonnie Wright of Lutz, Florida (2,168), round out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Johnson, who has stayed active on the Professional Bowlers Association 50 Tour and the Professional Women’s Bowling Association tours since her win last year, credited that schedule for helping her stay sharp.
“I think doing everything as much as I can is helping me learn how to handle different shots and moves, and it keeps me sharp,” Johnson said. “For me, the more I bowl, the sharper I can be, and it helps from one tournament to another. Even if I don’t do as well in one, it becomes a learning experience for the next one.”
Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, who won the 2022 Senior Queens, sits in sixth with 2,146, while Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, and Germany’s Anette Fineiss are tied for seventh at 2,129. The 2024 Senior Queens champion, Kathy Ledford of Boise, Idaho (2,125), and Devera Buckley of St. Louis (2,123) close out the top 10. Holding the 32nd and final spot into match play is Lana Mink of Kapolei, Hawaii, with 1,962.
With match play looming after the third round of qualifying, Johnson emphasized her steady approach.
“I try to keep my mindset the same—just go one block at a time, one game at a time,” Johnson said. “In match play, one person can shoot a low score and win, another can shoot a higher score and lose. That’s just the format, especially at the Queens. It really comes down to the person—it doesn’t matter where you qualify.”
There was also a 300 rolled by Sandi Charles of Nolanville, Texas, the first at the Senior Queens since 2018 and the fourth overall since the event began in 2000.
As for a potential title defense, Johnson kept her expectations simple.
“It’d be fantastic,” she said. “I’m just going to try to do the best I can, hopefully win some matches and make it back again.”
Qualifying concludes Friday with the final qualifying squad at noon Eastern before the top 31 bowlers and Johnson advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket at 5 p.m. Eastern. All matches will utilize a three-game total-pinfall format to determine who advances. As defending champion, Johnson is guaranteed no worse than the No. 32 spot in match play and can improve her seeding in qualifying.
Match play will continue all day Saturday starting at noon Eastern, with the final two bowlers in the Winners Bracket scheduled to bowl at 4:30 p.m. Eastern for the top seed in Sunday’s stepladder finals. The remaining three spots will be determined a short time later in the final Elimination Bracket match, where the final four bowlers will bowl, and the lowest score will be eliminated.
The stepladder finals begin at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday to find out who will take home the title, tiara and $8,000 top prize. As a true double-elimination format event, the No. 1 seed in the stepladder finals will have to be beaten twice in the championship match in order to be denied the title.
For more information on the USBC Senior Queens, visit BOWL.com/SeniorQueens.