Americans Sweep Mixed Doubles at Tournament of Americas
August 13, 2009
The contingent representing Team USA had another successful day at the 47th Tournament of the Americas, collecting all four gold medals and adding two silver during mixed doubles competition at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday.
Andrew Koff of Miami and Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., won the Junior A (16-19) Division with a six-game total of 2,676. Koff and Earnest have now taken gold medals in all three events in which they have participated - singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
"Putting Jessica and Andrew together was kind of a no-brainer from a coaching standpoint," USBC Coaching Specialist Bryan O'Keefe said. "They've both bowled great the entire time, Andrew especially. I sit back and try to watch a few little things in his game, but when he's shooting 230 every game, it's tough to pick anything out to work on."
Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., also appears to have his game in fine working order. The youngest bowler on the American team at age 14, Coffey, too, has won gold in all three events at this year's tournament. His latest first-place finish came as a result of the 2,475 he and teammate Ana Koff of Miami combined to shoot in the Junior B (12-15) Division.
Carol Teel of The Villages, Fla., and Ed Roberts of Braintree, Mass., won the Senior Division with a 2,414, leaving Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., and Tim Pfeifer of Cranberry Township, Pa., to collect Team USA's final gold of the day, which came by virtue of the 2,605 they put up in the Adult Division.
The American team's two silver-medal performances were authored by the duo of Dayna Galganski of Palm Beach, Fla., and Chris Pierson of Waukesha, Wis., in Junior A and Daulton Shaffer of Cape Coral, Fla., and Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla., in Junior B, who shot 2,568 and 2,387, respectively.
"Everybody is just bowling great," O'Keefe said. "We swept the gold medals again, and we nearly had every one of our teams finish in the top three for the second day in a row. You can't really ask for much more than that.
"Now, we are all really excited to get the team competition underway because, when you're bowling for your country, the team event is what it's all about. We've been communicating very well, so our sights are going to be set pretty high again over the next couple of days."
Team competition will take place Friday and Saturday with teams bowling six games each day. Winners in each division will be crowned based upon the highest 12-game totals.
The Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. The invitational competition is for countries of PABCON (Pan American Bowling Confederation - the American Zone of World Tenpin Bowling Association).
THURSDAY'S MIXED DOUBLES RESULTS (USA results only) (Through 6 of 6 games)
ADULT DIVISION - Gold - Josie Earnest - Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,605; 4. Ricki Williams - John Szczerbinski (USA).
SENIOR DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel - Ed Roberts (USA) 2,414; 4. Christine Srock - Phil Prieto (USA).
JUNIOR A (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest - Andrew Koff (USA) 2,676; Silver - Dayna Galganski - Chris Pierson (USA) 2,568.
JUNIOR B (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Ana Koff - Michael Coffey (USA) 2,475; Silver - Elise Bolton - Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,387.
WEDNESDAY'S DOUBLES RESULTS
Final results (Through 6 of 6 games)
ADULT MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Alejandro Cruz and Daniel Falconi (Mexico) 2,710; Silver - Edgardo Ruiz and Gabriel Sanchez (Puerto Rico) 2,652; Bronze - John Szczerbinski and Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,599.
ADULT WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Iliana Lomeli and Aseret Zetter (Mexico) 2,574; Silver - Ingellimar Contreras and Patrici De Faria, Venezuela) 2,503; Bronze - Josie Earnest and Ricki Williams (USA) 2,475.
SENIOR MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Pedro Diaz and Arturo Hernandez (Venezuela) 2,473; Silver - Luis Matias and Tony Santa (Puerto Rico) 2,342; Bronze - Ed Roberts and Phil Prieto (USA) 2,323.
SENIOR WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel and Christine Srock (USA) 2,252; Silver - Lauraine Fast and Elizabeth Wong (Canada) 2,176; Bronze - Angelica Ruiz and Fransuesa Sacre (Mexico) 2,119.
JUNIOR A MEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Andrew Koff and Chris Pierson (USA) 2,768; Silver - Kevin Belandria and Carlos Cottone (Venezuela) 2,560; Bronze - Angel Guzman and Israel Hernandez (Puerto Rico) 2,457.
JUNIOR B MEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Michael Coffey and Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,488; Silver - Raymond Rohena and Jorge Serrano (Puerto Rico) 2,311; Bronze - Sebastian Donado and Nicolas Narino (Colombia) 2,114.
JUNIOR A WOMEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest and Dayna Galganski (USA) 2,376; Silver - Jackeline Gerani and Aura Mendez (Venezuela) 2,370; Bronze - Pamela Beaudin and Kodee Pilling (Canada) 2,298.
JUNIOR B WOMEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Ana Koff and Elise Bolton (USA) 2,445; Silver - Juliana Franco and Tatiana Munoz (Colombia) 2,112; Bronze - Valerie Bermudez and Kristie Lopez (Puerto Rico) 1,964.
Andrew Koff of Miami and Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., won the Junior A (16-19) Division with a six-game total of 2,676. Koff and Earnest have now taken gold medals in all three events in which they have participated - singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
"Putting Jessica and Andrew together was kind of a no-brainer from a coaching standpoint," USBC Coaching Specialist Bryan O'Keefe said. "They've both bowled great the entire time, Andrew especially. I sit back and try to watch a few little things in his game, but when he's shooting 230 every game, it's tough to pick anything out to work on."
Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., also appears to have his game in fine working order. The youngest bowler on the American team at age 14, Coffey, too, has won gold in all three events at this year's tournament. His latest first-place finish came as a result of the 2,475 he and teammate Ana Koff of Miami combined to shoot in the Junior B (12-15) Division.
Carol Teel of The Villages, Fla., and Ed Roberts of Braintree, Mass., won the Senior Division with a 2,414, leaving Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., and Tim Pfeifer of Cranberry Township, Pa., to collect Team USA's final gold of the day, which came by virtue of the 2,605 they put up in the Adult Division.
The American team's two silver-medal performances were authored by the duo of Dayna Galganski of Palm Beach, Fla., and Chris Pierson of Waukesha, Wis., in Junior A and Daulton Shaffer of Cape Coral, Fla., and Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla., in Junior B, who shot 2,568 and 2,387, respectively.
"Everybody is just bowling great," O'Keefe said. "We swept the gold medals again, and we nearly had every one of our teams finish in the top three for the second day in a row. You can't really ask for much more than that.
"Now, we are all really excited to get the team competition underway because, when you're bowling for your country, the team event is what it's all about. We've been communicating very well, so our sights are going to be set pretty high again over the next couple of days."
Team competition will take place Friday and Saturday with teams bowling six games each day. Winners in each division will be crowned based upon the highest 12-game totals.
The Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. The invitational competition is for countries of PABCON (Pan American Bowling Confederation - the American Zone of World Tenpin Bowling Association).
THURSDAY'S MIXED DOUBLES RESULTS (USA results only) (Through 6 of 6 games)
ADULT DIVISION - Gold - Josie Earnest - Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,605; 4. Ricki Williams - John Szczerbinski (USA).
SENIOR DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel - Ed Roberts (USA) 2,414; 4. Christine Srock - Phil Prieto (USA).
JUNIOR A (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest - Andrew Koff (USA) 2,676; Silver - Dayna Galganski - Chris Pierson (USA) 2,568.
JUNIOR B (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Ana Koff - Michael Coffey (USA) 2,475; Silver - Elise Bolton - Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,387.
WEDNESDAY'S DOUBLES RESULTS
Final results (Through 6 of 6 games)
ADULT MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Alejandro Cruz and Daniel Falconi (Mexico) 2,710; Silver - Edgardo Ruiz and Gabriel Sanchez (Puerto Rico) 2,652; Bronze - John Szczerbinski and Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,599.
ADULT WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Iliana Lomeli and Aseret Zetter (Mexico) 2,574; Silver - Ingellimar Contreras and Patrici De Faria, Venezuela) 2,503; Bronze - Josie Earnest and Ricki Williams (USA) 2,475.
SENIOR MEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Pedro Diaz and Arturo Hernandez (Venezuela) 2,473; Silver - Luis Matias and Tony Santa (Puerto Rico) 2,342; Bronze - Ed Roberts and Phil Prieto (USA) 2,323.
SENIOR WOMEN'S DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel and Christine Srock (USA) 2,252; Silver - Lauraine Fast and Elizabeth Wong (Canada) 2,176; Bronze - Angelica Ruiz and Fransuesa Sacre (Mexico) 2,119.
JUNIOR A MEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Andrew Koff and Chris Pierson (USA) 2,768; Silver - Kevin Belandria and Carlos Cottone (Venezuela) 2,560; Bronze - Angel Guzman and Israel Hernandez (Puerto Rico) 2,457.
JUNIOR B MEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Michael Coffey and Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,488; Silver - Raymond Rohena and Jorge Serrano (Puerto Rico) 2,311; Bronze - Sebastian Donado and Nicolas Narino (Colombia) 2,114.
JUNIOR A WOMEN'S (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest and Dayna Galganski (USA) 2,376; Silver - Jackeline Gerani and Aura Mendez (Venezuela) 2,370; Bronze - Pamela Beaudin and Kodee Pilling (Canada) 2,298.
JUNIOR B WOMEN'S (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Ana Koff and Elise Bolton (USA) 2,445; Silver - Juliana Franco and Tatiana Munoz (Colombia) 2,112; Bronze - Valerie Bermudez and Kristie Lopez (Puerto Rico) 1,964.