The 100-day event ushered in a brand-new era in tournament history as bowlers competed in three average-based divisions, compared to five, which included handicap for the first time. The tournament also found a new home as it transitioned from a traditional bowling center to a convention-center setting for the first time.

More than 30,000 bowlers visited El Paso this year, and the 91st edition of the world's largest participatory sporting event for women saw Bowlers Choice Pro Shop of Tonawanda, N.Y., and Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, set scoring records, while the tournament's lone centenarian and participation leader extended their records at the one-of-a-kind 48-lane bowling facility.

Bowlers Choice Pro Shop led the scratch portion of the event as well as the Diamond Division with the highest team series in Women's Championships history. The group fired games of 1,160, 1,085 and 1,179 for a 3,424 scratch effort and received an additional four pins of handicap per game to finish with a 3,436 final total. Together Once Again of North Richland Hills, Texas, previously held the scratch record with 3,350 in 2006.

Nikki Lunsford led the way for Bowlers Choice Pro Shop with a 717 series and was joined by Michelle Sterner (702), Liz Johnson, who entered the year with three titles at the Women's Championships (690), 2007 Classic Division doubles champion Sue Jeziorski (665) and Sue Nawojski (650).

Along with the new divisions, Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire, the bowlers with the highest scratch scores in team, doubles, singles and all-events will be recognized as overall tournament champions.

"This is the one we've been working on for a long time," Jeziorski said. "This means so much to us. It's just a phenomenal feeling. We'll be looking forward to going to Syracuse (N.Y.) to defend the title on our home turf."

Woessner, who won the 2008 PBA Women's Series Shark Championship, destroyed the tournament's all-events record and tied for the highest series in tournament history on her way to a 2,330 all-events total, surpassing Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg of Elk Grove, Calif., who rolled 2,231 in the 2005 event.

During her doubles event, Woessner shot games of 259, 268 and 289 for an 816 series, which tied Michelle Feldman's 2009 singles performance. She added 764 in team and 750 in singles.

Woessner's entering average was more than 220, so she didn't receive any additional pins of handicap, but that didn't stop her from taking the Diamond All-Events lead as well.

"I wondered if I was ever going to bowl well enough at Nationals," Woessner said. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. It's very exciting."

Joining Bowlers Choice Pro Shop and Woessner as an overall tournament champion is Krischna Howard of Hawthorne, Calif., who rolled one of the tournament's three perfect games on her way to a 792 singles effort. She received an additional 22 pins of handicap per game to also grab the Diamond Singles lead with 858.

Australia's Carol Gianotti and Missy Klug of Macomb, Mich., shot the highest scratch doubles set of the tournament, finishing with a 1,431 total. Gianotti led the pair with 770, and Klug added 661. Renee Graham of Seat Pleasant, Md., and Felicia Thorpe of Temple Hills, Md., finished atop the Diamond Doubles standings with 1,484.

In the tournament's final squad Sunday, both the Ruby Doubles and Sapphire All-Events leads changed hands before the tournament officially came to a close.

Joyce Treat of Queen Creek, Ariz., and her daughter-in-law Shawna Treat of Gilbert, Ariz., jumped ahead of the field in Ruby Doubles with a 1,291 total. Shawna rolled a 670 series and Joyce added 543. An additional 26 pins of handicap per game helped them reach their final mark.

"After bowling all of these years, this feeling is priceless," Shawna Treat said. "It means so much to be able to accomplish this with my mother-in-law. We're so close. It's just amazing."

Joyce Treat wasn't finished, however, as her singles and team sets of 487 and 485, respectively, helped her into the Sapphire All-Events lead with 1,659. She received 16 pins of handicap per game.

She credited working with a coach recently to helping her game improve over the past few months.

"It certainly comes as a surprise," Joyce Treat said. "The coaching lessons with David (Leverage) have really paid off. I've never bowled this well. It's just unreal. I really can't believe it."

Other Ruby Division leaders included CRC CARSTAR of Fort Collins, Colo., which paced Ruby Team with 2,880, Betty Brooks of Lakewood, Calif., who shot 1,898 to lead Ruby All-Events and Holly Van Nortwick of Hillsboro, Ore., who shot 690 in Ruby Singles.

East Bay Ladies of Richmond, Calif., finished with the lead in Sapphire Team with 2,528. Shirley Barnes of Wilmington, Del., and Debbie Kennedy of Elkton, Md., topped Sapphire Doubles with 1,088, and Robin Farrish of El Paso, Texas, led Sapphire Singles with 625.

The Diamond Division includes bowlers with averages of 180 and above, with handicap based on 100 percent of 220.

The Ruby Division includes bowlers with averages between 150 and 179, with handicap based on 100 percent of 180.

The Sapphire Division includes bowlers with averages of 149 and below, with handicap based on 100 percent of 150.

Also making headlines at the 2010 Women's Championships were participation leaders Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., and Mini Tvaska of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Hendrickson, a 101-year-old bowling sensation, extended her own record as the tournament's oldest participant as she competed at the Women's Championships for the 51st consecutive time.

Tvaska, 92, has competed in more Women's Championships than any bowler and made her 64th consecutive appearance. Her tournament career began at the 1947 event in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Three other tournaments also graced the championship lanes at the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center. The USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, USBC Queens and USBC Senior Queens were held in Sun City during April.

All standings and prizes for the 2010 event are unofficial until a final verification is made.

The 2011 Women's Championships will be held at OnCenter Complex in Syracuse as the tournament will once again be held in a one-of-a-kind convention-center setting. The tournament is scheduled to start on April 7.

Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Women's Championships are Nationwide Insurance; Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; US Steltronic, official scoring system; Brunswick; Storm Bowling Products Inc.; and the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau.