Pennsylvania bowler edges into lead at 2017 USBC Women's Championships
June 12, 2017
By Aaron Smith and Scott Simon
USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. - Michele Menges of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, may not bowl as much as she used to after making the decision to further her education, but she still enjoys the opportunity to compete on the lanes.
Menges took that passion to the Raising Cane's River Center to make her fifth United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships appearance this week, and the 53-year-old left-hander delivered a strike on her final shot Saturday to secure the lead in Amethyst All-Events.
Using sets of 510 in team, 503 in singles and 469 in doubles, Menges was able to edge previous leader, Robin Miles of Alberta, Minnesota, by a single pin, finishing with a 1,482 total.
Her singles effort, which included games of 161, 169 and 173, also was enough to push her into eighth place in the singles standings. Ashley Guzman of Waukegan, Illinois, leads Amethyst Singles with 530.
Needing 172 in her final game for a share of the all-events lead, Menges started strong, rolling three consecutive strikes, but she needed every pin on her fill ball after back-to-back opens in the seventh and eighth frames.
Menges has had to limit her bowling since 2014, when she began taking accounting classes in the evening, in addition to her full-time job in customer service.
With limited time on the lanes, Menges was surprised that her overall effort was enough to take the lead, and she attributed her success at the River Center to keying in on three things.
"I just try to focus, hit my mark and not drop the ball," Menges laughed. "I came in hoping I would make my average every game. That's all I really hoped for, so to take the lead is a nice surprise."
Amethyst All-Events includes bowlers with entering averages of 130-144.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women's Championships page.
USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. - Michele Menges of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, may not bowl as much as she used to after making the decision to further her education, but she still enjoys the opportunity to compete on the lanes.
Menges took that passion to the Raising Cane's River Center to make her fifth United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships appearance this week, and the 53-year-old left-hander delivered a strike on her final shot Saturday to secure the lead in Amethyst All-Events.
Using sets of 510 in team, 503 in singles and 469 in doubles, Menges was able to edge previous leader, Robin Miles of Alberta, Minnesota, by a single pin, finishing with a 1,482 total.
Her singles effort, which included games of 161, 169 and 173, also was enough to push her into eighth place in the singles standings. Ashley Guzman of Waukegan, Illinois, leads Amethyst Singles with 530.
Needing 172 in her final game for a share of the all-events lead, Menges started strong, rolling three consecutive strikes, but she needed every pin on her fill ball after back-to-back opens in the seventh and eighth frames.
Menges has had to limit her bowling since 2014, when she began taking accounting classes in the evening, in addition to her full-time job in customer service.
With limited time on the lanes, Menges was surprised that her overall effort was enough to take the lead, and she attributed her success at the River Center to keying in on three things.
"I just try to focus, hit my mark and not drop the ball," Menges laughed. "I came in hoping I would make my average every game. That's all I really hoped for, so to take the lead is a nice surprise."
Amethyst All-Events includes bowlers with entering averages of 130-144.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women's Championships page.