Strike-filled day features record score at 2024 USBC Women’s Championships
May 11, 2024
RENO, Nev. – Friday was a day full of excitement at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships, which included five lead changes, a record score and perfect game at the National Bowling Stadium.
The record score belonged to the members of Ballard vs. the Big C of Keller, Texas. The team dominated from start to finish to break the four-player team record and take the lead in the Diamond Division with a total score of 2,842.
They came out firing in Game 1 with another near-record score of 1,026, followed by 980 in Game 2 and 836 in Game 3.
The USBC Women’s Championships switched from five-player to four-player teams at the 2014 tournament, and the previous series record belonged to the members of Bowlieve in a Cure of Arlington, Texas, with 2,819 in 2014.
The 1,026 effort in the first game marks the second-highest team game in the four-player era. The top team game belongs to the members of Husker Shox of Minneapolis with 1,043 in 2021.
The team was very confident throughout the three-game series and looked poised throughout as well. Shannon Sellens nearly rolled 300 to start the set, finishing with 289 in her first game.
She followed by firing 236 and 200 for a series total of 725, and Sellens was very happy with her team’s overall record performance.
“Honestly, I am super excited,” said Sellens, who finished fifth at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. “I feel like this was probably one of the times when we built the best overall team performance, from start to finish. We tried as a team to stay ahead of the pace as much as we could, and it was probably the first time we were all so consistent and played well off each other.”
In the previous five editions of the Women’s Championships, Ballard vs. the Big C has recorded three top-five finishes in Diamond Team, including a runner-up finish in 2018 at the National Bowling Stadium.
Sellens, USBC Hall of Famer and five-time Women’s Championships titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Marcia Kloempken have been part of the team in each of those appearances, and 2011 Scratch Team champion Amanda Broege joined the crew at the 2023 event to help the team secure a fifth-place finish in Las Vegas.
“We have gotten so close in years past,” Sellens said. “It’s just one of those things where we’re just like, it’s time – we want it.”
Dorin-Ballard rolled solid games of 223, 259 and 194 for an overall series of 676. Broege had a great series of 714, rolling games of 234, 249 and 231. Kloempken had the best day for their team, firing games of 280, 236 and 211 for a total series of 727.
It just did not stop there for huge bowling moments, though.
The reason why is because Christy Antunez of Grayslake, Illinois, bowled a perfect game in Game 1 of her team event for the fourth 300 game of the 2024 Women’s Championships.
Antunez looked calm, cool and collected throughout her first game.
“I kept telling myself in my mind, don’t screw up,” said Antunez, who made her 23rd tournament appearance. “I was shaking literally, although I guess no one could see it, but I thought consciously everybody could see I was shaking like a leaf for sure.”
Antunez followed up with scores of 172 and 179 for a total series of 651 to help Give Us Our Hits of Ingleside, Illinois, to a 2,564 score in the Diamond Division.
It meant a lot for Antunez to bowl this 300 at the Women’s Championships. She has bowled for most of her entire life. She started around the age of 5 or 6 and her whole family is made up of bowlers.
“I don’t even know what to say with what it means,” Antunez said. “I usually don’t do well here. So to come bowl a 300 and be surrounded by my friends, it makes it that much better.”
During the same squad, another team moved to the top of the leaderboard in the Sapphire Division. That team’s great name is called WHATEVER.
The team from St. Clair Shores, Michigan, did whatever it took to take the overall team lead, rolling to a wonderful series of 1,853. They edged past the previous score of 1,847 held by the members of City of Gold 7 of Oroville, California.
WHATEVER had games of 599, 649 and 605 at the National Bowling Stadium, and the team is excited to be in Reno for the tournament.
“We love it here. We’ve been hanging out here since Thursday and really are enjoying the overall atmosphere,” the teammates said. “We came out and wanted to have a fun time, and it’s great we took the overall lead.”
Justine Dzon scored a team high series of 607. She rolled 190 in Game 1, fired 200 in Game 2 and finished with 217.
Wendy Taylor bowled a total series of 430 for WHATEVER, Kimberly Norman had 419 and Deborah Caminita finished with a total series of 397.
Sapphire Team features four-player groups with combined entering averages of 540 and below.
Having siblings is a special thing. Especially if you get to help each other compete for a first-place performance at the Women’s Championships.
That is exactly what sisters Lora Church and Lynn Versolenko did Friday at the National Bowling Stadium.
They stuck together and helped their Emerald Doubles team take the lead. The sisters bowled a high score of 1,157 to surpass the 1,129 posted by Karen Niese of Ottawa, Ohio, and 2023 Emerald Singles champion Maria Miller of Las Vegas.
Versolenko, from Lebanon, Oregon, led the way with games of 159, 215 and 222 for a total doubles series of 596.
Church, from Sublimity, Oregon, complimented Versolenko with 165, 182 and 214 for 561.
The sisters felt great to be in the lead for Emerald Doubles. When they heard they had taken over the lead, their faces were very jubilant, and they were giving each other high-fives.
“We feel great,” Church and Versolenko said. “Twenty-two years of bowling and we have not been out to the National Bowling Stadium in a little while, so it was nice to be back in Reno. We work very well off each other.”
Emerald Doubles includes bowlers with combined entering averages of 271-310.
The Sapphire Division struck one more time Friday, as a new leader emerged in Sapphire Singles and Sapphire All-Events. Jennifer Kosoris of Milwaukee took the lead in both events.
Kosoris took over all-events with an overall score of 1,570. She passed the previous leader, Kristine Ortwine of San Diego, by 54 pins.
Kosoris also dominated in singles competition by firing a series of 604. She had 232 in Game 1, 202 in Game 2 and 170 in Game 3.
She was just very consistent throughout her games.
“I was just very focused and made sure I did everything the right way,” said Kosoris, who added 503 in doubles and 463 in team. “I just kept thinking in my head of the information my coach told me every time I bowled.”
Kosoris was a little surprised that she had taken two different leads in the Sapphire Division, but she was very focused on the overall goal.
“I was a little shocked, but I am very happy with my overall performance,” said Kosoris, making her sixth appearance. “I stayed focused and was on point. I have been enjoying my time here in Reno as well.”
The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.
From top to bottom, it was a busy day at the National Bowling Stadium. We will see what the rest of the weekend has in store.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.
The record score belonged to the members of Ballard vs. the Big C of Keller, Texas. The team dominated from start to finish to break the four-player team record and take the lead in the Diamond Division with a total score of 2,842.
They came out firing in Game 1 with another near-record score of 1,026, followed by 980 in Game 2 and 836 in Game 3.
The USBC Women’s Championships switched from five-player to four-player teams at the 2014 tournament, and the previous series record belonged to the members of Bowlieve in a Cure of Arlington, Texas, with 2,819 in 2014.
The 1,026 effort in the first game marks the second-highest team game in the four-player era. The top team game belongs to the members of Husker Shox of Minneapolis with 1,043 in 2021.
The team was very confident throughout the three-game series and looked poised throughout as well. Shannon Sellens nearly rolled 300 to start the set, finishing with 289 in her first game.
She followed by firing 236 and 200 for a series total of 725, and Sellens was very happy with her team’s overall record performance.
“Honestly, I am super excited,” said Sellens, who finished fifth at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. “I feel like this was probably one of the times when we built the best overall team performance, from start to finish. We tried as a team to stay ahead of the pace as much as we could, and it was probably the first time we were all so consistent and played well off each other.”
In the previous five editions of the Women’s Championships, Ballard vs. the Big C has recorded three top-five finishes in Diamond Team, including a runner-up finish in 2018 at the National Bowling Stadium.
Sellens, USBC Hall of Famer and five-time Women’s Championships titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Marcia Kloempken have been part of the team in each of those appearances, and 2011 Scratch Team champion Amanda Broege joined the crew at the 2023 event to help the team secure a fifth-place finish in Las Vegas.
“We have gotten so close in years past,” Sellens said. “It’s just one of those things where we’re just like, it’s time – we want it.”
Dorin-Ballard rolled solid games of 223, 259 and 194 for an overall series of 676. Broege had a great series of 714, rolling games of 234, 249 and 231. Kloempken had the best day for their team, firing games of 280, 236 and 211 for a total series of 727.
It just did not stop there for huge bowling moments, though.
The reason why is because Christy Antunez of Grayslake, Illinois, bowled a perfect game in Game 1 of her team event for the fourth 300 game of the 2024 Women’s Championships.
Antunez looked calm, cool and collected throughout her first game.
“I kept telling myself in my mind, don’t screw up,” said Antunez, who made her 23rd tournament appearance. “I was shaking literally, although I guess no one could see it, but I thought consciously everybody could see I was shaking like a leaf for sure.”
Antunez followed up with scores of 172 and 179 for a total series of 651 to help Give Us Our Hits of Ingleside, Illinois, to a 2,564 score in the Diamond Division.
It meant a lot for Antunez to bowl this 300 at the Women’s Championships. She has bowled for most of her entire life. She started around the age of 5 or 6 and her whole family is made up of bowlers.
“I don’t even know what to say with what it means,” Antunez said. “I usually don’t do well here. So to come bowl a 300 and be surrounded by my friends, it makes it that much better.”
During the same squad, another team moved to the top of the leaderboard in the Sapphire Division. That team’s great name is called WHATEVER.
The team from St. Clair Shores, Michigan, did whatever it took to take the overall team lead, rolling to a wonderful series of 1,853. They edged past the previous score of 1,847 held by the members of City of Gold 7 of Oroville, California.
WHATEVER had games of 599, 649 and 605 at the National Bowling Stadium, and the team is excited to be in Reno for the tournament.
“We love it here. We’ve been hanging out here since Thursday and really are enjoying the overall atmosphere,” the teammates said. “We came out and wanted to have a fun time, and it’s great we took the overall lead.”
Justine Dzon scored a team high series of 607. She rolled 190 in Game 1, fired 200 in Game 2 and finished with 217.
Wendy Taylor bowled a total series of 430 for WHATEVER, Kimberly Norman had 419 and Deborah Caminita finished with a total series of 397.
Sapphire Team features four-player groups with combined entering averages of 540 and below.
Having siblings is a special thing. Especially if you get to help each other compete for a first-place performance at the Women’s Championships.
That is exactly what sisters Lora Church and Lynn Versolenko did Friday at the National Bowling Stadium.
They stuck together and helped their Emerald Doubles team take the lead. The sisters bowled a high score of 1,157 to surpass the 1,129 posted by Karen Niese of Ottawa, Ohio, and 2023 Emerald Singles champion Maria Miller of Las Vegas.
Versolenko, from Lebanon, Oregon, led the way with games of 159, 215 and 222 for a total doubles series of 596.
Church, from Sublimity, Oregon, complimented Versolenko with 165, 182 and 214 for 561.
The sisters felt great to be in the lead for Emerald Doubles. When they heard they had taken over the lead, their faces were very jubilant, and they were giving each other high-fives.
“We feel great,” Church and Versolenko said. “Twenty-two years of bowling and we have not been out to the National Bowling Stadium in a little while, so it was nice to be back in Reno. We work very well off each other.”
Emerald Doubles includes bowlers with combined entering averages of 271-310.
The Sapphire Division struck one more time Friday, as a new leader emerged in Sapphire Singles and Sapphire All-Events. Jennifer Kosoris of Milwaukee took the lead in both events.
Kosoris took over all-events with an overall score of 1,570. She passed the previous leader, Kristine Ortwine of San Diego, by 54 pins.
Kosoris also dominated in singles competition by firing a series of 604. She had 232 in Game 1, 202 in Game 2 and 170 in Game 3.
She was just very consistent throughout her games.
“I was just very focused and made sure I did everything the right way,” said Kosoris, who added 503 in doubles and 463 in team. “I just kept thinking in my head of the information my coach told me every time I bowled.”
Kosoris was a little surprised that she had taken two different leads in the Sapphire Division, but she was very focused on the overall goal.
“I was a little shocked, but I am very happy with my overall performance,” said Kosoris, making her sixth appearance. “I stayed focused and was on point. I have been enjoying my time here in Reno as well.”
The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.
From top to bottom, it was a busy day at the National Bowling Stadium. We will see what the rest of the weekend has in store.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.