Team USA wins trios at 2019 World Bowling Women's Championships
August 30, 2019
Results
LAS VEGAS - There's no doubt that years of experience on bowling's biggest stages helped prepare Team USA's Liz Kuhlkin, Jordan Richard and Missy Parkin for the gold-medal rally they mounted Thursday night at 2019 World Bowling Women's Championships.
The three struck on 12 of their last 15 opportunities at the South Point Bowling Plaza to outlast a talented Colombian team, 655-632, and successfully defend the trios title the United States won at the 2017 World Championships, also held at South Point.
Kuhlkin capped the rally with a 10th-frame strike, and though she's been a part of a pair of collegiate national championships, won a doubles title at the World Youth Championships and taken home a U.S. Women's Open title, she said she's never been as nervous as she was in the final frame Thursday.
"That shot, hands down, was the most nervous I've ever been throwing a bowling ball down the lane," said Kuhlkin, a two-time Team USA member. "I'm pretty sure everyone knew that. (Team USA assistant coach Mark Baker) just came over and said, 'give me one shot,' which nicely meant 'calm down.'"
Three splits for Team USA early in the title tilt, all on the right lane, nearly cost them a second consecutive gold medal. But, some simple advice from Baker proved to be the push the three needed.
"The right lane was just a little tighter down lane," Baker said. "We were kind of lucky that Colombia had to finish on that lane. The ball didn't quite go through the pins the same, so you had to get your roll better - make a better shot."
Kuhlkin finished the final with a 233 game and was followed by Richard, who struck on her last six shots for 228 and Parkin (194).
Colombia was consistent from top to bottom, marking in all but one frame, a 2-7-8 split from Juliana Franco in the fourth frame. Clara Guerrero led the effort with a 216 game, all-events winner Maria José Rodriguez had 214 and Franco finished with 202.
The trios win marked the second victory for the United States on Thursday. Team USA started the day with an all-USA singles final featuring Danielle McEwan and Shannon O'Keefe. McEwan won the gold medal, 259-193.
Team USA did not make the doubles medal round that followed, while Colombia had two teams on the lanes - both of which fell short in the semifinals, only motivating them more heading into the trios medal round.
Though they only had a short time to regroup, being the top seed did earn the Colombians a few extra minutes to strategize, since Team USA and Mexico hit the lanes first for their trios semifinal.
In Team USA's win over Mexico, Parkin set the pace as the leadoff bowler and started with five consecutive strikes to help open up a 75-pin lead. That was enough of a head start, and the United States rolled to a 669-628 win.
Kuhlkin struck on four of her last four shots to finish with 235, and she was followed by Parkin (234) and Richard (200). PWBA standout Sandra Gongora led the way for Mexico with a 234 effort and was followed by Paola Limon (215) and Adriana Perez (179).
Colombia then marked in 29 of 30 frames to ease past Korea, 694-620. Korea made all three medal rounds Thursday but only was able to come away with a silver medal in doubles and bronze medals in singles and trios.
Guerrero led the semifinal effort for Colombia with a 247 game and was followed by Rodriguez (233) and Franco (214). Baek Seungja had 231 for Korea and was joined by Kim Moonjeong (214) and Jung Dawun (175).
Mexico and Korea each earned bronze medals.
Thursday's win in trios marked the first gold medals for all three Team USA members at the adult World Championships. Parkin earned a pair of silver medals at the 2013 event, while Kuhlkin and Richard are competing for the first time.
"I can't believe this .. I literally cannot believe this," Richard said. "I was a little quick at the start, and I caught onto that really quick. Then I kept projecting it too far to the right, but in my head, it's going to the right, and that's what I needed it to do. I knew once I shut my angles down, I would be OK. Once I closed it down, I strung strikes at the end when it mattered."
Throwing strikes under pressure certainly is what got the job done for the Team USA women in the end, but it was their information gathering on the 39-foot World Bowling Seoul oil pattern and flawless communication throughout the week that put them in position to do what they're so good at.
As the veteran of the three with 10 years of Team USA experience, Parkin, the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Queens champion, also had some helpful advice for her teammates as they approached the final frames.
"I kind of huddled us all up and just told the girls to stand tall, we have a lot of frames left," Parkin said. "I think it put us in the right frame of mind and we started stringing strikes."
In 2017, it was Team USA's McEwan, O'Keefe and USBC Hall of Famer Kelly Kulick standing on top of the medal stand at South Point.
The action at the 2019 World Women's Championships will resume Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern with the team semifinals, which will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
Second-seeded Mexico will take on Sweden in the first best-of-three Baker semifinal, and Team USA will meet Colombia in the other. The two winners will bowl for the gold medal, and the semifinal losers each will receive bronze medals.
The tournament will conclude Friday afternoon with the Masters medal round, featuring Singapore's Cherie Tan against McEwan and then Colombia's Rodriguez against Sanna Pasanen of Finland.
The 2019 World Women's Championships started with 176 competitors from 34 countries, who competed for medals in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters competition.
The 34 countries that participated this year were: Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Las Vegas and South Point also hosted the World Championships in 2017. That was a combined event featuring men and women - something that happens every four years.
For more information on the 2019 World Women's Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.
LAS VEGAS - There's no doubt that years of experience on bowling's biggest stages helped prepare Team USA's Liz Kuhlkin, Jordan Richard and Missy Parkin for the gold-medal rally they mounted Thursday night at 2019 World Bowling Women's Championships.
The three struck on 12 of their last 15 opportunities at the South Point Bowling Plaza to outlast a talented Colombian team, 655-632, and successfully defend the trios title the United States won at the 2017 World Championships, also held at South Point.
Kuhlkin capped the rally with a 10th-frame strike, and though she's been a part of a pair of collegiate national championships, won a doubles title at the World Youth Championships and taken home a U.S. Women's Open title, she said she's never been as nervous as she was in the final frame Thursday.
"That shot, hands down, was the most nervous I've ever been throwing a bowling ball down the lane," said Kuhlkin, a two-time Team USA member. "I'm pretty sure everyone knew that. (Team USA assistant coach Mark Baker) just came over and said, 'give me one shot,' which nicely meant 'calm down.'"
Three splits for Team USA early in the title tilt, all on the right lane, nearly cost them a second consecutive gold medal. But, some simple advice from Baker proved to be the push the three needed.
"The right lane was just a little tighter down lane," Baker said. "We were kind of lucky that Colombia had to finish on that lane. The ball didn't quite go through the pins the same, so you had to get your roll better - make a better shot."
Kuhlkin finished the final with a 233 game and was followed by Richard, who struck on her last six shots for 228 and Parkin (194).
Colombia was consistent from top to bottom, marking in all but one frame, a 2-7-8 split from Juliana Franco in the fourth frame. Clara Guerrero led the effort with a 216 game, all-events winner Maria José Rodriguez had 214 and Franco finished with 202.
The trios win marked the second victory for the United States on Thursday. Team USA started the day with an all-USA singles final featuring Danielle McEwan and Shannon O'Keefe. McEwan won the gold medal, 259-193.
Team USA did not make the doubles medal round that followed, while Colombia had two teams on the lanes - both of which fell short in the semifinals, only motivating them more heading into the trios medal round.
Though they only had a short time to regroup, being the top seed did earn the Colombians a few extra minutes to strategize, since Team USA and Mexico hit the lanes first for their trios semifinal.
In Team USA's win over Mexico, Parkin set the pace as the leadoff bowler and started with five consecutive strikes to help open up a 75-pin lead. That was enough of a head start, and the United States rolled to a 669-628 win.
Kuhlkin struck on four of her last four shots to finish with 235, and she was followed by Parkin (234) and Richard (200). PWBA standout Sandra Gongora led the way for Mexico with a 234 effort and was followed by Paola Limon (215) and Adriana Perez (179).
Colombia then marked in 29 of 30 frames to ease past Korea, 694-620. Korea made all three medal rounds Thursday but only was able to come away with a silver medal in doubles and bronze medals in singles and trios.
Guerrero led the semifinal effort for Colombia with a 247 game and was followed by Rodriguez (233) and Franco (214). Baek Seungja had 231 for Korea and was joined by Kim Moonjeong (214) and Jung Dawun (175).
Mexico and Korea each earned bronze medals.Thursday's win in trios marked the first gold medals for all three Team USA members at the adult World Championships. Parkin earned a pair of silver medals at the 2013 event, while Kuhlkin and Richard are competing for the first time.
"I can't believe this .. I literally cannot believe this," Richard said. "I was a little quick at the start, and I caught onto that really quick. Then I kept projecting it too far to the right, but in my head, it's going to the right, and that's what I needed it to do. I knew once I shut my angles down, I would be OK. Once I closed it down, I strung strikes at the end when it mattered."
Throwing strikes under pressure certainly is what got the job done for the Team USA women in the end, but it was their information gathering on the 39-foot World Bowling Seoul oil pattern and flawless communication throughout the week that put them in position to do what they're so good at.
As the veteran of the three with 10 years of Team USA experience, Parkin, the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Queens champion, also had some helpful advice for her teammates as they approached the final frames.
"I kind of huddled us all up and just told the girls to stand tall, we have a lot of frames left," Parkin said. "I think it put us in the right frame of mind and we started stringing strikes."
In 2017, it was Team USA's McEwan, O'Keefe and USBC Hall of Famer Kelly Kulick standing on top of the medal stand at South Point.
The action at the 2019 World Women's Championships will resume Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern with the team semifinals, which will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
Second-seeded Mexico will take on Sweden in the first best-of-three Baker semifinal, and Team USA will meet Colombia in the other. The two winners will bowl for the gold medal, and the semifinal losers each will receive bronze medals.
The tournament will conclude Friday afternoon with the Masters medal round, featuring Singapore's Cherie Tan against McEwan and then Colombia's Rodriguez against Sanna Pasanen of Finland.
The 2019 World Women's Championships started with 176 competitors from 34 countries, who competed for medals in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters competition.
The 34 countries that participated this year were: Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Las Vegas and South Point also hosted the World Championships in 2017. That was a combined event featuring men and women - something that happens every four years.
For more information on the 2019 World Women's Championships, visit WorldBowling.org.