U.S. wins eight gold medals in doubles at 2016 TOA

ARLINGTON, Texas - The United States added to its gold-medal count Wednesday at the 54th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas by finishing in the top spot in eight of 10 divisions in doubles competition at Strikers Family Sportscenter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The doubles portion of the event included six games, with total pinfall determining the medalists.

The competitors representing the United States in the Junior A (ages 16-19) and Junior B (ages 12-15) divisions swept the gold medals Wednesday.

Junior Team USA's Kenny Ryan and Meeco Walker won the boys' Junior A title with a 2,394 total, while Sydney Brummett and Hollyann Johansen collected the win in girls' Junior A with 2,280.

"It's a one-of-a-kind feeling to win a gold medal for Junior Team USA," said Walker, who is making his debut on Junior Team USA in 2016. "It means everything since this is the first time I've been able to bowl for my country."

The win in Junior A doubles was the second consecutive at the event for Ryan, who relied on his previous experience in firing a 1,276 six-game total to lead the way.

"The experience of last year helped me because I understood the mindset it takes to keep cool for every game and every frame," said Ryan, who won gold in 2015 with Michael Coffey. "Being able to win a gold medal with and for your teammates and country is a special feeling. Hopefully we can keep it going for the team event."

Tom Hankey Jr. and Jonathan Cummins cruised to gold in boys' Junior B with 2,498, and Katherine Corbin and Danielle Jedlicki led after the first game and never looked back on their way to victory with a 2,194 total.

Team USA's Josie Earnest and Junior Team USA's Haley Richard teamed up to win gold in the Adult Female division with a 2,385 total.

Canada's Zach Wilkins and Josh Brant-Parkin took the lead during the final game of the first block and continued strong to capture gold in the Adult Male category by more than 160 pins with a 2,567 total. Team USA's Chris Via and Junior Team USA's Thomas Peters earned a silver medal with a 2,405 performance.

The gold medals in the Senior Male and Super Senior Male divisions went to the United States, as Pete Thomas and Charles McLean (2,300) and Jerry Teel and Doug Hayes (2,279) outdistanced the competition, respectively. Canada's Caroline Gagnon and Cathy Harvey (2,110) won gold in the Senior Female division, and Carol Teel and Terri Ward of the United States won the Super Senior Female division with 2,091.

Mixed doubles competition will take place Thursday.

The Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. It is an invitational event for countries in the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON), the American Zone of World Bowling.

In each division, teams of two men and two women compete in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and mixed team. After the completion of those events, individual all-events and national all-events champions are recognized, too.

For more information on the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas, visit BowlingAmericas.com.

2016 LEE EVANS TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS RESULTS

DOUBLES

Adult Women -
1, Haley Richard/Josie Earnest, USA, 2,385. 2, Christine Johnston/Isabelle Rioux, Canada, 2,121. 3, Adeline Winklaar, Curacao, 981.

Adult Men - 1, Zach Wilkins/Josh Brant-Parkin, Canada, 2,567. 2, Thomas Peters/Chris Via, USA, 2,405. 3, Carlos Cutolo/Emil Kizer, Venezuela, 2,146.

Senior Women - 1, Cathy Harvey/Caroline Gagnon, Canada, 2,110. 2, Tayna Spaulding/Lisa Wasson, USA, 2,041. 3, Margarita Ramos, Mexico, 1,107.

Senior Men - 1, Pete Thomas/Charles McLean Jr., USA, 2,300. 2, Curtis Kruschel/Michel Lesage, Canada, 2,115. 3, Roland Rodrigues/Al Lorenz, Curacao, 2,011.

Super Senior Women - 1, Carol Teel/Terri Ward, USA, 2,091. 2, Lauraine Fast/Elizabeth Wong, Canada, 2,018.

Super Senior Men - 1, Jerry Teel/Doug Hayes, USA, 2,279. 2, Amneris Fernandez/Ron Theriault, Canada, 2,052.

Junior A Women - 1, Sydney Brummett/Hollyann Johansen, USA, 2,280. 2, Karley Foster/Dakota Faichnie, Canada, 2,035. 3, Heizel Quinones/Lou Ann Mabel Rosario, Puerto Rico, 1,927.

Junior A Men - 1, Kenny Ryan/Meeco Walker, USA, 2,394. 2, Marcos Velez/Osvaldo Rosado, Puerto Rico, 2,177. 3, Daniel George/Jakob Bowden, Canada, 2,148.

Junior B Women - 1, Katherine Corbin/Danielle Jedlicki, USA, 2,194. 2, Alejandra Rosado/Sarah Sanes, Puerto Rico, 1,978. 3, Darci Faichnie/Sarah Klassen, Canada, 1,845.

Junior B Men - 1, Tom Hankey Jr./Jonathan Cummins, USA, 2,498. 2, Nicholas Blagojevic/Blake Foster, Canada, 2,137. 3, Jomar Alvarado/Edgar Burgos, Puerto Rico, 2,118.