United States ends 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships with Masters gold medals
August 20, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas - On paper, there was no question about the strength of the United States contingent headed to the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships, and the group was dominant this week at Dream-Bowl Palace near Munich, earning nine of the event's 10 gold medals.
The tournament ended as it began, with United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, atop the podium, this time celebrating her Masters gold medal. World Senior Championships rookie Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, also a hall of famer, won on the men's side.
The Masters portion of the World Senior Championships included the top 24 men and top 24 women from the all-events standings (18 games) competing in a bracket-style format featuring best-of-three matches. The top eight all-events finishers received first-round byes.
In the women's final, Barnes cruised to a 2-0 victory over Norway's Janne Monsen, winning 192-135 and 199-157.
On the way to the gold-medal match, Barnes downed her Team USA teammate Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 2-0 (236-207 and 247-184). Monsen defeated all-events gold medalist Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, 2-0 (236-216 and 204-177).
Nearly a decade ago, Barnes formally announced her retirement from the Team USA program after 12 appearances on the team, allowing her to focus her attention on her family, which includes husband, Chris, a Professional Bowlers Association star, and twin sons, Ryan and Troy.
Though she still bowled regularly, the return of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour in 2015 really gave her an extra push to get sharp. Once again representing her country on the lanes has been a priceless opportunity.
"The last eight or nine years have been about raising a family and bowling when I could to stay sharp, but when the Tour came back, I wanted to be out there to support it," Barnes said. "I have not bowled very well on the Tour, but I've learned a lot by watching the young players and trying to get smarter. I think it panned out well here, again, with the help of supportive teammates."
During her Team USA career, Barnes won a pair of gold medals at the World Youth Championships in 1990 but did not earn a gold medal in four appearances at the adult version of the World Championships.
Her senior debut also included gold medals in singles and team, silver in all-events and bronze in doubles with Dorin-Ballard.
"I'm overwhelmed, speechless and super excited to be here," said Barnes, the 2005 QubicaAMF World Cup champion. "I was excited to get picked, and it was an honor to bowl with such amazing bowlers and teammates. It also was great to see old friends and make new ones and get to play with the best in the world."
Bohn's 2-1 victory against Canada's Joe Ciach was a little more dramatic and ended with the experienced left-hander striking on his final fill ball to shut out Ciach and lock up the gold medal, the third of his international debut with Team USA on his back, in a 238-237 finale.
Ciach had the early momentum after a lopsided 256-170 win to start the match, but Bohn rebounded with a 197-188 win. Bohn was clean in the effort, while back-to-back open frames from Ciach in the sixth and seventh frames were the difference.
Bohn earned his spot in the final with a 2-0 (227-172, 230-159) win over Australia's Shaun Cummings, and Ciach advanced with a 2-0 (213-180, 215-192) performance against Sweden's Stefan Yngstrom.
The dominance for the United States this week in Germany included singles wins for Barnes and Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, a doubles win for Bohn and Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pennsylvania, a successful title defense of the men's and women's team titles and all-events victories for Hulsenberg and Mohr.
The contingent also included Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, while USBC Hall of Famer and USBC Gold coach Bill Spigner served as the Team USA coach for the event.
In all, the United States won 18 medals - nine gold, four silver and five bronze. The only event the United States didn't win at the 2017 World Senior Championships was women's doubles, where the team settled for silver and bronze medals.
"The whole week was high-energy and high-pressure, especially with just trying to make the cuts," Spigner said. "(Team USA head coach) Rod Ross said there would be nothing like standing on the podium and getting a medal, and he was absolutely right. You can't describe the pride you feel, and I am very grateful for the chance I've gotten to help represent the USA."
All bowling this week at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships took place on the 41-foot World Bowling Montreal oil pattern.
The tournament ended as it began, with United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, atop the podium, this time celebrating her Masters gold medal. World Senior Championships rookie Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, also a hall of famer, won on the men's side.
The Masters portion of the World Senior Championships included the top 24 men and top 24 women from the all-events standings (18 games) competing in a bracket-style format featuring best-of-three matches. The top eight all-events finishers received first-round byes.
In the women's final, Barnes cruised to a 2-0 victory over Norway's Janne Monsen, winning 192-135 and 199-157.
On the way to the gold-medal match, Barnes downed her Team USA teammate Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 2-0 (236-207 and 247-184). Monsen defeated all-events gold medalist Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, 2-0 (236-216 and 204-177).
Nearly a decade ago, Barnes formally announced her retirement from the Team USA program after 12 appearances on the team, allowing her to focus her attention on her family, which includes husband, Chris, a Professional Bowlers Association star, and twin sons, Ryan and Troy.
Though she still bowled regularly, the return of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour in 2015 really gave her an extra push to get sharp. Once again representing her country on the lanes has been a priceless opportunity.
"The last eight or nine years have been about raising a family and bowling when I could to stay sharp, but when the Tour came back, I wanted to be out there to support it," Barnes said. "I have not bowled very well on the Tour, but I've learned a lot by watching the young players and trying to get smarter. I think it panned out well here, again, with the help of supportive teammates."
During her Team USA career, Barnes won a pair of gold medals at the World Youth Championships in 1990 but did not earn a gold medal in four appearances at the adult version of the World Championships.
Her senior debut also included gold medals in singles and team, silver in all-events and bronze in doubles with Dorin-Ballard.
"I'm overwhelmed, speechless and super excited to be here," said Barnes, the 2005 QubicaAMF World Cup champion. "I was excited to get picked, and it was an honor to bowl with such amazing bowlers and teammates. It also was great to see old friends and make new ones and get to play with the best in the world."
Bohn's 2-1 victory against Canada's Joe Ciach was a little more dramatic and ended with the experienced left-hander striking on his final fill ball to shut out Ciach and lock up the gold medal, the third of his international debut with Team USA on his back, in a 238-237 finale.
Ciach had the early momentum after a lopsided 256-170 win to start the match, but Bohn rebounded with a 197-188 win. Bohn was clean in the effort, while back-to-back open frames from Ciach in the sixth and seventh frames were the difference.
Bohn earned his spot in the final with a 2-0 (227-172, 230-159) win over Australia's Shaun Cummings, and Ciach advanced with a 2-0 (213-180, 215-192) performance against Sweden's Stefan Yngstrom.
The dominance for the United States this week in Germany included singles wins for Barnes and Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, a doubles win for Bohn and Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pennsylvania, a successful title defense of the men's and women's team titles and all-events victories for Hulsenberg and Mohr.
The contingent also included Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Tish Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, while USBC Hall of Famer and USBC Gold coach Bill Spigner served as the Team USA coach for the event.
In all, the United States won 18 medals - nine gold, four silver and five bronze. The only event the United States didn't win at the 2017 World Senior Championships was women's doubles, where the team settled for silver and bronze medals.
"The whole week was high-energy and high-pressure, especially with just trying to make the cuts," Spigner said. "(Team USA head coach) Rod Ross said there would be nothing like standing on the podium and getting a medal, and he was absolutely right. You can't describe the pride you feel, and I am very grateful for the chance I've gotten to help represent the USA."All bowling this week at the 2017 World Bowling Senior Championships took place on the 41-foot World Bowling Montreal oil pattern.