USBC Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin leads after opening day at 2017 Senior Queens
May 24, 2017
BATON ROUGE, La. - United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida, paced the field through two rounds of qualifying Wednesday at the 2017 USBC Senior Queens.
Sandelin, the 2007 and 2013 Senior Queens champion, rolled five-game blocks of 957 and 1,029 for a 1,986 total at Circle Bowl, edging Regina Aboud of San Jose, California, who finished the day in second place with 1,983.
Kristy Whitcher of Belfair, Washington, is third with 1,970, and Debbie Ayers of La Mesa, California, is fourth with 1,967. USBC Hall of Famer Robin Romeo, who has captured the last three Senior Queens titles, is fifth with 1,933.
"It's going to be a grind," said Sandelin, a 10-time Team USA member. "This week is going to be about who can make their spares and take advantage when they can catch a 200 or 220. Keeping your rhythm and tempo, along with making spares, is going to be key."
Sandelin averaged better than 205 in her second block after applying a recent tip she saw on social media to her own game.
"There was a tip during an interview with Lindsay Boomershine at the (USBC) Queens about how she was staying low and slow," Sandelin said. "I told myself that I was going to stay low and slow during the second block. I wanted to keep everything compact, and I needed to be in more control of my form so I could consistently hit my target. That really helped me today."
All competitors will return to the lanes Thursday at 9 a.m. Eastern for five additional games of qualifying, after which the field will be cut to the top 31 players, plus Romeo, for the double-elimination match-play bracket, which will have its opening rounds start Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Bracket matches will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
Bracket play will continue Friday until five players remain for the stepladder finals, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide broadcast coverage throughout the remainder of competition.
Sandelin, the 2007 and 2013 Senior Queens champion, rolled five-game blocks of 957 and 1,029 for a 1,986 total at Circle Bowl, edging Regina Aboud of San Jose, California, who finished the day in second place with 1,983.
Kristy Whitcher of Belfair, Washington, is third with 1,970, and Debbie Ayers of La Mesa, California, is fourth with 1,967. USBC Hall of Famer Robin Romeo, who has captured the last three Senior Queens titles, is fifth with 1,933.
"It's going to be a grind," said Sandelin, a 10-time Team USA member. "This week is going to be about who can make their spares and take advantage when they can catch a 200 or 220. Keeping your rhythm and tempo, along with making spares, is going to be key."
Sandelin averaged better than 205 in her second block after applying a recent tip she saw on social media to her own game.
"There was a tip during an interview with Lindsay Boomershine at the (USBC) Queens about how she was staying low and slow," Sandelin said. "I told myself that I was going to stay low and slow during the second block. I wanted to keep everything compact, and I needed to be in more control of my form so I could consistently hit my target. That really helped me today."
All competitors will return to the lanes Thursday at 9 a.m. Eastern for five additional games of qualifying, after which the field will be cut to the top 31 players, plus Romeo, for the double-elimination match-play bracket, which will have its opening rounds start Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Bracket matches will be three games, with total pinfall determining who advances.
Bracket play will continue Friday until five players remain for the stepladder finals, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide broadcast coverage throughout the remainder of competition.