After 90 years of competition, the USBC Women's Championships recently got a makeover, and the upgrades were well-received by more than 30,000 competitors who traveled to El Paso, Texas, for the 2010 edition of the storied event.

The 2010 Women's Championships also garnered attention from outside of the bowling industry and landed on the official ballot for one of SportsTravel magazine's 2010 SportsTravel Awards.

The ballot includes nominees in amateur, collegiate and professional categories, and awards will be presented for best single-sport event, best multi-sport or multi-discipline event and best sports event series or circuit in each category. To be eligible, nominated events had to occur between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010.

"It has been an exciting year for USBC and the Women's Championships, and it is very satisfying to be considered among the top sporting events in the world," said Brian Lewis, USBC's Managing Director of Tournaments. "We are proud of the evolution and growth of our tournaments and events, and being recognized for our efforts is proof of our impact in the industry."

The 2010 Women's Championships is one of six finalists for Best Sports Event Series or Circuit in the Amateur Sporting Events category. The tournament, which has been held in 56 cities since its inception in 1916, made its first visit to El Paso this year and attracted 5,864 five-player teams during its 100-day run from March 27 until July 4.

In 2011, the Women's Championships will make its third visit to Syracuse, N.Y., and 10th trip to the Empire State overall. Syracuse hosted the event in 1940 and 1954, featuring 1,185 and 4,538 teams, respectively. The 2011 tournament kicks off its 88-day run on April 7, and more than 6,000 teams are expected to compete.

Nominations for this year's awards were made by SportsTravel readers and ballots can be found in the August and September issues of SportsTravel magazine or online at www.sportstravelmagazine.com.

Voting will continue through Monday, Sept. 13, and winners will be announced on Oct. 21, 2010, at the TEAMS (Travel, Events And Management in Sports) '10 Conference & Expo in Charlotte, N.C.

Also up for grabs will be the title of Best New Sporting Event of the past year, which includes the Professional Bowlers Association's World Series of Bowling, and an overall Sports Event of the Year from among the nominated events.

For the first time, the Women's Championships was held in a convention-center setting, as 48 lanes were specially-constructed inside the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center. All previous tournaments, with the exception of events held at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., every third year since 1997, were held in traditional bowling centers.

Along with the setting, the tournament format also had a new look this year as it was pared down from five divisions to three, and a 100-percent handicap format was introduced.

Cities that host the Women's Championships, the world's largest participatory sporting event for women, can expect to see more than 60,000 visitors (bowlers and guests) and an economic impact of more than $40 million.

"Events such as this one are a prime example of the achievement of excellence in the organization and management of sporting events," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine, which organizes the TEAMS Conference & Expo. "SportsTravel readers are the leaders of the sports-event industry, and they know what it takes to execute a high-quality event. The SportsTravel Awards program is an opportunity for them to honor their peers for a job well done."