Striking Spotlight

RENO, Nev. – The field at the 2021 United States Bowling Congress Queens is down to 32 players after the opening rounds of match play Sunday at the National Bowling Stadium.

There are 16 players remaining in the winners bracket after two rounds in the double-elimination format, with five past USBC Queens champions rolling to undefeated records at the 78-lane venue.

The past champions in the winners bracket includes Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas (2001), Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York (2009, 2015), Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois (2018), Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California (2011), and Latvia’s Diana Zavjalova (2013, 2017).

Defending champion Dasha Kovalova of Ukraine and 2012 champion Diandra Asbaty of Chicago also are in contention in the elimination bracket.

The USBC Queens is the first major championship on the 2021 PWBA Tour schedule, and BowlTV.com is providing wire-to-wire coverage of the event.

Johnson rolled the first 300 game of the 2021 event during her first-round match against Hope Gramly of Aubrey, Texas. Johnson was down by 10 pins heading into the final game before connecting on 12 consecutive strikes to win the three-game total-pinfall match, 719-596.

The USBC Hall of Famer narrowly held on to win her second match Sunday, delivering a strike to start her final frame to lock up a victory against Estefania Cobo of North Richland Hills, Texas, 716-710. Johnson was up by 76 pins heading into the final game, but Cobo rolled 274 to close the gap.

Johnson will face Lindsay Boomershine of Perry, Utah, in her next match.

O’Keefe defeated Russia’s Maria Bulanova (671-656) and Shanna Chepelsky of East Rochester, New York (668-546), to set up a match against Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York.

McEwan, the top seed from qualifying, recorded wins over Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina (732-676), and Indonesia’s Tannya Roumimper (636-619).

O’Keefe and McEwan have finished first and second, respectively, on the PWBA Tour points list the last two seasons.

After winning her first match, Kovalova lost to Jordan Richard of Maumee, Ohio (689-520). She won her final match Sunday in the elimination bracket against 2014 Queens champion Maria José Rodriguez of Colombia (727-653) and will face Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, in the next round.

Kovalova went undefeated in match play on the way to the title at the 2019 event in Wichita, Kansas.

Bracket play resumes Monday at noon Eastern, with the top five athletes advancing to Tuesday’s stepladder finals at 8 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV.

With the finals being broadcast on BowlTV, the top seed will have to be defeated twice in the true double-elimination format.

The champion at the 2021 Queens will take home the $20,000 first-place prize and tiara awarded to the winner.

The 2021 event started with 110 competitors. After 15 games of qualifying over three days, the top 63 players and Kovalova, who was guaranteed a spot in the bracket as the defending champion, advanced to match play.

For more information on the USBC Queens, visit BOWL.com/Queens.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
 
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,524 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

2021 USBC Queens
At National Bowling Stadium
Reno, Nev.

Sunday’s Results

MATCH PLAY
Double-elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall

ROUND 1
(Winners remain in Winners Bracket. Losers move to Elimination Bracket.)

(1) Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., def. (64) Breanna Clemmer, Clover, S.C., 732-676
(33) Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, def. (32) Daria Pajak, Poland, 663-604
(48) Shanna Chepelsky, East Rochester, N.Y., def. (17) Abby Ragsdale, Aurora, Ill., 640-571
(16) Shannon O’Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., def. (49) Maria Bulanova, Russia, 671-656

(9) Shannon Sellens, Long Beach, N.Y., def. (56) Sandra Gongora, Mexico, 628-549
(41) Verity Crawley, England, def. (24) Anggie Ramirez-Perea, Austin, Texas, 706-575
(40) Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, def. (25) Lili Robles, Mexico, 665-631
(8) Kara Mangiola, Spencerport, N.Y., def. (57) Nichole Hiraoka, Daly City, Calif., 648-602

(5) Jordan Richard, Maumee, Ohio, def. (60) Blair Blumenscheid, Columbus, Ohio, 656-571
(28) Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine, def. (37) Kerry Smith, New Holland, Pa., 699-598
(44) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., def. (21) Bryanna Coté, Tucson, Ariz., 669-666
(53) Aseret Zetter, Mexico, def. (12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 615-593

(13) Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., def. (52) Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 722-596
(45) Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., def. (20) Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 653-516
(36) Emily Eckhoff, Denver, def. (29) Erin McCarthy, Elkhorn, Neb., 631-526
(4) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., def. (61) Nicole Kleutgen, Plainfield, Wis., 572-548

(62) Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, def. (3) Stephanie Zavala, Downey, Calif., 679-603
(30) Kayla Pashina, Minnetonka, Minn., def. (35) Taylor Bailey, Joliet, Ill., 721-611
(19) Clara Guerrero, Colombia, def. (46) Amanda Vermilyea, Apple Valley, Minn., 613-606
(14) Taylor Bulthuis, Coral Springs, Fla., def. (51) Christine Gill, Lebanon, Ill., 651-610

(11) Alexis Neuer, Milton, Pa., def. (54) Sabrena Divis, Gillette, Wyo., 715-680
(22) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, def. (43) Ana Molina, Guatemala, 667-571
(38) Lauren Pate, Fairview Heights, Ill., def. (27) Laura Plazas, Colombia, 640-593
(6) Birgit Noreiks, Germany, def. (59) Kristin Nieter, Homewood, Ill., 763-535

(58) Addy Nelson, Gregory, S.D., def. (7) Caitlyn Johnson, Beaumont, Texas, 648-597
(39) Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, def. (26) Valerie Bercier, Muskegon, Mich., 704-686
(42) Gazmine Mason, Cranston, R.I., def. (23) Sydney Brummett, Fort Wayne, Ind., 639-588
(10) Julia Bond, Aurora, Ill., def. (55) Maria José Rodriguez, Colombia, 656-603

(15) Liz Johnson, Niagara Falls, N.Y., def. (50) Hope Gramly, Aubrey, Texas, 719-596
(47) Estefania Cobo, North Richland Hills, Texas, def. (18) Josie Barnes, Hermitage, Tenn., 769-592
(31) Brandi Branka, Belleville, Ill., def. (34) Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 626-570
(63) Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, def. (2) Rocio Restrepo, Uniontown, Ohio, 580-565

ROUND 2 – WINNERS BRACKET

McEwan def. Roumimper, 636-619
O’Keefe def. Chepelsky, 668-546
Crawley def. Sellens, 683-630
Dorin-Ballard def. Mangiola, 666-557

Richard def. Kovalova, 689-520
Parkin def. Zetter, 643-534
Bolton def. Current, 655-633
Kuhlkin def. Eckhoff, 720-596

Pashina def. Asbaty, 656-619
Guerrero def. Bulthuis, 677-639
Zavjalova def. Neuer, 628-568
Noreiks def. Pate, 639-552

S. Johnson def. Nelson, 712-597
Bond def. Mason, 684-577
L. Johnson def. Cobo, 716-710
Boomershine def. Branka, 619-569

ROUND 2 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,200)

Clemmer def. Pajak, 731-661
Hiraoka def. Robles, 686-569
Ragsdale def. Bulanova, 645-562
Gongora def. Ramirez-Perea, 590-553

Blumenscheid def. Smith, 628-606
McCarthy def. Kleutgen, 672-607
Coté def. Kulick, 698-607
Powers def. Pluhowsky, 661-647

Bailey def. Zavala, 624-615
Nieter def. Plazas, 613-602
Gill def. Vermilyea, 683-608
Divis def. Molina, 672-544

C. Johnson def. Bercier, 657-550
Restrepo def. Zulkifli, 750-663
Rodriguez def. Brummett, 603-517
Barnes def. Gramly, 667-596

ROUND 3 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,250)

Clemmer def. Bulthuis, 716-704
Neuer def. Hiraoka, 626-537
Asbaty def. Ragsdale, 656-628
Gongora def. Pate, 658-631

Mason def. Blumenscheid, 611-567
McCarthy def. Cobo, 609-608
Coté def. Nelson, 647-618
Branka def. Powers, 612-560

Bailey def. Chepelsky, 717-604
Sellens def. Nieter, 685-623
Roumimper def. Gill, 693-682
Mangiola def. Divis, 718-649

C. Johnson def. Zetter, 629-505
Restrepo def. Current, 686-647
Kovalova def. Rodriguez, 727-653
Barnes def. Eckhoff, 679-633
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