Aussies in commanding position at USBC Queens

GeorgeF

Hypercell = Hyperhook!
For the second consecutive year, United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, is the second-round leader at the USBC Queens, but she knows there's still a long road between her and her second win at the prestigious event.

The 46-year-old right-hander entered Sunday's qualifying round in 16th place, but used games of 235, 249, 222, 233 and 246 for a 1,185 set and catapulted into the lead with a 2,262 total for 10 games at the Oncenter Convention Center.

Australia's Maxine Nable is second with 2,224, and first-round leader, Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, sits in third place with 2,198.

"I'm becoming more and more comfortable with my new equipment, and I even drilled a new ball today, which worked well for me," said Dorin-Ballard, who won the Queens in 2001. "The fresh is usually good for me, and that's what we bowled on today. It allows me to play the lanes a little straighter with a little surface on the ball, and it's nice because I don't have to give away the pocket."

Dorin-Ballard blazed through qualifying at last year's Queens in El Paso, Texas, setting the five, 10 and 15-game qualifying records, but finished the week in sixth place, just one win away from the TV show. The four-time Team USA member is experienced enough to know that once match play begins, anything can happen.

"Right now, the focus is making the top 64 and getting into match play," Dorin-Ballard said. "After that, where you qualified doesn't matter. At that point, it's luck of the draw as far as who you bowl and what pairs you bowl on. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and keep trying to bowl good games. "

This week's winner will take home $20,000 and the coveted Queens tiara. Defending champion Kelly Kulick (left) of Union, N.J., who is guaranteed a spot in the 64-person match-play bracket, is ninth with 2,152.

All 206 Queens competitors completed 10 games of qualifying, and the top 80 players will return to the lanes for five more games Monday, after which, the field will be cut to the top 63, who will join Kulick in the double-elimination match-play bracket. Leslie Rapach, Charlotte, N.C., earned the 80th spot with 1,912.

The championship round will be televised live on ESPN2 on Wednesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. EDT.


1, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 2,262
2, Maxine Nable, Australia, 2,224
3, Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 2,198
4, Carol Gianotti, Australia, 2,186
5, W Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 2,182
6, Tina Stickney, Phoenix, 2,168
7, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, OH, 2167
8, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,156
9, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,152
10, Kari Watson, Kettering, Ohio, 2,133
11, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 2,127
12, Robin Romeo, Newhall, Calif., 2,124
13, Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 2,112
14, Aesha Turner, Tempe, Ariz., 2,111
15, Jennifer Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 2,106
16, Cassie Leuthold, Black Hawk, S.D., 2,102
17, Christina Kinney, Las Vegas, 2,101
18, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 2,099
19, Lisa Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 2,088
T20, Tracy Luncsford, Des Plaines, Ill., 2,086
T20, Lori Colclasure, Grayslake, Ill., 2,086
22, Kim Terrell-Kearney, Grand Prairie, Texas, 2,083
23, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 2,082
24, Jennifer Creno, East Syracuse, N.Y., 2,080
T25, Jamie Martin, Omaha, Neb., 2,077
T25, April Ellis, Arlington, Texas, 2,077
27, Tracy Ganjoin, Brick, N.J., 2,074
28, Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,068
29, J Martirano, Bronx, N.Y., 2065
T30, Keli Callahan, Las Vegas, 2,061
T30, Jamie Rovner, West Hills, Calif., 2,061
32, Amanda Johnson, Tacoma, Wash., 2,053
33, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,051
34, Melissa Klug, Macomb, Mich., 2,040
35, L Hulsenberg, Roseville, Calif., 2,032
36, Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan., 2,031
37, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 2,030
37, Catie Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,030
39, Kimberly Hogue, Akron, Ohio, 2,029
40, Jonquay Armon, Roselle, Ill., 2,025
41, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio, 2,024
42, Laurie Soto, Castaic, Calif., 2,021
43, Paola Gomez, Weston, Fla., 2,013
44, Sarah Germano, Rochester, N.Y., 2,010
45, Debbie Ayers, El Cajon, Calif., 2,009
46, Danielle Knittle, State College, Pa., 2,002
47, Shauna Shannon, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,001
48, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 1,998
49, KatieMae Pritchard, Coon Rapids, Minn., 1,997
50, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 1,995
51, Samantha Williams, Baltimore, Md., 1,994
T52, Terri Bollinger, West Grove, Pa., 1,993
T52, Mandy Wilson, Dayton, Ohio, 1,993
T54, Stephanie Brownie, Louisville, Ky., 1,992
T54, Anne Conner, New York Mills, N.Y., 1,992
56, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,988
57, Karen Boyd, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 1,986
58, Nikki Lunsford, Plainfield, Ill., 1,984
59, Susan Jeziorski, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,980
T60, Colby Stejbach, Auburn, N.Y., 1,979
T60, Lisa Barfield, Silverdale, Wash., 1,979
62, Jenny Brown, Deland, Fla., 1,976
63, Kayla Bandy, Pikeville, Ky., 1,975
64, Louann Mosher, Watertown, N.Y., 1,973
65, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 1,967
66, Trisha Reid, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,963
67, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 1,962
68, Kristie Leong, S. San Francisco, 1,959
69, Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., 1,956
70, Brittany Updike, Cressona, Pa., 1,952
71, Bryanna Caldwell, Tucson, Ariz., 1,944
72, Chele Schirmer, Bel Air, Md., 1,938
73, Margie Chetney, Baldwinsville, N.Y., 1,931
74, Jennifer Hernandez, Land 'O Lakes, Fla., 1,929
75, Terysa Wojnar, Chicago, 1,918
76, Courtney Radick, Oswego, N.Y., 1,917
77, Felica Goll, St. Clair, Mich., 1,914
T78, D DeCarlo-Johnson, Selkirk, N.Y., 1,913
T78, J Stephens, Indianapolis, 1,913
80, Leslie Rapach, Charlotte, N.C., 1,912
 
"I'm becoming more and more comfortable with my new equipment, and I even drilled a new ball today, which worked well for me," said Dorin-Ballard, who won the Queens in 2001. "The fresh is usually good for me, and that's what we bowled on today. It allows me to play the lanes a little straighter with a little surface on the ball, and it's nice because I don't have to give away the pocket."

Hi George,

what does she mean by the bolded part above?

cheers
Roy
 
It means being able to throw it straight up the boards, or play a tighter line than having to throw it right, towards the gutter and away from the pocket.
 
Hi George,

what does she mean by the bolded part above?

cheers
Roy

It means when the lanes are fresh there is the most concentration of oil (depending on the squad they bowl on different conditions). Along with a higher concentration of oil comes bigger backends. Carolyn who recently signed to Roto Grip is using a ball with surface on the fresh, this means the ball picks up the lane earlier and has less movement at the back which to anyone is more controllable.

When you can have a controlled movement down lane and you are as accurate as Carolyn she wont miss the pocket.....

Hope this helps
 
There are 2 reasons why most bowlers will use surface on their balls for the first few games usually.

1. It offers a smooth reaction at friction point (backend) which means no jumpy reactions and consistency on the fresh
2. It will within a few games 'burn' a spot in the lane, this means the ball will start to grab earlier because the cover has stripped the oil from the midlane. In this instance bowlers move inside and/or change balls giving them room on the lane because there is now a hook spot where the ball will recover from.

This is what is happening when bowlers say 'the lane opens up'.....

Hope this makes sense.
 
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