September 21, 2007

 

By: Mark Martin

 

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN QUARTERFINALS

 

Bowling returned to television on ESPN this past Sunday with the first semi-final bracket of the U.S. Women’s Open, a United States Bowling Congress event, being decided.

 

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills , Texas emerged from the bracket and gained a spot in the live, ESPN-televised semi-finals to be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 14 from the National Bowling Stadium in Reno , Nev.

 

Dorin-Ballard defeated Kim Terrell of Antioch , Calif. 246-215 in the final match of the day to advance to the semi-finals. Terrell dug herself a hole when she failed to convert the 4-7 spare in the sixth frame. From that point on Dorin-Ballard was well in control of the match.

 

“I approach every match the same,” Dorin-Ballard said. “I don’t watch my opponent and I don’t watch the scoreboard. I can’t control any of that, I can only control each shot I throw. After I threw my last shot, I really had no idea I had won. I thought Kim could step up and tie the game.”

 

A veteran of nearly 80 television appearances when she competed regularly on the now folded Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour, Dorin-Ballard had only competed in one televised event since 2003.

 

“The first few frames of the first game, I was really nervous and was playing with my rosin bag a lot,” she said. “This is just the second time in four years I’ve bowled on television, and once we got started I realized how much I’ve missed this. I feel really fortunate to have advanced to this point against all the great competition and lucky to be one of the survivors.”

 

Dorin-Ballard won her first match against Tish Johnson of Napa , Calif. 231-223 after the left-handed Johnson left a ringing 7 pin on her first shot in the tenth frame.

 

Terrell advanced to the match against Dorin-Ballard with a 236-223 triumph over Karen Stroud of Victoria , Texas .

 

This week the second set of quarterfinals will be telecast this Sunday on ESPN and will pit Kelly Kulick of Union , N.J. against Missy Bellinder of Fullerton, Calif., while Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga , N.Y. battles Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix . The two winners will then face off to become the second entrant into the semi-finals.

 

The quarterfinal rounds are being telecast on a taped-delayed basis, having taken place Aug. 13-18, culminating in the live televised finals.

 

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LOCALS WIN CONTESTS

 

Patrick Renner, a 12-year-old from Novi , has been named the winner in the youth age 12 & under division of the 2007 National Bowling Essay Contest.

 

Renner’s winning entry, about how his first year of bowling has impacted his life, earned him a $1,500 college scholarship.

 

Winning the youth age 12 & under division in the 2007 National Bowling Art Contest was Kiara Herron of Grosse Pointe Woods .

 

Her winning entry was a drawing of a family night at bowling, garnering a $1,500 college scholarship.

 

The competition was part of the celebration of National Bowling Week, which was held Aug. 25-31 and sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

 

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HONOR SCORES

300 Games

Date, Name, Hometown, Center, League

Sept. 5, Adam Beare, Hartland, Century Bowl, Barhoppers

Sept. 11, Jeffrey Edwards, Rochester Hills, Five Star Lanes, Chrysler Central Engineering

Sept. 11, Michael Leverett, Farmington , Royal Lanes, Tuesday Trio Classic

Sept. 12, Frank Pizziketti, Lake Orion , 300 Bowl, Pontiac Motor Inter Office

Sept. 12, Timothy Cicala, Madison Hts., Bowl One Lanes, Ford General Classic

Sept. 13, Howard Hardy, Farmington Hills , Shorecrest Lanes, Original Detroit All Star Classic

Sept. 13, Mark Swain, Madison Hts., Astro Lanes, Thursday Night Men’s

Sept. 14, Francis Fabian, Madison Hts., Madison Park Bowl, Detroit Paint Club

Sept. 15, William Ford, Ferndale , Bronco Lanes, New Grace Friends of Fun

Sept. 15, Marc Kropidlowski, Sterling Hts., Bowl One Lanes, Saturday Nite Special

Sept. 17, Waitus Carter, Detroit , Plum Hollow Lanes, Monday Mixers

Sept. 18, Jerry Spehar, Madison Hts., Fairlanes, Pioneer Men’s

 

 

800 Series

Date, Name (Score), Hometown, Center, League

Sept. 13, Glenn Pilon (801), Farmington , Shorecrest Lanes, Original Detroit All Star Classic

Sept. 15, William Ford (820), Ferndale , Bronco Lanes, New Grace Friends of Fun

 

 

 

Mark Martin writes a weekly bowling column on Fridays for The Daily Oakland Press and is the association manager of the Metro Detroit USBC Association. He can be reached at (248) 443-2695, faxed at (248) 443-2690 or e-mailed at mark.martin@mdusbc.com.