I was in Reno for the USBC Open Championships during Memorial Weekend for less than 24 hours. I landed 11:00 p.m. Saturday night and flew out 6:40 a.m. on Monday. It was actually worth the trip and I made some money.

I bowled S/D at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday. I secured a sub job through the sub board on bowl.com. I met up with the group coordinator that morning and thanked him for letting me sub. I met a very nice gentleman from Louisiana (gakker). We were starting doubles and my partner hadn't shown up yet. I was a little worried because we were the only ones on the pair. He showed up as I was throwing my first practice shot.

I started doubles very well: 244, 224. The last game I didn't carry very well and missed two 10 pins, along with a washout. My last game was a 158 for a 626 series. Not bad considering I was working on only a few hours of sleep and some jet lag. Thinking back on it, I chased the carry-down in instead of moving right.

We switched pairs for singles and I was throwing the ball very well. 200 - 218 - 197 - 615. Clean set!

After S/D, I met up with my sister and her boyfriend. Oh, I mean fiancé! They had gotten engaged the day before. Very exciting! I had brunch with my team, did a little gambling, and headed back to my room for some sleep before my 8:30 p.m. team squad.

Since I bowled on the fresh in the morning, I figured I would have a good look for team as well. I started the block off with a clean 214. The next game I started with the front 7! My name and score was highlighted in red and freaked me out. It was very exciting. I went spare, spare, strike out for a clean 266. Very nice! The last game I moved right this time to overcome the carry-down. I went strike, miss, double, miss, 5 in a row. I needed the second strike in the tenth for 700. I ended up 210 - 690. 1931 all-events. I brought three balls with me and only used two - my spare ball and my Storm Special Agent. This was my third year bowling and I have improved over 100 pins each year. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be making a tournament appearance until 2009 when it's in Vegas.

Well, overall my experience in Reno was very nice. It is definitely better than the women's national tournament. 

*BEWARE: Stepping on my soapbox.

I've posted on bowl.com and asked, "Why doesn't USBC host both tournaments and the convention in the same city?" Wasn't the main reason for the merge to save money? I understand that some women don't want to bowl with the men, and vice versa. I would designate different squads for women, men, and mixed. Furthermore, I do agree that the women should have to choose to bowl either tournament, not both. However, this would mean that we don't pay another sanction fee at the beginning of the season if our state associations are not merged. One organization should mean one sanction fee, one tournament. The tournament should be based on average and not gender.

I bowled the Cannonball tournament today in Southern NJ.  It was a men's scratch tournament but the highest woman automatically makes the 16-man bracket, one game single elimination. It was 4 game qualifier.

177 (yeah, nice start...)
202
226
290 (Game pot!  Niiice!)

I finished +95 (highest woman qualifier) and the cut was +72.  So I made the bracket legitimately. 

I won my first match 232 - 225. (With a key first strike in the 10th!)

I threw the last 7 strikes to win my second match, 257 - 238.  (Once again, I threw the first one in the tenth when I needed it.)

I lost my third match to last year's winner, 289 - 205.

I finished tied for third and felt really good throwing the ball today.  I could actually replicate shots.  I was using my Special Agent. 

 http://bizelite.org/Cannonball.html

I recently competed in the Queens tournament down in NC.  To make a very long story short, I finished in the 13-16 bracket out of 341 entries.  I did very well.  I averaged 200 for the entire tournament.  Not to sound full of myself, but I could have done better.  During matchplay, I started pressing and muscling the ball.  For the life of me, I couldn't get my speed down and keep a smooth armswing. I was having some difficulties repeating shots.  I was definitely trying too hard and I need to get the "killer instinct".  For the majority of the tournament I used my Storm Special Agent and my Brunswick Ultimate Inferno.   I was standing the furthest right I have ever been and my feet were never left of 22.  It was great competing against some of the best women bowlers in the World and to know that I am "good enough".

Here are links to the 64 person brackets.

http://www.bowl.com/downloads/EventResultPDFs/2007_Queens_Match_Play_Winners_Bracket.pdf

http://www.bowl.com/downloads/EventResultPDFs/2007_Queens_Match_Play_Contenders_Bracket.pdf

For a complete recap, keep reading...

Block 1: 219, 168, 215, 188, 192 (-18)
Block 2: 191, 174, 260, 192, 214 (+31 for the block, +13 overall)
Cut the top 100.  I was 57th.

Block 3: 189, 209, 197, 200, 200 (+8 overall)
Cut to the top 63.  I was tied for 53rd.  The top 63 and last year's winner bowl 3-game sets, with total wood determining the winner, double elimination.

Match #1. (My opponent's scores are in parenthesis.)
165 (202) Yikes!!! I'm down 37 pins already
201 (184)
224 (192)

I win 590 - 578.  1 - 0.  :o)

Match #2.
202 (244) Wow, i really start of well! 
176 (186)  Now I am down 52 pins!
207 (152)  No words needed here.

I win 585 - 582.  I am now 2 - 0.  :o)!!!

Match #3.  Tuesday Morning. "The Rematch"
181 (236) Ugh!  I am down again.
195 (184) Didn't pick up too much ground.  I could have definitely done alot better.  I did not jump on the open frames that my opponent left.
159 (182)

I lost by a ton: 535 - 602. I am now 2-1 and in the contender's bracket.

Match #4.  I bowled against a girl from Singapore who threw one of those famous "helicopters" balls.
205 (178) For once, I am up in a match.
201 (160)
246 (176)

I won 652 - 514 and 3-1.

Match #5.
189 (201) Ugh.
192 (246) Here we go again.
258 (203) Short.

I lose 639 - 650 and finished in the 13-16 bracket.

***I just want to extend a special note of thanks and appreciation to my family and friends, including my lucky charm, for their support and kind words.

Well, it's been awhile.  I've been busy bowling... :o)  I figured it was time for an update.

I bowled my first PBA Eastern Regional in Catksill, NY, April 21-22, as a non-member.  I decided to bowl this stop to get me "warmed up" for the Queens.

I started out of the gate with a 254.  (Nice!!!)  I used my Angular One playing straight up 8. 

Then I proceeded with the following games:

184
167 (Uh oh.  Way to give up all the wood... :o/ )
143 (Yikes!!!)
198
210
214
187

I switched to my Domination in the 4th game.  I finished the tournament -43, which was 15 pins from a check.  Oh well.  I was definitely nervous as I was waiting for the squad to begin.  Once we started bowling, I was feeling ok.  I fulfilled my New Year's resolution.  I have yet to decide if I am bowling another regional or not.  I like the thrill of the competition and the skill level needed.  It is definitely better than bowling on a house shot!!!

http://www.pba.com/regional/regionstory.asp?ID=1402

Well, the four of us (My sister, both our partners, and I) headed down to Virginia after league on April 7th.  We were going to compete in the 3rd Annual Spring Fling Mixed Doubles tournament.  We had signed up for the B squad, which started at 11:00 a.m.  Last year they advertised two squads ending up combining the two squads and bowled at 11:00 a.m.  We hadn't heard anything about squad changes or anything, so we figured we were in good shape to bowl on Saturday morning, since we didn't get to settle into the hotel until 2:30 a.m.

 The phone rings at 8:34 a.m. on Saturday morning. The tournament director asked, "Where are you?"

"Huh?" 

"The squad is starting."

"What?!?!?!?!?!?"

Ok, to make a long story short, the squads were combined and it was supposed to start at 8:00.am.  I never received a phone call from the TD until Saturday morning.  She had said she left a message with my sister on Thursday.  My sister never received a voice mail, nor did our partners or myself, to let us know that there was one squad at 8:00.am.  If we had know that were we expected to bowl that early, we would have withdrawn our entries.  I wish the TD had spoken directly with someone instead of just relying on a voice mail that was apparently left with one person.  What if my sister's phone wasn't working?  What if she wasn't speaking to me?  It's just unfortunate. At least we got our money back.

Well, we didn't bowl the Spring Flop tournament, but we did compete in our own tournament at a duckpin center in Maryland.  I had the high game of 130.  It was soooooo much fun.  Unfortunately, the closest duckpin center to me is 2 hours away.