Mike Fagan, Dallas, Tex., is glad Track released the new 716T, because it earned him $50,000 and the title at the 2012 Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters yesterday at Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, in Henderson, Nev.

The tournament began with 305 players from all over the world fighting for the $250,000 total prize fund, and was dominated throughout by a strong Chris Barnes, of Double Oak, Tex. Barnes led qualifying for the third time in his life, but failed to come through in the final match against Fagan.

“This week was really tough,” explained Fagan, expressing surprise at beating Barnes. “I know what he’s capable of.”

Fagan’s first match against Bryon Smith, Roseburg, OR, was a game of single pins. Never missing the pocket, Fagan left five single pins, and converted every one of them, while Smith struggled to strike.

In the final match against Barnes, Fagan made the adjustment needed to carry more strikes, and by the middle of the game was able to capitalize on Barnes’ misses. After an open and three single-pin spares, Fagan strung seven strikes in a row to win the match.

Track’s 716T uses the popular Modified Robot core and a completely new cover, the GEN XT, which stands for Xtra Traction and gives more traction in the oil. Overall, the 716T provided Fagan with a consistent reaction, while the other players struggled to find the pocket.

Fagan’s versatility also enabled him to get a great amount of loft on the ball, sometimes landing the ball near the arrows, in order to get through the heavy oil on the front part of the lane. Combined with the great ball choice, this gave him the advantage, particularly in the last match.

716T will be available on March 15, 2012, in 12–16 pounds. Visit trackbowling.com for more information.

—  Ebonite Bowling Balls & Bowling Equipment - Ebonite is a brand of Ebonite International, Inc. Based in Hopkinsville, Ky., Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets domestically and internationally. In addition to Ebonite, the company’s consumer product brands include Hammer,Columbia 300,Track, Robby’s and Powerhouse™; its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct.

Barnes went 6-0 in the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center and is now one more victory away from claiming his first career Masters title. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Barnes earned the top seed by virtue of an 806-743 victory over Mike Fagan of Dallas. Fagan, who was previously unbeaten, is the No. 2 seed for the finals. Rounding out the telecast is No. 3 seed Dan MacLelland of Canada and No. 4 seed Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore.

“Things definitely fell my way today,” said Barnes, who finished as the runner-up to Walter Ray Williams Jr. at 2004 and 2010 Masters. “This is where I wanted to be at the start of the week. After having Walter Ray fire a 268 and a 290 at me when I was the top seed previously, I feel like this time it’s my turn. I’m a big believer that everything evens out, and I’m a long way from being even.”

A victory by Barnes would make him the third Professional Bowlers Association Grand Slam winner in history, joining bowling greats Mike Aulby and Norm Duke. The Grand Slam is made up of the four majors on the PBA Tour - the USBC Masters, PBA Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and the PBA National/World Championship.

“Winning this event is definitely a bucket list item for me,” Barnes said. “This tournament is the most important one on my career list right now.”

Fagan plowed through five consecutive opponents before running into Barnes in the final match to determine the top seed for the TV show. He said he was just happy that match happened when it did.

“I feel good, and I’m just happy that match with Chris came at the end and not earlier in the bracket,” said Fagan, who will be seeking his first major title. “I’m just trying to play my game and not worry about any of my competitors. That’s the frame of mind I need to keep for the TV show.”

As for MacLelland, he knew getting to the championship would be a grind after winning his first match and then dropping into the losers bracket. He had to win seven matches in the losers bracket, including a 746-690 victory over Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., that locked up a spot on the telecast.

“My body isn’t quite what it used to be, and I knew it was going to be a grind coming into today,” said MacLelland, who was a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. “I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I basically willed myself to the show.”

Smith made the finals by overcoming a 29-pin deficit heading into the final game, rallying for a 660-625 victory against Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio. It’s the first time Smith has made a TV appearance since 2004 and his lone professional title came at the 2003 USBC Masters.

“My heart rate went up a couple times today, and when I was down in that last game my heart rate went up again,” Smith said. “Come Sunday, I’m sure there will be some nerves. When this isn’t something you do on a regular basis anymore, it can be a bit more nerve wrecking.”

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund and $50,000 first-place prize.

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

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.

2012 ALKA SELTZER PLUS LIQUID GELS USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Friday’s results

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

ROUND 2 WINNERS BRACKET
Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., def. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 669-630.
Mike Fagan, Dallas, def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 639-572.
Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 676-664.
Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., def. Stuart Williams, England, 663-620.
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 788-622.
Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., def. Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 637-594.
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 686-651.
Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 693-688.

ROUND 3 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Dan MacLelland, Canada, def. Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 675-613.
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 680-666.
PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 770-656.
Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 721-626.
Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, def. Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 621-586.
Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., def. Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 678-579.
John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., def. Paul Ashby, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 711-581.
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 750-645.

ROUND 4 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,300)
MacLelland def. Baker, 737-735.
S. Williams def. Jones, 682-567.
Wolfe def. Haggerty, 706-623.
O’Neill def. Shafer, 730-684.
Jurek def. Saitoh, 744-557.
McCracken def. Russell, 678-604.
Odette def. Szczerbinski, 613-574.
Belmonte def. Pilon, 749-625.

ROUND 5 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,900)
MacLelland def. S. Williams, 707-612.
O’Neill def. Wolfe, 682-638.
McCracken def. Jurek, 650-617.
Belmonte def. Odette, 751-677.

ROUND 3 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 777-685.
Warren def. Van Hees, 720-631.
Barnes def. Bohr, 692-665.
Loschetter def. Parkin, 784-605.

ROUND 6 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,700)
MacLelland def. Parkin, 763-606.
Bohr def. O’Neill, 728-566.
Van Hees def. McCracken, 595-541.
Smith def. Belmonte, 628-616.

ROUND 7 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $5,000)
MacLelland def. Bohr, 718-673.
Smith def. Van Hees, 703-602.

ROUND 4 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 756-585.
Barnes def. Loschetter, 673-669.

ROUND 5 WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner is top seed for ESPN stepladder finals; loser is No. 2)
Barnes def. Fagan, 806-743.

ROUND 8 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $7,000; winners advance to stepladder finals as No. 3 and No. 3 seeds)
MacLelland def. Warren, 746-690.
Smith def. Loschetter, 660-625.

The 1987 Masters champion finished qualifying with 3,505, an average of 233.6, and will face defending champion and No. 64 seed Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, in the opening round of the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

Steelsmith, who earned $1,000 for being the top qualifier, finished 76 pins ahead of second-place finisher Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, finished third with 3,424.

The top 63 players from the final qualifying standings advanced to match play. Two-time champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., earned the final spot with 3,148, an average of 209.8.

Match play begins at 4 p.m. Pacific on Thursday with three rounds of matches on the schedule. By the end of the day, only 32 players will remain in the field and stay alive heading into Friday’s match-play rounds.

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund. The Masters will conclude Sunday with the nationally televised stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

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

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.

2012 USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Thursday’s Results

QUALIFYING - ROUND 3
(15 games)

1, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 3,505.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,429.
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,424.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,382.
4, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 3,382.
6, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,376.
6, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,376.
8, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,375.
9, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,372.
9, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,372.
11, Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., 3,361.
12, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,354.
13, Stuart Williams, England, 3,344.
14, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,335.
15, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,313.
16, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,311.
17, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,300.
18, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,293.
18, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 3,293.
20, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,286.
20, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,286.
22, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,279.
23, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,276.
24, Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,271.
25, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,265.
26, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,257.
27, Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 3,254.
28, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,253.
29, Matt McNiel, Chanhassen, Minn., 3,252.
30, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 3,249.
31, Siu Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 3,246.
32, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,241.
33, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,237.
34, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 3,222.
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,219.
35, Shigeo Saito, Japan, 3,219.
37, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,213.
38, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 3,210.
39, Paul Ashby, Middleburg Hts., Ohio, 3,206.
40, Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., 3,203.
41, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore., 3,192.
42, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,189.
43, Robert Gotchall, Lincoln, Neb., 3,188.
44, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,187.
45, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,184.
46, Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 3,180.
47, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,179.
47, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,179.
49, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 3,175.
50, Mathew Jones, Phoenix, 3,174.
50, Jason Duran, Arvada, Colo., 3,174.
52, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,171.
53, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 3,169.
54, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,166.
55, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,165.
56, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,163.
57, Vernon Peterson, Lake Wales, Fla., 3,162.
58, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,157.
59, Kyle Barnes, Smyrna, Tenn., 3,154.
60, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,149.
60, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,149.
60, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,149.
63, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,148.

DID NOT ADVANCE

64, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,138, $1,200.
65, Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 3,137, $1,100.
66, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,136, $1,100.
67, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,132, $1,100.
68, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 3,131, $1,100.
69, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,121, $1,050.
70, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 3,114, $1,050.
71, Michael Herring, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3,105, $1,033.
74, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3,099, $1,000.
75, Jason Barnhouse, Maple Grove, Minn., 3,087, $1,000.
76, Cameron Smith, Glendale, Ariz., 3,038, $1,000.
77, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,028, $1,000

The finals of the Bayer Viper Open, the first of four PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the PBA World Series of Bowling, aired Sunday on ESPN.

Williams, 30, started the title match with a spare and then reeled off five strikes in a row, building an insurmountable 44-pin lead when Ruiz failed to convert the 3-10 “baby split” in the fifth frame and missed a 10 pin in the sixth. Along with his first PBA Tour title, Williams earned $15,000 and an automatic berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions, April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

“This is the best. It’s great. I’m really excited,” Williams said. “Once you’ve won, it makes it easier the second time. It certainly loosens up the arm swing.

“Bowling on the PBA Tour is all about learning the different moves you have to make. I had one full season, and half a season last year, and I feel like I learned a great deal,” he continued. “I spoke to the right people and they helped me out a lot. I throw many less bad shots per game now. I try to throw at least nine good shots a game, rather than six or seven. When you’re playing against the best players in the world, you can’t get away with throwing those bad shots.

“Today you had to be more conscious about using your speed adjustments rather than opening up angles. That’s one of the attributes of my game, so I felt comfortable that if I could just get through two games and the lanes didn’t get too easy, I felt like I had a pretty good chance.”

Williams established himself in the first game of the three-game eliminator finals, throwing nine strikes in 12 attempts for a 238. Ruiz was next with a 213, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., posted a 203 and qualifying leader Mike Fagan of Dallas was eliminated with a 192 for the round’s lowest score.

Ruiz led the closely-contested game two with a 201. Williams advanced to the title match with a mistake-free 197. Rash was eliminated with a 186 game. A 4-6-10 split in the third frame and an unconverted 1-2-6-10 spare attempt in the ninth ended Rash’s hopes.

The victory gave Williams a feeling of redemption after a disappointing 2010-11 season that began when he was denied entry into the United States over a visa problem, causing him to miss the entire PBA World Series of Bowling.

“It comes down to what does it take to make you stronger,” Williams said. “We all have to go through adversity and it was my turn. Everything has gone well since then.”

A title winner in bowling competitions in nine different countries, Williams was thrilled to add the United States as his 10th.

“Being the first English title winner has become my specialty,” he smiled “I was the first Englishman to win on the European Bowling Tour, too, so hopefully this will lead to a flood of English wins on the American tour.”

On Sunday, Jan. 29, ESPN will air the finals of the Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters live at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT) from Sunset Station’s Strike Zone in Henderson, Nev.  The second major championship of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season offers a $50,000 first prize along with a berth in the Round of 36 for the PBA Tournament of Champions. Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, is defending champion.

PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, will webcast live coverage of the qualifying and three-game, double-elimination match play competition in the Masters Tuesday through Friday. A one-month subscription to Xtra Frame is available for $7.99 and a full-year subscription is $64.99. To enroll, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

PBA BAYER VIPER OPEN
South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas
Round One (lowest score eliminated): Stuart Williams, England, 238; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 213; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 203; Mike Fagan, Dallas, 192 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Ruiz 201, Williams 197, Rash 186 ($4,500).

Championship: Williams ($15,000) def. Ruiz ($7,500), 246-197.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Alka Seltzer Plus, Pepsi-Cola and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.

Andersson has moved into the women’s lead for the first time with 151 points, while Koivuniemi leads the men’s rankings with 233 points. The World Bowling Tour points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

At the 42nd Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland - the opening event of the 2012 season - Andersson picked up 40 points for a second-place finish among the women’s field. The United States’ Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who did not compete in Finland, is in second with 145 points.

Sweden’s Nina Flack remained in the top three by earning 15 points to bring her total to 135, while Finland’s Krista Pollanen won the women’s rankings at the Ballmaster for the second straight year, bringing her fourth-place total to 130 points.

On the men’s side, Koivuniemi picked up 35 points to increase his lead on the men’s field. Sean Rash of the United States added six points to his total in Finland to bring his total to 148 for second place. The United States’ Mike Fagan is third with 140 points after finishing second at the Ballmaster and adding 40 points.

The World Bowling Tour is made up of various events around the world and players earn points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

The top three men and top three women will be invited to compete in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association at the end of 2012.

The World Bowling Tour Finals will feature a total prize fund of $70,000. The top three men and top three women will bowl a stepladder finals format in their respective divisions. The prize money for each division is the same, with the winner taking $20,000, second place earning $10,000 and third place winning $5,000.

The tour continues with the United States Bowling Congress Masters from Jan. 24-29 and is immediately followed by the WTBA International Open from Jan. 28-Feb. 5. 

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.

WORLD BOWLING TOUR POINTS
Top 25
(Pos., Name, Country, Points)

MEN

1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 233.
2, Sean Rash, USA, 148.
3, Mike Fagan, USA, 140.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 120.
5, Osku, Palermaa, Finland, 112.
6, Chris Barnes, USA, 92.
7, Dominic Barrett, England, 90.
8, Tommy Jones, USA, 82.
9, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 82.
10, Su Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 77.
11, Bill O’Neill, USA, 76.
12, Chris Loschetter, USA, 71.
13, Paul Moor, England, 66.
14, Norm Duke, USA, 65.
15, Tore Torgersen, Norway, 65.
16, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 59.
17, Ronnie Russell, USA, 55.
18, Tom Hess, USA, 54.
19, Syafiq Ridhwan, Malaysia, 50.
20, Jeong Seung-Soo, Korea, 50.
21, Martin Paulsson, Sweden, 48.
22, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 45.
23, Karl Wahlgren, Sweden, 44.
24, Jack Jurek, USA, 40.
25, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 40.

WOMEN

1, Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 151.
2, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, USA, 145.
3, Nina Flack, Sweden, 135.
4, Krista Pollanen, Finland, 130.
5, Kelly Kulick, USA, 100.
6, Liz Johnson, USA, 70.
7, Elin Adolfsson, Sweden, 51.
8, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 50.
9, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 50.
10, Kim Min-Hee, Korea, 50.
11, Angkana, Netrviseth, Thailand, 50.
12, Shannon Pluhowsky, USA, 50.
13, Jazreel Tan, Singapore, 46.
14, Darya Kovalova, Ukraine, 44.
15, Cassie Staudinger, Australia, 43.
16, Jeon Gui-Ae, Korea, 40.
17, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 40.
18, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 40.
19, Yanee Saebe, Thailand, 40.
20, Nicki Ainge, England, 38.
21, Marjo Pontinen, Finland, 37.
22, Heidi Manninen, Finland, 36.
23, Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 35.
24, Veronica Lantto, Sweden, 35.
25, Lexi Nicoll, Australia, 35.

Kent and McEwan topped their respective fields in a grueling four-day, 28-game format in which the players in the field earned points based on their finishing position each round to determine the final standings.

With daily finishes of third, 32nd, second and sixth, Kent finished with 43 points, while McEwan had daily finishes of fifth, fifth, second and third to total 15 points at Texas Star Lanes.

The women’s final came down to a single pin as McEwan just barely edged Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Johnson finished with 16 points, but had she gotten just one additional pin in Friday’s final round it would have been enough to win the title. Johnson finished the final game with back-to-back open frames.

“With this format and it being as close as it was, I wasn’t really as nervous as I probably should have been because I wasn’t exactly sure of the situation,” said McEwan, who competes collegiately at Fairleigh Dickinson. “I came out here wanting to make Junior Team USA and to make Team USA and win is a really great feeling.”

With his sixth-place finish in Friday’s final round, Kent was able to outdistance the men’s field. Steve Smith of San Diego finished second 57 points, which was 14 points behind Kent.

“It’s unbelievable to be able to come out and perform the way I wanted to,” said Kent, the 2010 USBC Junior Gold champion who bowls collegiately at Robert Morris-Illinois. “My mental game this week was probably the best it has ever been in my entire life, and that is what kept me in the game.”

The top three men and top three women in the standings earned automatic spots on Team USA for 2012. Joining McEwan on the women’s team was Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tenn., and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago. Johnson, who finished second overall, was not eligible to occupy one of the automatic spots because she had previously been selected for Team USA 2012. On the men’s side, Kent is joined by Smith and AJ Johnson of Oswego, Ill.

The National Selection Committee added two men and two women to Team USA 2012. Jarret Mizo of Honolulu, John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., Tammy Turner of North Ogden, Utah, and Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., were selected.

The additions to Team USA on Friday bring the total roster to 20. The National Selection Committee added Patrick Allen, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill, Sean Rash, Liz Johnson, Kelly Kulick, Stefanie Nation, Shannon O’Keefe and Shannon Pluhowsky in November.

Junior Team USA spots were also up for grabs at the Team USA Trials with McEwan, Rachel Gittings of Glen Allen, Va., AJ Johnson and Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, earning automatic spots. The National Selection Committee added Tyler Cruz of Tacoma, Wash., Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tenn., Kaitlin Quinn of Livonia, N.Y., and Kelsey Muther of Wichita, Kan.

There are now a total of 20 Junior Team USA members as 12 players got spots at the USBC Junior Gold Championships last July. The new members join Addileen Pointer, Elise Bolton, Holly Harris, Amanda Greene, Natalie Jimenez, Jessica Earnest, Kent, AJ Chapman, Andrew Koff, Gary Faulkner, Zack Hattori and Tyler Vostry.

A total of 225 bowlers are competed this week with 145 in the men’s field and 80 in the women’s field. It’s the highest entry count for the event since 2007 in Reno, Nev., when 233 bowlers took part.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to for the fastest USBC headlines.

Liz Johnson leads the women’s division with eight points, while AJ Johnson is at the top of the men’s pack with 29 points at Texas Star Lanes. The players in the field earn points based on their finishing position each round. After four rounds, the man and women with the least amount of points will be crowned champions.

AJ Johnson earned 11 points in Round 1, three in Round 2 and 15 in Thursday’s third round to top the men’s field. Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, is second with 32 points, while Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., is third with 37.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve thrown the ball this well and that in itself makes me feel good,” said AJ Johnson, who totaled 1,568 for seven games in finishing 15th Thursday. “Being consistent over the past three days has been the key for me, especially with the new points system being used.”

In the women’s division, Johnson has had finishes of first, third and fourth over the three days to lead with eight points. Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., is second with 12, while Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., is third with 29.

If Johnson finishes within three positions of McEwan and no lower than 21st place, she would be guaranteed a victory in the event’s final round Friday. McEwan would need to finish ahead of Johnson by five positions and no lower than 17th to take the victory.

“I had to pull out every trick today to not just get to the pocket, but to find a way to carry,” said Johnson, who finished fourth Thursday with a seven-game total of 1,551. “Being consistent so far has worked and if I can continue to be consistent tomorrow, I feel pretty confident that I can win.”

The top three men and top three women in the standings after all four rounds will earn automatic spots on Team USA for 2012. If Liz Johnson or any other bowler who has already been selected for Team USA in 2012 finishes among the top three, the automatic spot drops to the next player in the standings.

In addition to the automatic spots on Team USA, the National Selection Committee, which is led by Team USA head coach Rod Ross, will select two men and two women as at-large selections to Team USA.

A total of eight Junior Team USA spots - four boys and four girls - also will be available. The top two boys and top two girls in the final points standings will earn automatic spots, while two boys and two girls spots will be at-large selections taken from either the Team USA Trials field or the finals field from the USBC Junior Gold Championships held in July 2011. All bowlers 20 and under as of Jan. 1, 2012 are eligible for Junior Team USA.

A total of 225 bowlers are competing this week with 145 in the men’s field and 80 in the women’s field. It’s the highest entry count for the event since 2007 in Reno, Nev., when 233 bowlers took part.

All rounds of the Team USA Trials are being broadcast on BowlTV, which can be found at YouTube.com/BowlTV. Results and stories for the event are available on BOWL.com.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

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