Bowling World Aug/Sep 2019

August/September 2019- www.bowlingworld.com 29 Tish Johnson, Ron Mohr Ready To Lead TEAM USA Into 2019 World Senior Championships by Matt Cannizzaro LAS VEGAS - When the World Bowling Senior Championships r eturns to Las Ve- gas this week, friends from dozens of countries will be reunited, and new relation- ships will begin. Among the nearly 260 competitors from 41 countries will be Team USA's Tish Johnson and Ron Mohr, who have represented the United States each time since the inaugural event in 2013. The tournament takes place every two years, and the 2019 edition will be held from Sept. 3-9 at the South Point Bowling Plaza, the recent home of the 2019 World Bowling Women's Championships. In 2017, the World Senior Championships visited Munich. Competitors will bowl for medals in singles, doubles, team, all-events and Masters competition. "It has been nice getting to know players from all over the world, and the level of competition seems to get better each year," Johnson said. "But, I think we have an incredibly talented group, and we work well together. I am confident we can bring home some gold medals again this year." Five members of the Team USA contingent also were part of the group that found success in 2017, while the three new additions have represented Team USA on the lanes in the past. Johnson, a left-hander and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer from Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be joined by fellow USBC Hall of Famers Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, and Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Florida, while Sharon Powers of Lakewood, Colorado, will experience the event for the first time. Mohr, who resides in Las Vegas, again will share the stage with USBC and Profes- sional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey and USBC Hall of Famer Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, while USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, makes his tour- nament debut. "It's humbling and flattering to be selected to compete in this event each time and then have some success along the way," Mohr said. "To be able to compete in Las Vegas is special. I've probably adopted the city more than it has adopted me, but I hope there will be some hometown friends and fans to cheer us on. I do feel pretty comfortable with South Point and the environment, so that's a nice benefit as well." To be eligible, bowlers must be 50 years of age or older during the year of the event. Mohr acknowledged how much stronger the competitors from the other countries seem to be each time they meet, so as talented as his own team is on paper, it will take strong chemistry to elevate them above the field. "The world has become incredibly and increasingly more competitive, but, even today, if you look at the teams on paper, we should be one of the favorites," Mohr said. "Unfortunately, we don't bowl on paper, we bowl on the lanes. So, we'll see how it works out. It all comes down to how we gel as a team." Boresch will be joining Mohr on the lanes for the third time, and Bohn will make his second consecutive appearance at the event. That experience, plus the many weeks the team members spend bowling against each other in PBA50 competition, means they're familiar with each other's games and demeanor on the lanes. To maximize their cohesion, there will be conversations among the players and Team USA assistant coach Bill Spigner to clarify how they see things on the lanes and how they prefer to share and receive feedback. The United States will enter the 2019 World Senior Championships as the defend- ing champion in every event but women's doubles, and preparing for the event, both on and off the lanes, as noted by Mohr, is not something the team members take lightly. It already has been announced the upcoming event at the South Point Bowling Plaza will feature one of the oil patterns from World Bowling's Bank 40, which means it could be any one of six patterns, ranging from 40 to 44 feet. Though the actual pattern won't be announced until the team managers' meeting on Monday, the team members have enough information to get the ball rolling - literally. To make sure she's ready for these events, Johnson works with USBC Gold coach Hank Boomershine to select and lay out the equipment they think will work best. Johnson, who has a lifetime of pro shop experience, drills them, adjusts the sur- faces and practices as much as possible to get a feel for the arsenal. As a lifetime professional bowler and pro shop operator, Johnson hopes she can offer her expertise to the team when it comes to ball motion, equipment selection and surface preparation. Just the opportunity to have teammates, while also representing the United States, is something she always hoped for. "While I was out on the (Professional Women's Bowling Association) Tour, I always said I'd like to have the opportunity to represent the United States on the lanes someday. It was something I didn't know I'd ever get to experience, but I'm very proud to have the opportunity," Johnson said. "Being on that stage makes my heart race and makes my hands sweaty. Even during the opening ceremony. The first time up on that podium, I had goose bumps and was shaking. To hear the national anthem and see that flag is as American as it gets." The 41 countries scheduled to participate this year in Las Vegas include: Argen- tina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, Finland, France, Ger- many, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy Japan, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United States, Ukraine, Venezuela and Wales. Winners Determined At 2019 USBC Senior Championships by Aaron Smith CINCINNATI – The 2019 United States Bowling Congress Senior Championships wrapped up last week at Western Bowl as 12 competitors in six age classifications took home titles. More than 400 bowlers from the United States and Canada competed at the 2019 edition of the event. The tournament has two divisions, Mixed and Women. Each division has six age classifications 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and above. Competitors bowled a pair of three-game qualifying sets over two days to deter- mine the top six players in each division for Friday‟s medal round. The six qualifiers in each division were determined by total pinfall, including handicap. Pinfall was dropped for the medal round but bowlers did receive bonus pins based on their qualifying position (50 bonus pins for first, 40 pins for second, etc.). In the Women‟s division, three of the top qualifiers won their age group. M. Lynn Johnson of Hueytown, Alabama, Susan Sweatman of Trout Creek, Mon- tana, and Lucia McKnight of Columbiaville, Michigan, stayed at the top of the stand- ings to claim titles in the 55-59, 65-69 and 70-74 age divisions, respectively. Brenda Dokes of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Mary Ann Compton of Grantville, Geor- gia, each recorded a victory as the No. 3 qualifier, taking the top spots in 60-64 and 75 and above, respectively. Marion Kosiak of Goffstown, New Hampshire, posted the largest score in either division (757), including handicap and bonus pins, to win the Women‟s 50-54 Div. The Mixed division also saw three top qualifiers hold position in their respective age divisions. Indianapolis‟ Richard Lynn (50-54), Ben Hoefs of Mobile, Alabama (70-74), and Anita Schwantes of Marshfield, Wisconsin (75 and above), maintained solid per- formances from qualifying into the medal round to claim victories. Bex Talania of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was the lone champion from Canada, winning the Mixed 60-64 category. Mike Taylor of Somerset, Kentucky, had the biggest jump of any competitor in the medal round at the 2019 USBC Senior Championships, going from fourth to first in the 55-59 division. Michael Mai of Russell, Kansas, put together a consistent performance on his way to winning the 65-69 Mixed title. Bowlers at the 2019 Senior Championships earned their spots in the national event through their state or province senior tournaments.