Entering the 2008 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships, Team USA put a premium on winning a single gold medal - team event. On Thursday, the Americans accomplished that task, claiming the top spot in five-player team.

Team USA shot 6,357 to win the gold medal by 92 pins over Colombia's 6,265. Puerto Rico took the bronze medal with 6,026.

Kelly Kulick led the United States with 1,354 for six games, an average of 225.67, and was followed by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (1,289), Liz Johnson (1,251) and Lynda Barnes (1,215). Diandra Asbaty (664) and Wendy Macpherson (584) shared the fifth spot in the lineup.

L-R Asbaty, Johnson, Dorin-Ballard, Barnes, Macpherson and Kulick. Click on the image to enlarge it.

"This team and every person on it worked their butts off today to earn this," Dorin-Ballard said. "We grinded it out and worked hard for this. We dug deep today."

Trailing Colombia Paola Gomez, Laura Fonnegra, María Rodríguez, Luz Leal and Rocío Restrepo by 96 pins entering the fifth game, Team USA turned the deficit into a 58-pin lead. As the teams competed on the same pair of lanes, Team USA totaled 1,063, while Colombia managed just 909.

"When Carolyn made the 4-9 split in the eighth frame, that was the turning point of that game," Barnes said. "We wanted to get matched up, make good shots and when she made that split everything just fell into place for us."

Puerto Rico's Michelle Ayala, Mariangie Colón, Lourdes Lopez, Yoselin León and Jessica Santiago finished with a 972 game to secure the bronze medal.

Kulick earned the gold medal in All Events, totaling 5,463 for 24 games, an average of 227.63, while Dorin-Ballard earned silver with 5,377 and Johnson took bronze with 5,332. Paola Gomez, Colombia, was fourth with 5,215.

"I bowled really consistently and was around the pocket all week, the big key was just carrying," Kulick said. "There was a lot of talk about the men having a Dream Team, but this team is a dream, too. This has been really exciting."

The final event of the PABCON Women's Championships takes place Friday when the top 16 bowlers from the all-events standings take part in the Masters match play competition. The Round of 16 and quarterfinals will feature three-game, total pins matches, while the semifinals and final will consist of best two out of three games matches.

The 2008 PABCON Women's Championships features 77 players from 16 countries of the American Zone competing in Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team, All Events and Masters.