It has been 22 years since the last time the Team USA women claimed the team gold medal at the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships, and they are ready to end that drought next week at Cashman Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

The 2009 WTBA Women's World Championships marks the first time professionals will be allowed to compete, and Team USA will field a talented mix of the best professional and amateur bowlers ever assembled.

The group will include USBC Hall of Famers Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (pictured left) and Wendy Macpherson (right), former Professional Women's Bowling Association standouts Liz Johnson and Kim Terrell-Kearney and Team USA veterans Lynda Barnes and Stefanie Nation. The six bowlers have combined for more than 60 professional titles and nearly 30 years of Team USA service.

Barnes (pictured left), who is a member of Team USA for a record 12th time, will be competing in her fourth World Championships, but has never gone home with a gold medal. Most recently, she and Nation were members of the teams that claimed silver medals in team in 2007 and 2005, finishing seven pins behind Malaysia and 12 pins behind Chinese Taipei, respectively.

"It's been a while since we've won it, and I think it's time," said Barnes, who has won nine medals in World Championships competition. "This is the strongest team we've had depth-wise, and we're loaded with experience. I don't want to take anything away from the talented teams in the past, but when you add in the professionals, it takes it to another level. They've won some major events and proven that they know how to win."

Johnson (above right) also has competed at the World Championships, but the experience will be new for Dorin-Ballard, Macpherson and Terrell-Kearney (pictured left), with the atmosphere and the format being the biggest challenges.

Nation (right) just came back from the 8th World Games in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei, where she represented the United States together with Chris Barnes.

The team event is divided into two three-game blocks. Previously, the team with the highest total after six games was declared the winner. Beginning this year, the top four teams after six games will advance to the semifinals, where the No. 1 team will take on the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds will face off in one-game matches. The losing teams will earn bronze medals, while the two remaining teams will bowl for the gold.

"The atmosphere is intense, loud, fun and really patriotic, but the games go by really quickly," Barnes said. "It's a quick sprint, and so many of the teams are really talented. Every pin counts, and you have to limit your mistakes. Our goal is to make the fewest mistakes. Every one of the teams works hard, and even if you have a really strong team, you still have to go out and get it done. I definitely feel like we're prepared, and we're going to put our hearts in it and do our best."

The 2009 event also marks the first time the tournament has been held in the United States since the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., played host in 1995. Barnes sees this opportunity as a source of excitement and motivation, rather than as a reason for additional nerves.

"Being in the United States gives us a chance to make our team bigger and stronger, and to potentially have that many people cheering and supporting us really helps the energy," Barnes said. "I know it relaxes me and makes it even more fun to have people back there rooting for us."

Barnes and the rest of the Team USA women will have additional support from Barnes' husband, Professional Bowlers Association star Chris Barnes, who helped the Team USA men to a second consecutive team gold medal at last year's Men's World Championships.

"Chris knows how important this is to me, and he'll be out there to support us and offer whatever he can as a bowler and a husband, and hopefully, when it's all over, we'll have two gold medals in the house," Lynda said.

"I think I've worked harder in the last six months than I ever have, and we are all as prepared as we can be. Even though we have different styles, we've worked together on a game plan about how we're going to play together and break the lanes down, and in the end, communicating and staying focused will be the keys."

The World Women's Championships opening ceremonies will be held on Monday night, and competition will begin on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

 

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