National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
After 100 days the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships came to a close at the National Bowling Stadium on Sunday. A total of 8,330 five-player teams representing 50 states and six foreign countries competed in the event that kicked off on March 28, and now 45 women can call themselves tournament champions. The 2010 event in El Paso, Texas, will usher in a new era for the Women's Championships,
including the introduction of a convention center setting and three new
average-based divisions using 100 percent handicap.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Lindsy Bonifacini of San Diego left her mark on the leaderboard and the record books at the USBC Women's Championships on Thursday. The 27-year-old right-hander became the ninth woman in the 90-year history of the event, and first this year, to roll a 300 game on the tournament lanes. After beginning her doubles competition with a 203 game, Bonifacini rattled off 12 consecutive strikes for the tournament's first perfect game since Alicia Kellow of Louisville, Ky., achieved the milestone at the 2005 event in Tulsa, Okla.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Jeanette Menacho-Adams of Antelope, Calif., placed her name in the record books at the USBC Women's Championships by rolling a 299 game, the highest game of the 2009 event. She became only the sixth woman in tournament history to achieve the feat. The 33-year-old left-hander started off her team event with 214 and then struck on the first 11 shots the following game before a stubborn 8 pin stood on her final ball. She finished with 211 for a 724 series. There have only been eight 300s shot on the tournament lanes over the 90-year history of the event.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Every year, the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships gets thousands of first-time participants eager to experience what the tournament has to offer. Colleen Keirnes of Salmon, Idaho, is one of those bowlers and proved it's never too late to start competing on the largest stage in women's bowling. Keirnes, participating for the first time at the age of 80, made her tournament debut at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday evening.
There is no question that the 2009 entry is the low point when it comes to women's bowling love affair with Reno, yet this year's event is the most crucial bowling tournament – including ABC/USBC Open – ever held in Northern Nevada. The reason the 2009 USBC Women's Championships is so crucial to the Greater Reno area is timing, which is the key ingredient in life. Reno, just like other cities that depend on tourists, had seen its economy take a beating until the 2009 USBC Women's Championships opened at the National Bowling Stadium.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
After helping her team into second place at the USBC Women's Championships, Sheryl Ishihara (second from right) of Anchorage, Alaska, continued to bowl well and moved into the Division 1 All-Events lead at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday. Ishihara started off her 2009 tournament campaign with games of 188, 211 and 278 for a 677 series in team Tuesday and helped Oh Spare Me to a 2,627 total and second place in Division 2 (team averages from 746-845).
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Viola Brannen (pictured) of Omaha, Neb., has accomplished so much in her bowling career that it's hard to imagine she is just 84 years old. This week, she added another milestone to her list of accomplishments when she made her 50th appearance at the USBC Women's Championships. Brannen was the second bowler this year to reach the milestone. The other was 100-year-old Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., who made her 50th consecutive appearance and also became the tournament's oldest participant.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Every year, five teams of bowlers from Bermuda leave their sub-tropical homes that are surrounded by pink-sand beaches and head to the USBC Women's Championships. "I just love the game," said group organizer Marjorie McGregor Correia. "I think I have bowling pins running in my bloodstream. Bowling is also the only sport that has no age limitations. As long as you are physically able to, you can do it." A third-generation Bermudian, Correia has been involved in bowling and tournament trip planning for more than 30 years.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Mini Tvaska of St. Petersburg, Fla., has participated in the USBC Women's Championships more times than any other bowler in tournament history. This week, the energetic 91-year-old added to her legacy as she competed in the event for the 63rd time. Tvaska has earned celebrity status at the USBC Women's Championships over the years and arrived at the National Bowling Stadium wearing a 2009 version of her signature hat, pearl jewelry and always-present smile.
Last month, 100-year-old Emma Hendrickson (pictured) of Morris Plains, N.J., became the oldest participant in the history of the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Recently, she put her bowling skills to the test against television personality Regis Philbin. Philbin challenged Hendrickson to a bowling competition after her milestone appearance at the National Bowling Stadium on April 18 became national news and landed her on ESPN's Top 10 Plays and ESPNEWS.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
The 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships reached the halfway point of its 100-day run at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday. Through 50 days of competition, more than 17,150 bowlers have taken to the lanes, one scoring record has fallen and the tournament welcomed the oldest participant in its 90-year history. The remainder of the 8,330 five-player teams will make their way to Reno before the event concludes on July 5.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Brandie Burton (pictured) of La Verne, Calif., is used to the attention she gets when she swings a golf club, but she was surprised when people recognized her at the USBC Women's Championships on Wednesday. The 37-year-old right-hander, who began her professional career in 1991, has always enjoyed bowling and jumped at the chance to join her friends on the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium this week. While her teammates are regulars at the USBC Women's Championships, Burton was a rookie all over again as she competed in the event for the first time.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Michelle Feldman (l.) of Auburn, N.Y., shot the highest individual series in the 90-year history of the USBC Women's Championships on her way to take over the lead in Classic Singles on Friday. Feldman rolled games of 279, 249 and 288 on her way to an 816 series, surpassing Kendra Gaines' 812 in the 2000 tournament. Clara Guerrero and Jenifer Larson
(l-r) each closed with matching 252 games to secure the Classic Doubles lead with 1,404.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Three years after setting the all-time team record at the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, Together Once Again of Keller, Texas, rolled into the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday and proved the first time was no fluke. After a sub-par start, Together Once Again rallied in the final two
games to overtake the lead with a 3,322 total, third in tournament
history only to the 3,350 they shot in 2006 at the National Bowling
Stadium.
Robin Romeo (l) fired the second highest individual series in tournament history as she led Alpha Pool Plastering of Newhall, Calif., into the lead in Classic Team on Wednesday at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Sisters Leslie Bohn (wife of Parker Bohn III) and Chrissie Kent (wife of Doug Kent) continued to prove that the bowling is not only left up to their PBA superstar husbands as they jumped into the lead in Classic Doubles with 1,291.
100-year-old woman becomes oldest participant in tournament history
With friends, family and a squad of grateful and honored women cheering her on, Emma Hendrickson
of Morris Plains, N.J., celebrated a historic moment at the 2009 United
States Bowling Congress Women's Championships on Saturday as she became
the oldest participant in tournament history at the age of 100. The record-breaking achievement wasn't the only business on Hendrickson's agenda, however.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
For many of the teams competing at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, there is no better feeling than finding themselves at the top of the leaderboard. As it turns out, being surprised with this information is exciting as well. Just ask the members of Ten Pins of Anoka, Minn. On Friday afternoon, Ten Pins posted games of 623, 739, and 662 for a 2,024 series and took the lead in Division 4 (team averages of 650 and below).
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
Women bowlers from across the country experienced a flair for the dramatics as they kicked off the opening ceremonies for the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday. The USBC Women's Championships, which is visiting Reno for the sixth
time since 1988, will feature 8,330 teams and more than 41,500 bowlers
before the tournament concludes on July 5. The event will have an
estimated economic impact of more than $40 million for Reno and its
surrounding communities.
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., United States (March 28 - July 5, 2009)
The start of the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships is right around the corner, and the city of Reno, Nev., is ready to host the event for the sixth time. Beginning March 28, the first of 8,330 five-player teams (more than 41,500 bowlers) take to the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium. Bowlers from all 50 states and several foreign countries will compete in five-player team, doubles and singles competition in five average-based divisions during the 100-day event, which will run until July 5.
After 100 days the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships came to a close at the National Bowling Stadium on Sunday. A total of 8,330 five-player teams representing 50 states and six foreign countries competed in the event that kicked off on March 28, and now 45 women can call themselves tournament champions. The 2010 event in El Paso, Texas, will usher in a new era for the Women's Championships,
including the introduction of a convention center setting and three new
average-based divisions using 100 percent handicap.
Lindsy Bonifacini of San Diego left her mark on the leaderboard and the record books at the USBC Women's Championships on Thursday. The 27-year-old right-hander became the ninth woman in the 90-year history of the event, and first this year, to roll a 300 game on the tournament lanes. After beginning her doubles competition with a 203 game, Bonifacini rattled off 12 consecutive strikes for the tournament's first perfect game since Alicia Kellow of Louisville, Ky., achieved the milestone at the 2005 event in Tulsa, Okla. 
Jeanette Menacho-Adams of Antelope, Calif., placed her name in the record books at the USBC Women's Championships by rolling a 299 game, the highest game of the 2009 event. She became only the sixth woman in tournament history to achieve the feat. The 33-year-old left-hander started off her team event with 214 and then struck on the first 11 shots the following game before a stubborn 8 pin stood on her final ball. She finished with 211 for a 724 series. There have only been eight 300s shot on the tournament lanes over the 90-year history of the event.
Every year, the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships gets thousands of first-time participants eager to experience what the tournament has to offer. Colleen Keirnes of Salmon, Idaho, is one of those bowlers and proved it's never too late to start competing on the largest stage in women's bowling. Keirnes, participating for the first time at the age of 80, made her tournament debut at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday evening. 
There is no question that the 2009 entry is the low point when it comes to women's bowling love affair with Reno, yet this year's event is the most crucial bowling tournament – including ABC/USBC Open – ever held in Northern Nevada. The reason the 2009 USBC Women's Championships is so crucial to the Greater Reno area is timing, which is the key ingredient in life. Reno, just like other cities that depend on tourists, had seen its economy take a beating until the 2009 USBC Women's Championships opened at the National Bowling Stadium.
After helping her team into second place at the USBC Women's Championships, Sheryl Ishihara (second from right) of Anchorage, Alaska, continued to bowl well and moved into the Division 1 All-Events lead at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday. Ishihara started off her 2009 tournament campaign with games of 188, 211 and 278 for a 677 series in team Tuesday and helped Oh Spare Me to a 2,627 total and second place in Division 2 (team averages from 746-845).
Viola Brannen (pictured) of Omaha, Neb., has accomplished so much in her bowling career that it's hard to imagine she is just 84 years old. This week, she added another milestone to her list of accomplishments when she made her 50th appearance at the USBC Women's Championships. Brannen was the second bowler this year to reach the milestone. The other was 100-year-old Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., who made her 50th consecutive appearance and also became the tournament's oldest participant.
Every year, five teams of bowlers from Bermuda leave their sub-tropical homes that are surrounded by pink-sand beaches and head to the USBC Women's Championships. "I just love the game," said group organizer Marjorie McGregor Correia. "I think I have bowling pins running in my bloodstream. Bowling is also the only sport that has no age limitations. As long as you are physically able to, you can do it." A third-generation Bermudian, Correia has been involved in bowling and tournament trip planning for more than 30 years.
Mini Tvaska of St. Petersburg, Fla., has participated in the USBC Women's Championships more times than any other bowler in tournament history. This week, the energetic 91-year-old added to her legacy as she competed in the event for the 63rd time. Tvaska has earned celebrity status at the USBC Women's Championships over the years and arrived at the National Bowling Stadium wearing a 2009 version of her signature hat, pearl jewelry and always-present smile. 
Last month, 100-year-old Emma Hendrickson (pictured) of Morris Plains, N.J., became the oldest participant in the history of the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Recently, she put her bowling skills to the test against television personality Regis Philbin. Philbin challenged Hendrickson to a bowling competition after her milestone appearance at the National Bowling Stadium on April 18 became national news and landed her on ESPN's Top 10 Plays and ESPNEWS.
Brandie Burton (pictured) of La Verne, Calif., is used to the attention she gets when she swings a golf club, but she was surprised when people recognized her at the USBC Women's Championships on Wednesday. The 37-year-old right-hander, who began her professional career in 1991, has always enjoyed bowling and jumped at the chance to join her friends on the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium this week. While her teammates are regulars at the USBC Women's Championships, Burton was a rookie all over again as she competed in the event for the first time.
Michelle Feldman (l.) of Auburn, N.Y., shot the highest individual series in the 90-year history of the USBC Women's Championships on her way to take over the lead in Classic Singles on Friday. Feldman rolled games of 279, 249 and 288 on her way to an 816 series, surpassing Kendra Gaines' 812 in the 2000 tournament. Clara Guerrero and Jenifer Larson
(l-r) each closed with matching 252 games to secure the Classic Doubles lead with 1,404. 
Three years after setting the all-time team record at the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, Together Once Again of Keller, Texas, rolled into the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday and proved the first time was no fluke. After a sub-par start, Together Once Again rallied in the final two
games to overtake the lead with a 3,322 total, third in tournament
history only to the 3,350 they shot in 2006 at the National Bowling
Stadium.
Robin Romeo (l) fired the second highest individual series in tournament history as she led Alpha Pool Plastering of Newhall, Calif., into the lead in Classic Team on Wednesday at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Sisters Leslie Bohn (wife of Parker Bohn III) and Chrissie Kent (wife of Doug Kent) continued to prove that the bowling is not only left up to their PBA superstar husbands as they jumped into the lead in Classic Doubles with 1,291.
With friends, family and a squad of grateful and honored women cheering her on, Emma Hendrickson
of Morris Plains, N.J., celebrated a historic moment at the 2009 United
States Bowling Congress Women's Championships on Saturday as she became
the oldest participant in tournament history at the age of 100. The record-breaking achievement wasn't the only business on Hendrickson's agenda, however. 
