2006

Nancy Galinat, a Harrold, S.D. bowler, moved into first place in Division 3 Singles at the USBC Women's Championships with a 638 series on games of 236, 216 and 186. Her singles series also helped her take the Division 3 All-Events lead with 1,592. A member of the Golden Girls team, Galinat came to Reno with one 12-pound bowling ball and her 148 average.

Shannon Duplantis of New Orleans moved into the lead in Classic Singles Division and All-Events Monday at the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Captain of the Pine Tree Lanes team, Duplantis rolled a 707 in Classic Singles (190 average and over) with games of 289, 238 and 180. She combined the 707 with 577 in teams and 612 in doubles to register 1,896 to take the all-events lead as well.

Heading to the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships sponsored by the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus in Reno from her home in Riverside, Calif. - a short flight, by all standards - Alisha Caballero brought three bowling balls along, only to have them misdirected by the airline. Destiny was on her side, though, when - after recovering her bowling equipment - Caballero moved into first place in the Classic Division Singles, with a 678 series, on games of 214, 187 and 277.

Laurie Clark moved into the lead in Singles and Doubles in the Classic  Division (190 average and over) at the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships in Reno, Nev. Clark, from Sioux Falls, S. D., took the Singles lead on Friday when she fired a 644 with games of 226, 215 and 203. She and doubles partner Nicole VanDeventer, grabbed first place in Classic Doubles as well with 1,231.

Perhaps it has something to do with playing in paradise. But Hawaii's Na Wahine 'O Waianuenue team, bowling in the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, claim they don't think about their scores. "Our motto is to come out and have fun," says team captain Caroline Costa. 

Bowler Susan Weissmann of Springfield, Mo., isn't just the captain for her 4 Strikes & A Spare team, she's officially the big sister. Competing in her third United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships presented by the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus, Weissmann was joined by her three sisters. Together the women hail from four different states: Oregon, Florida, Missouri and California.

Even though they realize the score might stay on top, team members for Strike 3 of Sun City, Ariz., were pleasantly surprised when they became the first team to crack the 3,000 mark over the weekend at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships presented by the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus. Strike 3 totaled 3,021 Sunday in the Classic Division (team average of 946 or higher) to move into the early lead.

The Montana Cowgirls bring three generations of bowlers to the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships presented by the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus, and they come by their team name honestly, boasting more than a nodding acquaintance with ranching in the Billings area. Grandmother Lorraine Evangeline, who says she's been stepped on by more than one horse over the years, is the self-proclaimed matriarch of the Cowgirls.

They call themselves the Bowling Divas, but they more resemble gypsy queens as they barnstorm bowl around communities in northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas a good deal of the time. The women, who have been together for five years, live mainly in closely-knit communities typically found around the Arkansas-Louisiana border - the nearest city of some size being Shreveport, La., 45 minutes away.

When Darlene Frohm of Pittsburg, Calif., uses bowling as an opportunity to travel. Competing in her fourth Women's Championships, Frohm teamed up with doubles partner Renee Sykes of Vallejo, Calif., to take the early lead in Division 3 doubles Sunday with 1,013. Division 3 is for doubles partners with a combined average from 261 through 298.

Dorothy Manker is beyond both septuagenarian and octogenarian status. At 91, the nonagenarian has been bowling for well over four decades. The Thayer, Mo., native and great-great-grandmother competed Friday in the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships at the National Bowling Stadium, her fourth trip to the tournament.

Featuring fanfare, entertainment and a mass ball shot, the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships officially got underway Thursday at the National Bowling Stadium. From left: USBC President Michael Carroll, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, USBC Chief Tournament Officer Roseann Kuhn, USBC Women's Championships Tournament Manager David Biber, and USBC Chief Executive Officer Roger Dalkin during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

For the fifth time in its nearly 90-year history the world's largest participatory sporting event for women will kick off in Reno, Nev., next week. The 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships begins its 109-day run at the National Bowling Stadium on March 16 and will continue through July 2. ##

Nearly 55,000 women will descend upon the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., for the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. The Women's Championships, formerly the Women's International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament, will feature 10,976 five-player teams from across the country. The event begins March 16 and concludes July 2.