Team USA's men's and women's rosters set for 2013 WTBA World Championships
06/28/13
The Team USA men's and women's rosters for the 2013 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Championships are set as both teams look to defend their titles. The WTBA World Championships will be held Aug. 16-30 at Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev.
The Team USA men's roster includes Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, Mike Fagan of Dallas, John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., and John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, N.Y.
The Team USA women's squad consists of Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, Missy Parkin of Fullerton, Calif., and Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio.
"We have a very talented group of athletes on Team USA, as we saw at training camp last week," Team USA head coach Rod Ross (pictured right) said. "We had some very difficult decisions during the selection process but we will have two very strong, experienced teams to defend our titles at the World Championships."
The rosters were determined by the Team USA coaching staff.
Five of the six members on the women's squad were on the 2011 team that won the five-player team title in 2011 in Hong Kong, Team USA's first team gold in the event since 1987. Parkin, who is on Team USA for the first time since 2008, is the new addition and will be competing in the World Championships for the first time.
"I'm extremely excited to be selected," Parkin (pictured left) said. "We have a great team and will do our best to defend the title. As the only one that's new to the team, I'm not putting pressure on myself.
"I've bowled international competitions and I believe that will help me. Because it is a team event and because all the girls have been there before, I'm sure they will help me out and show the way."
On the men's side, Barnes, Jones and O'Neill were on the squad that won the team gold medal at the 2010 championships in Munich, Germany, the third consecutive world team title for Team USA.
In 2010, the United States became the first country to win five gold medals at a WTBA World Men's Championships and brought home a total of 11 medals (five gold, two silver, four bronze) from the event.
Szczerbinski (right), a three-time Team USA member and two-time Junior Team USA member, will make his first World Championships appearance. He won three team titles at Wichita State and said sharing the journey during team competition supersedes any event.
"There's nothing like it in the sport of bowling, especially with the excitement level and anxiety level," said Szczerbinski, who won a team bronze medal at the 2008 WTBA World Youth Championships as a Junior Team USA member. "It's an incredible feeling to come through not only for yourself but for the team, the coaches and the people who support you.
"It's a dream come true and an honor to be selected to represent my country at highest level of bowling."
The WTBA World Championships will be a combined men's and women's event for the first time since 2003, when the tournament was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The World Championships will award medals in six disciplines - Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team, All Events and Masters.
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Team USA News
The Team USA men's and women's rosters for the 2013 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Championships are set as both teams look to defend their titles. The WTBA World Championships will be held Aug. 16-30 at Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev. The Team USA men's roster includes Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, Mike Fagan of Dallas, John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., and John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, N.Y.
The Team USA women's squad consists of Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, Missy Parkin of Fullerton, Calif., and Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio.
"We have a very talented group of athletes on Team USA, as we saw at training camp last week," Team USA head coach Rod Ross (pictured right) said. "We had some very difficult decisions during the selection process but we will have two very strong, experienced teams to defend our titles at the World Championships." The rosters were determined by the Team USA coaching staff.
Five of the six members on the women's squad were on the 2011 team that won the five-player team title in 2011 in Hong Kong, Team USA's first team gold in the event since 1987. Parkin, who is on Team USA for the first time since 2008, is the new addition and will be competing in the World Championships for the first time.
"I'm extremely excited to be selected," Parkin (pictured left) said. "We have a great team and will do our best to defend the title. As the only one that's new to the team, I'm not putting pressure on myself. "I've bowled international competitions and I believe that will help me. Because it is a team event and because all the girls have been there before, I'm sure they will help me out and show the way."
On the men's side, Barnes, Jones and O'Neill were on the squad that won the team gold medal at the 2010 championships in Munich, Germany, the third consecutive world team title for Team USA.
In 2010, the United States became the first country to win five gold medals at a WTBA World Men's Championships and brought home a total of 11 medals (five gold, two silver, four bronze) from the event.
Szczerbinski (right), a three-time Team USA member and two-time Junior Team USA member, will make his first World Championships appearance. He won three team titles at Wichita State and said sharing the journey during team competition supersedes any event. "There's nothing like it in the sport of bowling, especially with the excitement level and anxiety level," said Szczerbinski, who won a team bronze medal at the 2008 WTBA World Youth Championships as a Junior Team USA member. "It's an incredible feeling to come through not only for yourself but for the team, the coaches and the people who support you.
"It's a dream come true and an honor to be selected to represent my country at highest level of bowling."
The WTBA World Championships will be a combined men's and women's event for the first time since 2003, when the tournament was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The World Championships will award medals in six disciplines - Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team, All Events and Masters.
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