Johnson adds elusive Queens title

A tape sat in Liz Johnson's video library, but she never wanted to relive the memories of that dreadful day in the finals of the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Queens Tournament.

After securing the highly coveted Queens title in 2009, however, Johnson decided it was time to go back and take a look at the 3-year-old video. The images from her past didn't change. The tape showed Johnson, the top seed, losing twice to cough up the title.

"It hurt me for a couple of months," Johnson said of her collapse back then. "It was a big downer for me. ... It was a blur, really. I made some bad decisions. My biggest downfall was not changing balls at the right time. Making decisions is such an important part of bowling."

That's why winning the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Queens at the Reno Events Center in Nevada was such a gratifying moment for Johnson, a member of Team USA. Johnson defeated 2007 Queens champion Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., 247-204, to earn the title and a check for $30,000.

And it wasn't an easy road to that final. In the opening round of qualifying, Johnson, the tournament's top seed, found herself in 71^st place. But she rallied and ultimately won it all.

"Once I got to the show, that wasn't going to be enough," the Cheektowaga, N.Y., resident said. "I wanted the title. I've won a couple of U.S. Open titles and this was the one I really wanted to win. There were a lot of different things going, with over 1,000 people in the stadium. It was a good atmosphere-a lot of fun, and I think a lot of people enjoyed it."

Johnson, who turned 35 in May, has been equally pleased with her success as a member of Team USA. She first qualified for Team USA in 1994, when she won the second of consecutive U.S. Amateur championships. She went on to qualify for the team in 1995 and 1996.  In 1996, however, she opted to drop her amateur status by turning pro. She returned to the team last year when pros were declared eligible for Team USA selection.

"It was pretty amazing when we found out that they were allowing pros to come back and bowl for Team USA," she said. "Everyone was pretty excited. You could bowl with the girls that you bowled against for so many years. ... It was a scary thought knowing that we would have so much talent on the same team."

Johnson has had her share of international success and hopes to add to it by winning gold at the world championships this summer. In 1994, she was on the gold-medal winning squad at the World Tenpin Team Cup. The following year, she won gold in all-events and silver in team at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina. Last year, she won gold in singles and team and took third in all-events at the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships in Chile.

"I had spent two years on the team in 1994 and '95 and done as much at that time as you could do," Johnson said. "It was my time, and in '96, I was ready to go on tour. Everything happens for a reason, and I won a couple of titles that year. I don't regret anything I did. Everything fell into place at that time."

Her career as a pro bowler has taken her to great heights. In addition to winning three major titles-U.S. Women's Open in 1996 and 2007 and the 2001 Hammer Players Championship-Johnson became the first female bowler to claim a PBA tournament in 2005. (The Professional Women's Bowlers Association folded in 2003, and women were allowed to enter the PBA in 2004.) The same year, she became the first female to advance to the TV finals of a PBA Tour event, when she finished second at the PBA Banquet Open.

With the Queens victory firmly in hand, Johnson has a whirlwind summer ahead. She will join her teammates for a training camp at U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., that concludes June 5. She hopes to be among the six bowlers selected to compete in the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championship, set for July 27-Aug. 3 in Las Vegas.

"It's a big year," she said. "We'll have the world championships, one of us will bowl in the World Cup, and we have the Pan American championships in Puerto Rico."

Johnson also has found success bowling in Japan. She's bowled there four times since 2006, recently taking fifth place in an event in Tokyo for female bowlers under age 35.

But don't expect to find her laboring away on the lanes trying to find the magic formula for success.

"I'm not a big practice bowler in general," she said. "When I'm home, I bowl league, and that's basically my practice. Lately, I've had so much stuff going on, but I try to practice three or four times a week for an hour or two a day."

Her immediate future also includes plans to bowl the U.S. Women's Open and the PBA Women's World Series of Bowling in Detroit. Now that she has the Queens title, Johnson says conquering any of those tournaments would be welcome additions to her resume.

"Winning the Queens was the biggest thing for me," she said. "I'm looking forward to bowling for my country. It doesn't get much better than hearing the Star Spangled Banner. It's a very thrilling experience.

"The team's not picked yet, but we've got the best team in the world, plain and simple,'' she added. "With all of our international experience and experience on tour, I'm sure that we'll have targets on our backs. We all love the competition. We have the talent, but we also have the love of the sport and camaraderie."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Dave McMahon is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.