USA Starts Strong in Team Competition in Tournament of the Americas

All four American teams are in medal contention after Friday's opening round of team competition at the 47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas, which is taking place at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

The quartet of Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., Ricki Williams of
Wichita, Kan., Tim Pfeifer of
Cranberry Township, Pa., and John Szczerbinski of Wichita, Kan., set the
bar highest, shooting
5,123 over six games to position themselves nicely heading into Day 2 in
the Adult Division. They
hold a 223-pin lead over Mexico (4,900) with Venezuela in third at
4,865.

Junior Team USA members Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., Dayna
Galganski of Palm Beach, Fla.,
Andrew Koff of Miami and Chris Pierson of Waukesha, Wis., opened with
games of 904 and 966
en route to a 5,061 total and a 304-pin lead in the Junior A (ages
16-19) Division. Canada is
second at 4,757 with Puerto Rico (4,722) in third.

The Junior B (12-15) Division gold medal is in sight for the team of Ana
Koff of Miami, Elise Bolton of
Merritt Island, Fla., Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., and Daulton
Shaffer of Cape Coral, Fla.,
which put up an opening-day total of 4,781 pins. The U.S. team is
trailed by Puerto Rico (4,304)
and Colombia (4,090).

The final American team, the Senior Division squad featuring Carol Teel
of The Villages, Fla.,
Christine Srock of Pinellas Park, Fla., Ed Roberts of Braintree, Mass.,
and Phil Prieto of El Paso,
Texas, rolled a 4,630 total and trails Mexico by 92 pins with Venezuela
in third.

All teams return to the lanes Saturday morning for six more games. At
the end of those games,
the teams with the highest 12-game pinfall will be crowned champions.

"I like where we're at heading into the last block," USBC Coaching
Specialist Bryan O'Keefe said.
"All of the teams did a great job communicating and executing their
shots today. If they can do
the same thing tomorrow, we have a legitimate chance to sweep all four
gold medals."

The Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual
international tournament in the
American Zone. The invitational competition is for countries of PABCON
(Pan American Bowling
Confederation - the American Zone of World Tenpin Bowling Association).

47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas
At Boardwalk Bowl
Orlando, Florida

FRIDAY'S TEAM RESULTS
(Through 6 of 12 games)

ADULT DIVISION - 1. USA (Josie Earnest, Ricki Williams, Tim Pfeifer,
John Szczerbinski) 5,123;
2, Mexico, 4,900; 3, Venezuela, 4,865; 4. Puerto Rico, 4,805; 5,
Colombia, 4,633.

SENIOR DIVISION - 1, Mexico, 4,722; 2, USA (Carol Teel, Christine Srock,
Ed Roberts, Phil
Prieto) 4,630; 3, Venezuela, 4,526; 4, Canada, 44,35; 5, Colombia,
4,268.

JUNIOR A (16-19) DIVISION - 1, USA (Jessica Earnest, Dayna Galganski,
Andrew Koff, Chris
Pierson) 5,061; 2, Canada, 4,757; 3, Puerto Rico, 4,722; 4, Venezuela,
4,687; 5, Mexico, 4,615.

JUNIOR B (12-15) DIVISION - 1, USA (Ana Koff, Elise Bolton, Michael
Coffey, Daulton
Shaffer) 4,781; 2, Puerto Rico, 4,304; 3, Colombia, 4,090.

THURSDAY'S MIXED DOUBLES
Final results
(Through 6 of 6 games)

ADULT DIVISION - Gold - Josie Earnest and Tim Pfeifer (USA) 2,605;
Silver - Mariangie
Colon and Gabriel Sanchez (Puerto Rico) 2,525; Bronze - Iliana Lomeli
and Alejandro Cruz
(Mexico) 2,485; 4. Ricki Williams and John Szczerbinski (USA) 2,438.

SENIOR DIVISION - Gold - Carol Teel and Ed Roberts (USA) 2,414; Silver -
Milda Dos
Ramos and Arturo Hernandez (Venezuela) 2,396; Bronze - Myma Flores and
Tony Santa (Puerto
Rico) 2,373; 4. Christine Srock and Phil Prieto (USA) 2,350.

JUNIOR A (16-19) DIVISION - Gold - Jessica Earnest and Andrew Koff (USA)
2,676;
Silver - Dayna Galganski and Chris Pierson (USA) 2,568; Bronze - Tannya
Lopez and
Manuel Arencibia (Mexico) 2,524.

JUNIOR B (12-15) DIVISION - Gold - Ana Koff and Michael Coffey (USA)
2,475;
Silver - Elise Bolton and Daulton Shaffer (USA) 2,387; Bronze - Kristie
Lopez and Jorge
Serrano (Puerto Rico) 2,276.

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Tags: 2009 Tournament of the Americas