Team USA adds 10 players to 2009 roster

A star-studded cast of the country's top bowlers have been selected to join Team USA in 2009, completing half of the team's final roster.
    
A selection committee of United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association representatives picked Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tommy Jones, Chris Barnes, Rhino Page and Patrick Allen to join the men's team. On the women's side, Tennelle Milligan, Lynda Barnes, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Kim Terrell-Kearney and Wendy Macpherson were selected.

"There was such a deep pool of talent to choose from that this was really not an easy decision," Team USA head coach Jeri Edwards said. "We are very fortunate that many great players put their names up for consideration, and we look forward to the players we selected having great success in 2009."

All of the selected players were members of Team USA in 2008 and eight of the 10 saw action in international competition this year.

The five men were part of the Team USA contingent that won four gold medals at the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men's Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

Barnes, Dorin-Ballard and Macpherson, meanwhile, were a part of the team that swept the gold medals at the recent Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships in Santiago, Chile.

Only certain players were eligible to be selected to join Team USA 2009 through the process that was just completed. The men were required to be exempt players on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, while the women must have been on Team USA at least once since 1998 and/or former Professional Women's Bowling Association/Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour members.

The selections only represent half of the final roster of 2009 Team USA players. All USBC members will have a chance to join the team by competing in the 2009 USBC Team USA Trials, which are scheduled to be conducted Dec. 15-19, 2008 at Sunset Station Hotel and Casino's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

The top three men and top three women finishers at the Team USA Trials will earn automatic spots on Team USA while the National Selection Committee will pick two additional men and two additional women to join the team.

Team USA will represent the United States in several international events throughout 2009, including the WTBA World Women's Championships, the Pan American Bowling Confederation Championships, the World Games and the QubicaAMF World Cup.

For more information on the USBC Team USA Trials, click here.