By LEAH ZWEIG
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS – For many of the competitors who travel from all over to bowl at the United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships, the trip is a time to catch up with good friends and enjoy the sights and sounds of the host city.
For Kathy Kalis of Monroe, Ga., and Cindy Carter of Chippewa Falls, Wis., their trips ended with an additional cherry on top – seeing their names on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 event.
Kalis put up one of her best personal performances during her singles set Monday at the South Point Bowling Plaza. She rolled games of 179, 197 and 220 for a 596 series to jump into the lead in Sapphire Singles.
She threw a perfect strike in the 10th frame of her final game to lock up the lead. Madison Campbell of Carthage, Missouri, was the leader heading into Monday with 567.
“I’ve been bowling for 50 years, and I have never done anything like this before,” Kalis said.
Kalis, making her 18th appearance at the USBC Women’s Championships, never imagined seeing her name on the top of the standings. She looked cool, calm and collected as she finished her 220 game before her teammates congratulated her on her new high series at the tournament.
“It’s amazing,” Kalis said about her performance while holding back tears. “I’m so happy, I can hardly stand it.”
Sapphire Singles features bowlers with an entering average of 138-148.
Carter, who made her eighth appearance at the Women’s Championships, put on a show to take over the lead in Emerald Singles.
She used games of 209, 189 and 247 to move into the top spot with a 645 total. Carter had six strikes in a row during her final game, and a strike to start her final frame gave her the chance to secure the top score.
Pamela Hileski of Chico, Calif., had taken the Emerald Singles lead Sunday with 641.
“It took me a few games to get comfortable on the lanes today,” said Carter, who had a 513 series in doubles to start Monday. “But by the time I got to singles, I felt very good out there.
“I am so happy. I already shared the amazing news with my family.”
Emerald Singles includes bowlers with an entering average of 149-160.
The 2023 Women’s Championships started April 23 and will conclude July 2. The event will run for 71 consecutive days at the South Point Bowling Plaza and feature more than 4,200 four-player teams and nearly 17,000 bowlers.