USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. – Sabrena Hershey of Gillette, Wyo., fired three strong sets at the National Bowling Stadium on Sunday and Monday to take the lead in Diamond All-Events by a single pin at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships.
Hershey’s team series was a fantastic score of 784. She followed that up in doubles with a score of 709, and her singles set featured a total score of 706. She edged her way to the lead with a score of 2,199 to beat out the 2,198 held by the previous leader – Kayla Pashina of Otsego, Minn. – since April 30.
“I came in and tried to do the same thing, and the lanes played a lot different,” Hershey said. “So, I had to make adjustments and make them fast, knowing I had a good chance for all-events. I mean, I was lucky to just shoot seven (hundred) and keep it up throughout.”
The final frame of singles provided plenty of excitement as Hershey started with a 2-4-5 combination. She converted the spare and needed to get nine pins on her fill ball to take the outright lead. Her final delivery got to the pocket, and she got the count she needed as the 7 pin was the only one left standing.
“I am just in awe,” said Hershey, a three-time National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association All-American at Midland University. “I knew I had a good cushion yesterday, and I thought I had a really good look from yesterday.”
Hershey has grown up bowling her entire life. It has been a big part of her family’s dynamic.
“I started bowling when I was like 3 years old, and I am 32 now,” Hershey said. “My parents owned a bowling center in Gillette, Wyoming, and it’s my second home. I have grown up there for a lot of my life.”
Hershey’s parents have been very supportive throughout her bowling career.
“It means a great deal,” Hershey said. “My mom and dad were following at home on live scoring the whole time and just cheering me on through text messaging. It means the world because I have never done anything this big. This is huge for me.”
ON TOP IN EMERALD
The scores were soaring high in the Emerald Division on Wednesday with new leaders making their way to the top of the standings in doubles and team competition.
In doubles, Roma Ebel of Sun City, Ariz., and Michelle Adams of Glendale, Ariz., scored high to take the lead.
The Arizona bowlers finished doubles with a total of 1,179 at the National Bowling Stadium. Adams led the way with scores of 213, 159 and 245, ending with a series of 617. Ebel finished doubles with games of 164, 221 and 177 for a 562 series.
Lora Church of Sublimity, Ore., and Lynn Versolenko of Lebanon, Ore., previously led Emerald Doubles with 1,157.
Excitement was felt by the Arizona bowlers after finishing their run at the tournament. Doing well in doubles and getting the news was the highlight of their day.
“I feel very excited – I was very pleased to bowl this well today,” Ebel said. “I feel like we bowled pretty fast, but also well today.”
It wasn’t an easy task for Adams and Ebel to take over a lead that has been sitting at the top since May 10. The stakes were high and the adrenaline was coming through toward the end for the Arizona bowlers.
“So much adrenaline, but we were also trying to concentrate on doubles,” Ebel said. “I also felt much more comfortable today.”
Knowing what to expect on the lanes from team event the previous day can really help a bowler prepare for doubles and singles. It can give you an idea of where to correct things and help keep your mental game sharp as well to focus.
“I had less distractions today, because I knew what to expect and didn’t sit around a lot before we bowled,” Ebel said.
With only a few days remaining of the 2024 tournament, they are optimistic of the possibility of taking the win in Emerald Doubles. It would mean the world to them if their score stayed at the top of the standings.
“It would be amazing and exciting overall,” Ebel said.
Reflecting on her run, Ebel talked about how it was her first time back since the 1980s. Friends from her hometown got her back to bowling after a simple request to see if she would like to bowl again. With so many changes to the sport over that time, it was something for her to discover.
“This is my first time back since the 80s,” Ebel said. “It’s been so different, but I have learned a lot about bowling in the last five years. When we were down with our friends in Sun City, they asked if I wanted to bowl again, and I said sure. It was all very exciting!”
Emerald Doubles includes bowlers with combined entering averages of 271-310.
The members of Pick Up Artists of Powell, Ohio, cruised to the lead in Emerald Team with a 2,214 total Wednesday.
The group – featuring Maureen Malinowski, Annette Ludwig, Cheyenne Ludwig and Kathryn Maliwesky – was a roll, putting up strong scores of 694, 720 and 800. They bested the previous lead, held by Strike Force Team 9, by 50 pins (2,164).
Maliwesky led the team with a 610 series and was followed by Annette Ludwig (592), Malinowski (546) and Cheyenne Ludwig (466).
The news of taking the lead at the USBC Women’s Championships has been an unexpected moment for many this year. The teammates didn’t know how well they were actually doing during their team event, since they try not to look at the scores and focus more on having fun.
“We’re so excited – we had a really great day today,” Malinowski said. “We bowled the best and had fun. We tried to come in, do our best, learn something and again, have fun.
“We really had no idea. We have a team motto that we don’t look at the leaderboard before we bowl. We really had no idea what the top score was this year.”
Scoring this well was based on communication with one another.
“We just try to find our shot and do the best we can,” Malinowski said. “If someone figures out something with a shot, they always share, so it can help everyone else.”
Wrapping up their team event, the teammates were excited and overjoyed seeing their score take the lead. Having the No. 1 position is a special moment for the group, and they hope to keep it until the end of the 2024 Women’s Championships.
“It would mean so much to us – we would just be so excited,” Malinowski said. “This is something we do for fun, and we’ve made lifelong friendships through this. To have something like this happen would just mean the world.”
Emerald Team features four-player groups with combined entering averages of 541-620.