USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS – Katey Bryan of White Lake, Mich., came into her fourth appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships just expecting to enjoy her week in Las Vegas.
She didn’t imagine taking the lead in Sapphire Singles at the 2026 event by 28 pins, but Bryan saved her best for her final three games to move to the top of the leaderboard at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Bryan was brilliant throughout her singles run, scoring a grand total of 562 pins. She bulldozed her way to a total score of 199 in Game 1.
In Game 2, she kept up the pace with a solid score of 171. She battled in Game 3 for a total score of 192.
“I honestly didn’t know I was doing that well for the Sapphire Division,” Bryan said. “I am thrilled to have taken the lead, and this is such a fun team event to be a part of.
“I am so excited about how I performed overall today in singles. I just try to beat my own previous scores each year when I bowl in this tournament.”
Bryan tried to just take it one game at a time in singles.
“I was hoping that for Game 3, it would be like my Game 1 score of 199,” Bryan said. “I still came close to that with a 192.”
She’s also leaving the 2026 Women’s Championships in second place in Sapphire All-Events with a 1,383 total for her nine games this week. She had 424 in doubles and 397 in team. Kylie Salmon of Muskegon, Michigan, leads with 1,409.
The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.
The Women’s Championships is celebrating its 106th edition in 2026 and making its sixth trip to Las Vegas. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 16,000 bowlers and 4,200 four-player teams competing across 65 consecutive days at the South Point Bowling Plaza.