USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS – It was a splendid Saturday at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships as Peggy Maves of Colfax, Wis., and Darlene Gabriel of Hixton, Wis., ascended to the top of the leaderboard in Emerald Doubles.
The pair took over the top spot by four pins with a total score of 1,051 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Shelby Mehlhoff-Holland and Jennifer Mehlhoff of Roseburg, Ore., had taken the lead Friday with 1,047.
Gabriel was the leading scorer for the duo, posting a total series of 563. At 78 years old, she had heart throughout her doubles set, showcasing a consistent performance. In Game 1, she started with 179 and kept up the pace in Game 2 with 203. In Game 3, she bowled another solid score of 181.
Maves helped out the team with a total score of 488. She had her best score in Game 1, firing 178. She followed with scores of 146 and 164 in Games 2 and 3, respectively.
“I am 78, so I am hoping to keep on keeping on with bowling,” Gabriel said. “We love coming out to the Women’s Championships every single year, and it’s a fun place to be with such an amazing group of people.”
Maves and Gabriel have bowled together at the Women’s Championships for four years now, and they love the positivity the tournament brings every year.
“This year, we received a very cool bee pin from a wonderful team from Utah,” Gabriel said. “One year, we received a nice gift package from some girls from Texas, too. You definitely meet a lot of fantastic women at this tournament every year and develop a lot of lifelong friendships along the way.”
Emerald Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 271-310.
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.