COLUMBUS — Fourth-seeded Trisha Reid was able to climb the ladder during the final round to claim her second Ohio State USBC Queens title Sunday at Sequoia Pro Bowl.
Reid, a 40-year-old Columbus left-hander, had to defeat top-seeded Jen Higgins twice in the double-elimination event to earn her first Queens win since 2018.
After dropping her opening match Sunday to Madison Strouse 428-365 to fall into the Contenders’ bracket, Reid stopped Megan Duff (483-412), Strouse (401-385) and Amanda Morrow to earn the No. 4 seed for the stepladder finals.
Higgins, a 44-year-old Lewis Center right-hander and former Canton resident, was seeking her seventh overall Queens title, The Ohio State USBC Hall of Famer entered Sunday as the No. 8 seed, stopping Janet Hill (430-428), Megan Ashley (403-389), Audra Fields (509-411) and Malika Ashe (478-427) en route to earning the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals.
Reid opened the stepladder with a 222-180 win over Ashley before stopping No. 3 seed Miranda Hull 227-176. She then defeated No. 2 seed Ashe 245-105 to set up the title match against good friend and doubles partner Higgins.
Needing one win to secure the title, Higgins opened with a double in Game 1 before leaving a 2-8-10 split in the third frame. It was the start of her problems on Lane 22 of the title pair.
While Reid was able to remain clean in Game 1, throwing a pair of doubles, Higgins left a 1-2-4-6-10 washout in the sixth frame and then failed to convert a 3-6 spare in the eighth en route to a 213-171 loss.
With a winner-take-all situation in Game 2, Reid started with a 10-pin spare before running off six strikes in a row to build a lead she would never relinquish. She never had an open frame during the two games.
Higgins failed to convert a 3-6-10 spare in the first frame and left a 2-8-10 split in the third — both on Lane 22 — to fall behind.
Higgins did run off seven strikes in a row into the 10th frame. But with a chance to force Reid to double in the 10th, she left a 2-8 spare on her second ball in the 10th as Reid earned the win 247-235 by converting a 6-pin spare.
The event drew a 67-player field overall, with the entire field rolling five qualifying games before it was cut in half — to the top 34 — for a second five-game block Saturday. From there, the field was cut to the top 16 for double-elimination, two-game match play Sunday.
Reid, who sat 23rd after the opening five games Saturday, averaged 226.8 in the evening to move up to No. 4.
Reid posted the high tourney game of 268 Saturday night, while Angel West had 264 in Game 1 of qualifying. Final-round games in the Contenders’ bracket were not available.
OHIO STATE USBC QUEENS
(Sunday, at Sequoia Pro Bowl, Columbus)
Match 1: Trisha Reid d. Megan Ashley 222-180
Match 2: Reid d. Miranda Hull 227-176
Match 3: Reid d. Malika Ashe 245-105
Championship: Game 1—Reid d. Jen Higgins 213-171; Game 2—Reid d. Higgins 247-235.
