|
U.S. delegation set for 2007 Pan American Games
By Lucas Wiseman // United States Bowling Congress // February 18, 2007
GREENDALE, Wis. - Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, Tennelle Milligan of Costa Mesa, Calif., Rhino Page of Fresno, Calif., and Cassidy Schaub of Polk, Ohio, will represent the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games later this year.
The four players used their totals in multiple events over the course of the past year to earn points toward making the U.S. delegation. The point totals culminated with the U.S. Pan Am Trials this weekend in Milwaukee.
The Pan American Games will be held July 19-28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will feature the best bowlers from other countries in the American Zone.
Asbaty, a two-time U.S. Amateur champion, finished the Pan Am qualifying process with 1057.5 points (45 percent came from the U.S. Pan Am Trials, 40 percent from the Team USA Trials and 15 percent from other major events). Milligan, who competed in the Pan Am Games in 1999, was second with 992.5.
"The Pan Am Games is the closest thing bowling has to the Olympics, so it's an honor to have the opportunity to represent the United States," said Asbaty, who finished in a tie for first at the U.S. Pan Am Trials. "It is disappointing, though, that bowling isn't in the Olympics, because I feel like it is as strong as any other sport."
On the men's side, Page easily clinched the top spot with 1,152.5 points and finished first in the U.S. Pan Am Trials. Schaub, a two-handed lefty, was second with 850.
"I can't even describe how excited I am," Page said. "I've talked to Tennelle and a couple other players who have been to the Pan Am Games in the past, and they can't say enough about it. Basically I look at it as a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The selection criteria for the U.S. Pan American Games team involved many tournaments over the past year and was broken into three different categories:
* Total ranking points from 2006 major competition at the U.S. Open, USBC Open Championships, USBC Women's Championships, USBC Queens and USBC Masters (15 percent of weight).
* Actual pinfall finish at the 2007 USBC Team USA Trials, which were held Jan. 8-11 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. (40 percent of weight).
* Total ranking points from 2007 U.S. Pan American Team Trials, consisting of actual pinfall total in four separate tournaments (45 percent of weight).
|
