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Veterans dominate 2007 US Bowler All-America teams
By Bill Vint // U.S. Bowling Congress // January 9, 2008
Professional Bowlers Association "young gun" Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., and PBA Senior Tour Rookie of the Year Sam Zurich, Grant, Fla., have joined a group of veteran stars on the 2007 US Bowler magazine All-America teams.
For the first time, there are honorary "co-captains" on two of the teams. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., and Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., tied as leading vote-getters on the men's team. They were joined by Rash, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas. Williams, who won two titles during calendar year 2007, earned a record 16th All-America berth, improving his own record. Allen, the only three-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist in 2007, was elected for the second time.
Tom Baker, King, N.C., and David Ozio, Beaumont, Texas, also tied as top vote-getters on the Senior All-America team. It was the third selection for both. In addition to Zurich, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., earned his eighth Senior All-America berth while Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., was a first-time selection.
U.S. Women's Open champion Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., was the top vote-getter in a highly competitive women's race. Others elected were newly-elected USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, North Richland Hills, Texas; Diandra Asbaty, Chicago; Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., and Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas.
The five-player men's, women's and senior teams are selected as All-Americans by the nation's bowling writers. The United States Bowling Congress' official membership publication sponsors the annual awards program.
All-America highlights for 2007 include:
*Patrick Allen won three Denny's PBA Tour titles, made seven TV finals in 21 events and earned $137,250.
*Walter Ray Williams Jr. won two Denny's PBA Tour titles, including an all-time record 44th career title, made eight TV shows and banked $137,120.
*Sean Rash won a pair of titles including the USBC Masters, made the top 16 in 12 of 21 events and earned $174,600.
*Pete Weber earned his 11th All-America berth with a record fourth U.S. Open title, 10 top 16 finishes in 18 attempts, and $189,130 in earnings.
*Chris Barnes won one title, finished second in the Denny's World Championship and had eight TV finals while earning $124,895.
*Tom Baker was the PBA Senior Tour's only three-time titlist, including his second USBC Senior Masters title, and he led the Senior Tour with $53,101 in earnings (to go along with $37,090 earned as a Denny's PBA Tour exempt player).
*David Ozio cashed in 12 of 13 PBA Senior Tour events, won one title, led the seniors in average and finished in the top four in six of nine Generations Bowling Tour events, winning one GBT title and $28,800.
*Sam Zurich made the match play finals in 10 of 12 Senior Tour events as a rookie, winning one title.
*Dale Eagle cashed in all 13 PBA Senior Tour events, but starred in GBT competition where he made the top four five times in nine tries and won a pair of titles.
*Kevin Croucher cashed in all 12 Senior Tour events he entered, won his first title and finished third in average while posting top 10 finishes in both the USBC Senior Masters and Senior U.S. Open.
*Liz Johnson won the revival of the USBC U.S. Women's Open, teamed with Roger Kossert to win the PBA Senior Tour Ladies & Legends, and posted the highest finish ever by a woman in the USBC Masters (tied for 13th). She also bowled an 843 series in the Masters, a record for women competitors. And she shared the USBC Women's Championships Classic Doubles title with partner Susan Jeziorski.
*Carolyn Dorin-Ballard won the first PBA Women's Series title and finished in the top four in all four special events. She finished tied for third in the U.S. Women's Open, sixth in the USBC Queens, and tied for 33rd in the USBC Masters where she bowled the first 300 ever by a woman.
*Diandra Asbaty won the WTBA Women's World Championships Masters gold medal, the women's doubles gold medal in the Pan American Games, and the World Ranking Masters women's title. She finished second in the USBC Queens and won the PBA Women's Series final event.
*Kelly Kulick avenged the conclusion of her disappointing season as the first woman to bowl as an exempt player on the Denny's PBA Tour by winning the USBC Queens, finishing third in the Ladies & Legends (with Steve Cook), and finishing third in the final three PBA Women's Series events.
*Lynda Barnes nipped Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., for the final women's berth after winning the Team USA Trials Women's title, tying for third place in the U.S. Women's Open, and earning silver and bronze medals in the WTBA Women's World Championships.
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