onefrombills
02-04-2009, 09:49 PM
A pair of the most dominating players on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour - Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and Bill O'Neill of Levittown, Pa., - have been added to the 2009 Team USA roster.
Malott and O'Neill join an elite group of bowlers on Team USA who will represent the United States in international competition throughout the year. Both were selected because of their solid play so far this season on the PBA Tour.
"Certainly Wes and Bill have had very solid performances so far this season," Team USA head coach Jeri Edwards said. "When you combine that with the fact that they have bowled well the last couple years, it was really a joy to be able to add these two great players to the team for 2009."
Malott, 32, currently leads the PBA's Player of the Year points race with 58 points after 12 events. He has made seven championship round appearances this season, winning twice, finishing second once, third three times and fourth once.
"Now that I've been selected, I'm definitely looking forward to it," said Malott, who has five PBA titles and over $600,000 in career earnings. "I'm very excited to be able to represent my country. It's the chance of a lifetime, and that's the way I'm looking at it."
Although O'Neill, 27, is still seeking his first PBA title, he has appeared in the championship round five times this season, taking second place twice. He also has seven top 10 finishes this season.
"I didn't realize they were actually going to add players to the team, so to get that call was very surprising and a huge honor," said O'Neill, a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. "The group of guys that they have selected to be on Team USA is just incredible and for them to select me to be a part of that group feels pretty special."
The additions of Malott and O'Neill were made by a committee comprised of representatives from the United States Bowling Congress and the Professional Bowlers Association. The same committee was responsible for selecting five male and five female players to join Team USA in October.
"When the selection committee made those picks, they did so with the understanding that if other players excelled during the first half of the PBA Tour or PBA Women's Series season, they would be able to make additional selections," said David Garber, High Performance Director for USBC. "Wes and Bill have without a doubt proven they belong on Team USA."
Malott and O'Neill's selections bring the total number of men on the Team USA 2009 roster to 12. They join fellow exempt players Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tommy Jones, Chris Barnes, Rhino Page, Patrick Allen and Nathan Bohr along with amateurs Cassidy Schaub, David Haynes, John Szczerbinski and Tim Pfeifer.
Six of the 12 players on the men's team will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, this September to compete in the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Championships. Six Team USA women will also compete in the event.
Malott and O'Neill join an elite group of bowlers on Team USA who will represent the United States in international competition throughout the year. Both were selected because of their solid play so far this season on the PBA Tour.
"Certainly Wes and Bill have had very solid performances so far this season," Team USA head coach Jeri Edwards said. "When you combine that with the fact that they have bowled well the last couple years, it was really a joy to be able to add these two great players to the team for 2009."
Malott, 32, currently leads the PBA's Player of the Year points race with 58 points after 12 events. He has made seven championship round appearances this season, winning twice, finishing second once, third three times and fourth once.
"Now that I've been selected, I'm definitely looking forward to it," said Malott, who has five PBA titles and over $600,000 in career earnings. "I'm very excited to be able to represent my country. It's the chance of a lifetime, and that's the way I'm looking at it."
Although O'Neill, 27, is still seeking his first PBA title, he has appeared in the championship round five times this season, taking second place twice. He also has seven top 10 finishes this season.
"I didn't realize they were actually going to add players to the team, so to get that call was very surprising and a huge honor," said O'Neill, a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. "The group of guys that they have selected to be on Team USA is just incredible and for them to select me to be a part of that group feels pretty special."
The additions of Malott and O'Neill were made by a committee comprised of representatives from the United States Bowling Congress and the Professional Bowlers Association. The same committee was responsible for selecting five male and five female players to join Team USA in October.
"When the selection committee made those picks, they did so with the understanding that if other players excelled during the first half of the PBA Tour or PBA Women's Series season, they would be able to make additional selections," said David Garber, High Performance Director for USBC. "Wes and Bill have without a doubt proven they belong on Team USA."
Malott and O'Neill's selections bring the total number of men on the Team USA 2009 roster to 12. They join fellow exempt players Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tommy Jones, Chris Barnes, Rhino Page, Patrick Allen and Nathan Bohr along with amateurs Cassidy Schaub, David Haynes, John Szczerbinski and Tim Pfeifer.
Six of the 12 players on the men's team will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, this September to compete in the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Championships. Six Team USA women will also compete in the event.