onefrombills
04-28-2009, 12:39 PM
RENO, Nev. - United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Dana Miller-Mackie of Albuquerque, N.M., was the only so-called headliner to survive the first two rounds of match play in the 2009 USBC Senior Queens undefeated Monday.
Miller-Mackie, bowling in her first Senior Queens, barely escaped her second match, nipping unsung Sue George of Middle Island, N.Y., 183-170, in a one-game roll-off after they tied at 648-648. The 52-year-old left-hander topped Janice Berry of Madison, Ala., in her first match, 554-515.
Miller-Mackie was the only one of the five USBC Hall of Famers and three past champions to win her first two challenges as the Senior Queens entered its three-game, double-elimination match play finals.
"That was too much stress," Miller-Mackie said after her nerve-wracking win over George, who earlier had sent defending champion Sandy Postma of Lansing, Ill., to the win-or-go-home contenders bracket. "I kept telling myself this tournament was supposed to be fun, so have some fun!"
Miller-Mackie was especially happy after watching Postma and fellow hall of famers Virginia Norton of Cypress, Calif., Fran Deken of Coweta, Okla., and Nancy Fehr of Cincinnati upset in the opening round. After opening-round wins, past Senior Queens winners Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., and Rose Smith of Las Vegas also were bumped into the contenders bracket by unheralded Janine Primrose of Minden, Nev., and Cindy Whiteman of Portland, Ore., respectively.
By the time Monday's match play competition ended, only Sandelin, Fehr and Deken were still alive in the contenders bracket. Postma was eliminated after a 652-524 loss to Jinnie Henry of Hixson, Tenn.; Smith was eliminated by Judy Vogel of Slidell, La., 666-528, and Norton was knocked out by George, 590-519.
"This tournament is so hard to win," Miller-Mackie said. "Sometimes it's a matter of who you get matched up against, but it's just hard. These women throw the ball so good. Fortunately, things were really good for me today. Qualifying Saturday and Sunday was ugly, but today I got a good feel for the lanes and I got into a good rhythm.
"The Queens is the one major I was never able to win in my career," she added, "so I'd really like to win the Senior Queens. But I'll be happy no matter what."
Proving Miller-Mackie's comment about matchups, Sandelin put a 631 series on the board in the second round, but got blown away by Primrose, who rolled a 724 series - the second highest in Senior Queens match play history.
Primrose, who moved to the U.S. from Australia in 1993, is bowling in her first Senior Queens at age 56.
"I'm ecstatic," Primrose said of her upset win. "I was so nervous. Lucy's such an awesome bowler. It was a thrill just to bowl on the same lanes with her."
Eight players survived Monday's competition undefeated in the winners bracket and eight are still in the running with one loss in the contenders bracket. Those players will compete Tuesday to determine the two who will meet for the title Wednesday morning.
2009 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
At National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev.
Monday's Match Play Results
(Three games, double-elimination)
OPENING ROUND
Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., def. Joan Reilly, Wilmington, Del., 636-558.
Janine Primrose, Gardnerville, Nev., def. Jinnie Henry, Hixson, Tenn., 626-542.
Barbara Batt, Jacksonville, Fla., def. Christina Holcomb, Glenpool, Okla., 581-471.
Cheryl Hammit, Union City, Calif., def. Judy Vogel, Slidell, La., 570-519.
Carole Jones, Englewood, Colo., def. Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 706-597.
Shelly West, Omaha, Neb., def. Teri Sunell, Eugene, Ore., 540-510.
Judy Gurney, Omaha, Neb., def. Virginia Norton, Cypress, Calif., 614-587.
Lil Johnson, Lawton, Okla., def. Debbie Wade, West Jordan, Utah, 598-542.
Dana Miller-Mackie, Albuquerque, N.M., def. Janice Berry, Madison, Ala., 554-512.
Susan George, Middle Island, N.Y., def. Sandy Postma, Lansing, Ill., 607-562.
Cindy Whiteman, Portland, Ore., def. Pam Lawrence, Pflugerville, Texas, 608-570.
Rose Smith, Las Vegas, def. Linda DeCamp, Henderson, Nev., 565-476.
Karen Smith, San Marcos, Calif., def. Debra Sinek, Odenton, Md., 619-602.
Cathy Smith, Richmond, Va., def. Nancy Fehr, Cincinnati, 534-508.
Rosanne Allen, El Paso, Texas, def. Shirley Braverman, Phoenix, 590-586.
Jackie Reed, Clearfield, Utah, def. Fran Deken, Coweta, Okla., 523-492.
WINNERS BRACKET
Round 1
Primrose def. Sandelin, 724-631.
Hammitt def. Batt, 577-572.
West def. Jones, 550-532.
Johnson def. Gurney, 559-535.
Miller-Mackie def. George, 648-648, 183-170 in one-game roll-off.
Whiteman def. Smith, 573-537.
C. Smith def. K. Smith, 562-447.
Reed def. Allen, 570-519.
CONTENDERS BRACKET
Round 1
(Losers eliminated, each earned $300)
Reilly def. Berry, 614-534.
Henry def. Postma, 652-524.
Holcomb def. Lawrence, 556-547.
Vogel def. DeCamp, 571-480.
Powers def. Sinek, 607-550.
Fehr def. Sunell, 623-516.
Norton def. Braverman, 578-571.
Deken def. Wade, 631-543.
Round 2
(Losers eliminated, each earned $400)
Reilly def. Jones, 643-544.
Sandelin def. Henry, 612-586.
Allen def. Holcomb, 553-496.
Vogel def. Smith, 666-528.
Powers def. Gurney, 635-579.
Fehr def. Batt, 582-556.
George def. Norton, 590-519.
Deken def. Smith, 656-538.
Miller-Mackie, bowling in her first Senior Queens, barely escaped her second match, nipping unsung Sue George of Middle Island, N.Y., 183-170, in a one-game roll-off after they tied at 648-648. The 52-year-old left-hander topped Janice Berry of Madison, Ala., in her first match, 554-515.
Miller-Mackie was the only one of the five USBC Hall of Famers and three past champions to win her first two challenges as the Senior Queens entered its three-game, double-elimination match play finals.
"That was too much stress," Miller-Mackie said after her nerve-wracking win over George, who earlier had sent defending champion Sandy Postma of Lansing, Ill., to the win-or-go-home contenders bracket. "I kept telling myself this tournament was supposed to be fun, so have some fun!"
Miller-Mackie was especially happy after watching Postma and fellow hall of famers Virginia Norton of Cypress, Calif., Fran Deken of Coweta, Okla., and Nancy Fehr of Cincinnati upset in the opening round. After opening-round wins, past Senior Queens winners Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., and Rose Smith of Las Vegas also were bumped into the contenders bracket by unheralded Janine Primrose of Minden, Nev., and Cindy Whiteman of Portland, Ore., respectively.
By the time Monday's match play competition ended, only Sandelin, Fehr and Deken were still alive in the contenders bracket. Postma was eliminated after a 652-524 loss to Jinnie Henry of Hixson, Tenn.; Smith was eliminated by Judy Vogel of Slidell, La., 666-528, and Norton was knocked out by George, 590-519.
"This tournament is so hard to win," Miller-Mackie said. "Sometimes it's a matter of who you get matched up against, but it's just hard. These women throw the ball so good. Fortunately, things were really good for me today. Qualifying Saturday and Sunday was ugly, but today I got a good feel for the lanes and I got into a good rhythm.
"The Queens is the one major I was never able to win in my career," she added, "so I'd really like to win the Senior Queens. But I'll be happy no matter what."
Proving Miller-Mackie's comment about matchups, Sandelin put a 631 series on the board in the second round, but got blown away by Primrose, who rolled a 724 series - the second highest in Senior Queens match play history.
Primrose, who moved to the U.S. from Australia in 1993, is bowling in her first Senior Queens at age 56.
"I'm ecstatic," Primrose said of her upset win. "I was so nervous. Lucy's such an awesome bowler. It was a thrill just to bowl on the same lanes with her."
Eight players survived Monday's competition undefeated in the winners bracket and eight are still in the running with one loss in the contenders bracket. Those players will compete Tuesday to determine the two who will meet for the title Wednesday morning.
2009 USBC SENIOR QUEENS
At National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev.
Monday's Match Play Results
(Three games, double-elimination)
OPENING ROUND
Lucy Sandelin, Tampa, Fla., def. Joan Reilly, Wilmington, Del., 636-558.
Janine Primrose, Gardnerville, Nev., def. Jinnie Henry, Hixson, Tenn., 626-542.
Barbara Batt, Jacksonville, Fla., def. Christina Holcomb, Glenpool, Okla., 581-471.
Cheryl Hammit, Union City, Calif., def. Judy Vogel, Slidell, La., 570-519.
Carole Jones, Englewood, Colo., def. Sharon Powers, Lakewood, Colo., 706-597.
Shelly West, Omaha, Neb., def. Teri Sunell, Eugene, Ore., 540-510.
Judy Gurney, Omaha, Neb., def. Virginia Norton, Cypress, Calif., 614-587.
Lil Johnson, Lawton, Okla., def. Debbie Wade, West Jordan, Utah, 598-542.
Dana Miller-Mackie, Albuquerque, N.M., def. Janice Berry, Madison, Ala., 554-512.
Susan George, Middle Island, N.Y., def. Sandy Postma, Lansing, Ill., 607-562.
Cindy Whiteman, Portland, Ore., def. Pam Lawrence, Pflugerville, Texas, 608-570.
Rose Smith, Las Vegas, def. Linda DeCamp, Henderson, Nev., 565-476.
Karen Smith, San Marcos, Calif., def. Debra Sinek, Odenton, Md., 619-602.
Cathy Smith, Richmond, Va., def. Nancy Fehr, Cincinnati, 534-508.
Rosanne Allen, El Paso, Texas, def. Shirley Braverman, Phoenix, 590-586.
Jackie Reed, Clearfield, Utah, def. Fran Deken, Coweta, Okla., 523-492.
WINNERS BRACKET
Round 1
Primrose def. Sandelin, 724-631.
Hammitt def. Batt, 577-572.
West def. Jones, 550-532.
Johnson def. Gurney, 559-535.
Miller-Mackie def. George, 648-648, 183-170 in one-game roll-off.
Whiteman def. Smith, 573-537.
C. Smith def. K. Smith, 562-447.
Reed def. Allen, 570-519.
CONTENDERS BRACKET
Round 1
(Losers eliminated, each earned $300)
Reilly def. Berry, 614-534.
Henry def. Postma, 652-524.
Holcomb def. Lawrence, 556-547.
Vogel def. DeCamp, 571-480.
Powers def. Sinek, 607-550.
Fehr def. Sunell, 623-516.
Norton def. Braverman, 578-571.
Deken def. Wade, 631-543.
Round 2
(Losers eliminated, each earned $400)
Reilly def. Jones, 643-544.
Sandelin def. Henry, 612-586.
Allen def. Holcomb, 553-496.
Vogel def. Smith, 666-528.
Powers def. Gurney, 635-579.
Fehr def. Batt, 582-556.
George def. Norton, 590-519.
Deken def. Smith, 656-538.