Juniors Pace Strong Team USA Effort at Tournament of the Americas
Junior Team USA members Andrew Koff of Miami, Fla., and Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., each won six titles to lead the 16-member USA contingent at the 47th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas held Aug. 9-15 at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
After each won gold in singles and doubles, Koff and Earnest teamed to capture the mixed doubles title in the Junior A (ages 16-19) division before leading their respective teams to the team title. Each won the individual all-events title and helped Team USA to the title in national all-events.
Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Fla., also picked up six titles (Junior B Men, ages 12-15, division). Coffey, 14, was the youngest bowler on the American team.
Team USA dominated the all-events final standings, taking the gold in six of the eight divisions. The other Team USA members to take home all-events gold medals were: Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill. (Adult Women), Carol Teel of The Villages, Fla. (Senior Women); and Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla. (Junior B Women).
Six USA athletes picked up silver medals in all-events: Tim Pfeifer of Cranberry Township, Pa., (Adult Men), Ed Roberts of Braintree, Maine, (Senior Men), Dayna Galganski of Palm Beach, Fla. (Junior A Women), Chris Pierson of Waukesha, Wis., (Junior A Men), Ana Koff of Miami (Junior B Women) and Daulton Shaffer of Cape Coral, Fla. (Junior B Men).
Team USA closed out the successful week by claiming the title in three of the four divisions of the team competition.
Josie Earnest, Pfeifer, Ricki Williams of Wichita, Kan., and John Szczerbinski of Wichita, Kan., combined for a 10,458 two-day total to win the Adult Division by 567 pins over Mexico (9,891). Mexico held off Venezuela for the silver.
In the Junior A Women (ages 16-19) division, Junior Team USA members Jessica Earnest, Galganski, Andrew Koff and Pierson more than doubled their first-day pinfall lead while cruising to the gold medal over Canada.
The Americans also took the gold in the Junior B division with Ana Koff, Bolton, Coffey and Shaffer pulling away with a 9,492 pinfall total. Puerto Rico (8,557) took the silver.
Venezuela (9,306) captured the Senior Division title, getting past Mexico (9,196) and the American team (9,128) of Teel, Roberts, Christine Srock of Pinellas Park, Fla., and Phil Prieto of El Paso, Texas.
The Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas is the oldest annual international tournament in the American Zone. The invitational competition is for countries of PABCON (Pan American Bowling Confederation - the American Zone of World Tenpin Bowling Association).
