APRIL 2015 -
3
S U R
F
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TOURNAMENTS
Paula Vidad Makes History
With Golden Ladies Victory
By Fred Eisenhammer
Paula Vidad became the first player to win the “triple
crown” of senior women’s bowling and she did it in impres-
sive style.
Vidad came back from an early 30-pin deficit in the cham-
pionship match to claim the title of the 25
th
National Golden
Ladies Classic during a four-day tournament last week at
the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The Golden Ladies title allowed Vidad to complete a
sweep of the three senior women’s major events. She also
won the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens
championship in 2011 and the Senior U.S. Open champion-
ship in 2013 and 2014.
No other woman has won titles in all three events.
The 55-year-old Vidad, who lives in Sun City, Calif., admit-
ted that winning all three senior majors was a goal of hers
this year and “I was determined to do it,” she said.
She accomplished her mission with a clutch performance
in the championship match where she scored a 237-225
victory over USBC Hall-of-Famer and top-seeded Tish
Johnson of Colorado Springs.
Vidad was seeded second in the five-woman, stepladder
finals. She reached the championship match with a convinc-
ing 246-216 victory over fifth-seeded Terri Ward of Love-
land, Colo., who had won her first two stepladder matches
and was threatening to “run the table.”
From there, Vidad took on Johnson for the $2,500 top
prize. The two are familiar opponents, having faced off
“tons of times,” Vidad said.
Vidad got off to a rocky start, opening in the first frame
after leaving the 4-9 split. Johnson, meanwhile, rolled
strikes in her first four frames and enjoyed an 89-59 cushion
after three frames.
Vidad launched her comeback in the third frame, putting
together five straight strikes that left her only 10 pins behind
after seven frames. She then slipped ahead after Johnson
opened in the ninth frame, missing a seven pin.
Vidad, essentially, needed a mark in the 10
th
frame to sew
up the victory and she sealed the win with a flourish, rolling
a solid strike.
“I think it was one of my best shots,” Vidad said. “It was
flush. I was so excited. There was a lot of screaming be-
cause I had done what I wanted to do. I was pretty much
crying after that – from the relief and stress – all at once.”
Coincidentally, Vidad had faced Johnson last year in the
championship match of the Senior Women’s U.S.
Open. Vidad won that match, 234-210.
The right-handed Vidad entered the stepladder finals with
a lot of momentum, having bowled a torrid 804 match-play
series (279-258-267) the day before.
Vidad holds the USBC record for most perfect games in a
tournament – three (in 28 games) that she bowled in the
1998 Western Women’s Professional Bowlers tourna-
ment. Still, Vidad believes she’s bowling better now that
she ever has in her life. “It’s crazy,” Vidad said, “but it
seems like my game has gotten better over the years.”
Vidad’s powerful bowling did not go unnoticed by the
Golden Ladies talent-laden field, which included 122 bowl-
ers.
“Paula is a tough competitor on the lanes and a great
friend and promoter of everything bowling off the lanes,”
said Jackie Wycoff of Campbell, Calif., who finished 22
nd
in
the tournament.
“Even though she started the [championship] match with a
nasty split, she never gave up. By keeping it close, she was
able to come back and win the match.”
Other top California finishers included Pam Pancoast of
Lomita (fourth), Sharon Aronson of Turlock (11
th
), Debbie
Ayers of San Diego (12
th
), Robin Romeo of Newhall (14
th
),
Regina Aboud of San Jose (17
th
) and Vesma Grinfelds of
San Francisco (18
th
).
Pancoast, seeded third, was ousted in Game 2 of the step-
ladder finals by Ward, 215-202. Ward opened the steplad-
der competition by squeaking past Lucy Sandelin of Tampa,
Fla., 202-199.
Johnson earned $1,300 for her second-place finish. Ward
won $900, Pancoast picked up $800 and Sandelin earned
$700.
Golden Ladies Finals Standings
Paula Vidad
Sun City, CA
$2500.00
Tish Johnson
Colorado Springs, CO
$1300.00
Terri Ward
Loveland, CO
$900.00
Pam Pancoast
Lomita, CA
$800.00
Lucy Sandelin
Tampa, FL
$700.00
Mandy Wilson
Dayton, OH
$600.00
Lil Johnson
Lawton, OK
$500.00
Kristy Witcher
Belfair, WA
$450.00
Char Hammel
Las Vegas, NV
$435.00
Sharon Powers
Lakewood, CO
$430.00
Sharon Aronson
Turlock, CA
$425.00
Debbie Ayers
San Diego, CA
$420.00
Tonya Bennett
Broken Arrow,OK
$415.00
Robin Romeo
Newhall, CA
$410.00
Linda Kelly
Dayton, OH
$405.00
Tori Romeo-Carter Las Vegas, NV
$400.00
Regina Aboud
San Jose, CA
$395.00
Vesma Grinfelds
San Francisco, CA
$390.00
Alt Cindy McBride
Plano, TX
$230.00
Cindy bowled last 6 games for Vesma
Super Senior Final Standings
Judy Gurney
Mesa, AZ $1200.00
Pam Lawrence
Pflugerville, TX $900.00
Sandy Postma
Lansing, IL
$800.00
Joyce Marshall
New York, NY
$700.00
Marci Williams
Wichita, KS
$600.00
Bessie Walker
Bensalem, PA
$530.00
Cheryl Robinson
Hemet, CA
$480.00
Jean Meyers
Pearlano, TX
$450.00
Donna Donohue
La Mesa, CA
$420.00
Barb Demorest
Bellingham, WA $385.00
Connie Palmer
El Cajon, CA
$360.00
Pam Buckner
Reno, NV
$340.00
Alt Marion Marko
E St Paul MAN $230.00
