6
- April 2016
South Point Bowling Plaza Welcomes Women's
Championships
By
and Aaron Smith
LAS VEGAS -
For the first time in more than 30 years, the world's largest partici-
patory sporting event for women is underway in Las Vegas, and the
icked off Saturday in grand
fashion.
This year's USBC Women's Championships is the first major USBC tournament to
be held in the new $35-million South Point Bowling Plaza, and it marks the first of
four scheduled visits over the next decade.
The first group of four-player teams at the 97th edition of the Women's Champion-
ships celebrated in style with a ribbon-cutting, traditional Mass Ball Shot Ceremony,
encouraging words from local and bowling dignitaries and a performance by the cast
of Girls Night Out The Musical, being performed this weekend at the South Point
Showroom.
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Vice President of International Mar-
keting Michael Goldsmith, USBC Vice President Cathy DeSocio, Clark County Com-
missioner Susan Brager, Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson, South Point
General Manager Ryan Growney and USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy cut
the ribbon to open the tournament, while four special guests were on-hand to throw
out the official first balls of the event.
This year's Bowl for the Cure® Fabulous Four essay contest winners completed a
special journey together and rolled out the ceremonial first balls before competing
as a team on the opening squad.
During the event's 94-day run from Saturday until July 11, more than 25,000 bowl-
ers will hit the lanes at the 60-lane venue to compete for a prize fund expected to be
in the millions.
The Women's Championships previously was held in Las Vegas in 1973 and 1983,
when it was contested at the famous Showboat Lanes.
On the lanes Saturday, 2010 Ruby Doubles champion Shawna Treat of Gilbert,
Arizona, got to experience a different end of the Women's Championships spectrum
as a participant on the first squad of the tournament.
In 2010, Treat and her mother-in-law Joyce Treat of Queen Creek, Arizona,
claimed the doubles crown on the final squad of the 100-day tournament, while
Joyce also took home the Sapphire All-Events title.
"Bowling on the last squad was a lot of fun, and this was, too, but it was completely
different," said Treat, who made her 13th tournament appearance. "We enjoyed
being here to see the opening ceremony and bowl on the first squad, especially
since it's the first time here. On one hand, it was nice to bowl at the end and know
what we needed, but now we're able to post the scores for our friends and everyone
to shoot at. We're planning to bowl a little bit later next year, but this was a great
experience."
All bowlers will return to the lanes at South Point Bowling Plaza on Sunday morn-
ing for doubles and singles.
Joining the Women's Championships at South Point this year will be the second
edition of the
which features four-player mixed teams (two men and
two women), mixed doubles (one man and one woman) and open singles competi-
tion.
The Mixed formally will get underway with its first team squad Sunday, and compe-
tition will continue until July 10.
The Mixed features a divisional structure that mimics the Women's Championships
- four divisions for team and six for doubles and singles - so it is inviting for bowlers
of all skill levels and could serve as a good steppingstone to bigger events, like the
Women's Championships and USBC Open Championships.
PBA Spare Shots
By Bill Vint
When
Anthony Simon-
sen
, at age 19, defeated
54-year-old
Mike Ed-
wards
Sunday to win the
PBA FireLake Grand Ca-
sino Resort Southwest
Open, Edwards spotted
Simonsen 35 years in age
and experience. Whether
that age gap between title
round finalists is a record
or not is unknown.
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
