September 2016 -
5
Team USA Takes Doubles
Gold & Silver At 2016 PABCON Adult
Championships
By Matt Cannizzaro
CALI, Colombia -
Team USA's AJ Chapman knows
he has what it takes to compete on the biggest stages
in bowling, and he proved it to his fellow competitors at
the 2016 Pan American Bowling Confederation Adult
Championships on Tuesday as he teamed with John
Szczerbinski to claim the doubles gold medal.
Chapman has progressed through the Junior Team
USA and USBC Collegiate programs but hasn't rushed
the process, knowing a professional bowling career is
possible and likely, but completing his degree in sport
management is his first priority - or second behind his
upcoming appearance on the medal stand.
The 22-year-old right-hander graduated to a new com-
petitive plateau Tuesday with a six-game total of 1,398
at Bolera Departamental, which lifted him and Szczer-
binski (1,388) to a 2,786 winning total. The victory
marked the first medal of any kind for Chapman in
PABCON Adult Championships competition. Szczerbin-
ski earned the silver medal in singles Monday.
The two bowled on the first squad of the day and
dodged a few close calls, including their teammates,
Marshall Kent (1,405) and Ronnie Russell (1,361), who
finished with a 469 game and claimed the silver medal
with a 2,766 total.
"It's hard to put into words what it means to bowl for
your country and have Team USA on your back, and to
bowl well, especially in a team environment, makes it
even more special," said Chapman, a winner at the
2015 Intercollegiate Team Championships with Wichita
State. "I have complete trust in John getting up there
and throwing the important shots, and I know he feels
the same way. Our communication today was solid,
and that goes back to our college days. That's some-
thing WSU does really well."
Canada's Francois Lavoie and Mitch
Hupe, both products of the Wichita State
bowling program, also had a shot at the
lead heading into the final frames, but the
run was slowed when Hupe left a 7-10 split
in the seventh frame. That left both players
needing to strike on at least their next four
shots.
Their chance at gold or silver ended when
Hupe left, and missed, the 3-10 split in the
ninth frame. Lavoie continued to strike,
however, and finished with the fourth per-
fect game of the tournament, joining his
teammates Hupe (singles), David Simard
(doubles) and Colombian star Andres Go-
mez (singles).
Lavoie (1,386) and Hupe (1,369) earned
the bronze medal with a 2,755 effort, 68
pins ahead of Venezuela's Reydnier
Chavez and Ildemaro Ruiz (2,687).
The teams for the United States are
Szczerbinski, Sean Rash and Rob Gotchall
on the morning squad, and Chapman, Kent
and Russell on the afternoon shift.
Gotchall (1,297) and Rash (1,222) fin-
ished 20th in doubles with a 2,519 total.
The doubles medal ceremony will take
place at Bolera Departamental on Wednes-
day afternoon.
As Chapman prepares for trios and team
competition, he's looking forward to more
time on the lanes with his experienced
teammates and is excited about competing
against them full-time after he graduates in
December. He'll aim for employment in the
pro shop industry, coupled with life on the
PBA Tour.
"I'm proud that I'll have a degree to fall
back on, and my time at WSU also really helped pre-
pare me for my bowling career," Chapman said. "I don't
think I'd be on Team USA if it weren't for the great men-
tal and physical coaching, camaraderie and supportive
bowling community in Wichita."
Even just three days into the PABCON Adult Champi-
onships, this week also has been a terrific learning ex-
perience for Chapman.
"I may not have a huge amount of experience on the
bigger stages, but I have a fair amount for being just
22," said Chapman, who finished third at the 2016
United States National Amateur Bowling Champion-
ships. "Bowling with these guys pushes me to be bet-
ter. I want to bowl as well as them and hopefully ac-
complish some of the things they have. I'm definitely
looking forward to the rest of the week."
The 2016 PABCON Adult Championships includes
more than a dozen countries, with more on the line
than just gold medals.
The top eight men's teams and top eight women's
teams will qualify for the combined 2017 World Cham-
pionships in Kuwait. This will be determined by a com-
bined total pinfall from the following categories in each
division - top four singles scores, top two doubles
scores, top trios set and pinfall in team competi-
tion.
The top two countries will qualify for the World
Games, which is held every fourth year and next
will be contested in Wroclaw, Poland, in July
2017. This will be a combined pinfall total for the
top two men and top two women for each country
during the 24 games at the PABCON event.
The United States, Venezuela and Colombia previ-
ously qualified for the 2017 World Games through the
PABCON Champion of Champions event in Mexico last
April.
The women hit the lanes at Bolera Departamental
starting next Monday.
2016 PABCON ADULT CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Bolera Departamental, Cali, Colombia
Tuesday's results
MEN'S DOUBLES
(Six games)
GOLD -
AJ Chapman/John Szczerbinski, United
States, 2,786
SILVER -
Marshall Kent/Ronnie Russell, United States,
2,766
BRONZE -
Francois Lavoie/Mitch Hupe, Canada, 2,755
More results in the October issue of Bowling World
Newspaper.
SATURDAY
SEPT 24, 2016
@
SANTA FE
SATURDAY
OCT 1, 2016
@
SILVER NUGGET
SATURDAY
OCT 8, 2016
@
SUNCOAST
SATURDAY
OCT 15, 2016
@
THE ORLEANS
The 9-Pin No Tap Tour LV
3rd Quarter Championships
Texas Star Lanes - North
Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 3rd/4th, 2016
Total Paid Out: $5,488.00
