ARLINGTON, Texas – Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, and Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, each made deep runs in the bracket at the 2019 USBC Queens and their performances helped each claim a spot on the team that will represent the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, later this year.
The Pan American Games will take place July 26 through Aug. 11, with the bowling competition scheduled for July 25-30. Johnson and O’Keefe earned the two women’s positions on Team USA based on their finishes at the Pan American Games Trials and the USBC Queens.
The Queens was the second part of a two-part qualifying process that started in March with the Pan American Games Trials held at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington.
Heading into the Queens, Johnson led the Team USA women’s qualifying followed by Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, O’Keefe, Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, and Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Among Team USA members at the Queens, Johnson was third in qualifying and finished fifth in the bracket to earn the first spot on the Pan American Games team and O’Keefe was second in qualifying and third in the bracket to claim the second spot.
The Team USA men also had a two-part qualifying process, with the second part completed at the 2019 USBC Masters. Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Arizona, and Nick Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, earned the two men’s positions on Team USA for the Pan American Games.
The Masters and Queens accounted for 40 percent of the qualifying process. Team USA members earned points based on their finishes in qualifying and the match-play bracket.
The Pan American Trials accounted for 60 percent of the qualifying process. Team USA members bowled 24 games over four days and across four different lane conditions, earning points based on their daily finishes and for their 24-game pinfall totals.
Go to BOWL.com/TeamUSA for the Pan American Games qualifying process, including the full standings.
Held every four years, in the year preceding the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games is the second largest multi-sport event that brings together the 41 National Olympic Committees that comprise PanamSports.
The United States Olympic Committee has specific requirements for the selection of the Team USA athletes who compete in the event.
Visit Lima2019.pe/en for more information on the Pan American Games.
By Terry Bigham | BOWL.com
