2019 USBC Queens Champion - Dasha Kovalova

source: USBC
Dasha Kovalova, 2019 USBC Queens Champion

Congratulations to former Wichita State women's bowling phenom Dasha Kovalova on winning her first PWBA title, the USBC Queens,

This year's tournament was held at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Dasha's home turf.

Two of the other finalists, Clara Guerrero and Tannya Roumimper, also bowled at Wichita State.

I first wrote about Dasha in 2013 (see June 8, 2013 entry) as one of the outstanding female bowlers on the European tour.

At the time I wrote the entry, the PWBA tour had closed operations in 2003. It relaunched in 2015. All the bowlers I mentioned: Shayna Ng, Jazreel Tan and Dasha's opponent in the European Women's Champtionship, Birgit Poppler, are ALL currently on this year's PWBA tour.
All have at least one PWBA title.

Here's Dasha's match against #2 Jane Sin (also known as Sin Jane Li):

Team Colombia - 2 PWBA Titles in 2016

source: PWBA
Clara Guerrero, 2016 PWBA Players Championship

source: PWBA
Rocio Restrepo, 2016 PWBA Greater Detroit Open

The international presence on this year's PWBA tour continues. Last month, it was Singapore's Cherie Tan and Bernice Lim (see July 3, 2016 blog entry). This month, Clara Guerrero and Rocio Restrepo.

From YouTube's HappyBowlers.com, PWBA Go Bowling Players Championship:


And from bowlingvideos4all, here's the PWBA Greater Detroit Open:

2015 QubicaAMF World Cup

source: Bowl.com
L; Wu Siu Hong (Hong Kong), R: Clara Guerrero (Colombia)

Congratulations to Wu Siu Hong, who brought Hong Kong its first title, and Clara Guerrero of Colombia, who successfully defended her title in this year's QubicaAMF World Cup.

This is great stuff to watch, especially for those like me that follow bowling outside the United States.

I haven't watched it yet myself, but here's Bowl.com's video broadcast of the semifinals and finals.

PWBA, Week 6 - Topeka Open

source: PWBA

As I'm sticky, tired and listless from the heat today (86F in San Francisco, 99F in the Peninsula), I'm all about posting something easy. Below is video from last weekend's PWBA tournament in Topeka, Kansas.

Former Nebraska standout Liz Kuhlkin came in as the #3 seed. Liz defeated Clara Guerrero, Liz Johnson and top seed Danielle McEwan to claim her first PWBA title.

Great bowling and congrats to Liz!

Mr. Barrett and his Domination

image source: PBA.com

Pro bowling fans know the World Series of Bowling Championships have been underway all week. For me, it was very exciting to read:

• Marshall Kent (Robert Morris University's bowling superstar) land as top seed in the Scorpion Championship as an amateur. This is Marshall's second appearance in a TV final. He was in the U.S. Open finals this past summer in my birth city of Columbus, Ohio (see July 28, 2013 blog entry).
• Clara Guerrero, the third female bowler (following Liz Johnson and Kelly Kulick) in PBA history to make a TV appearance in the Cheetah Championship, and...
• Dom Barrett emerge as the number 1 seed in the Chameleon and World Series Championships.

My admiration for Dom goes back about 3 years, when I first saw him on YouTube bowling in the 2008 Weber Cup. I included him in a March 29, 2012 blog entry featuring a 2011 Weber Cup video of Dom bowling for Team Europe versus Team USA's Tommy Jones. 

What sealed me as a fan was his 2009 Ten-Pin Masters Final match against Australian sensation and fellow Storm Pro Staffer Jason Belmonte. It was quite the sight to see a low-key, clean-cut, boyish Dom have a very loud legion of fans (aka The Domination) cheer for him in the Barnsley Metrodome. 

My favorite part: the celebration after Dom won the match. Take careful notice on the backs of the T-shirts Dom's fans wore that day. Below is video of the final game in the title match.