BPAA’S NATION WINS SINGLES AT 2010 PABCON WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS

800x600 HENDERSON, Nev.- Team USA member Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, showed off her world-champion focus and closed with two big games to claim the singles gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships in suburban Las Vegas on Monday.

Nation, who is also BPAA’s Tournaments Coordinator, finished with games of 268 and 245 for a 1,372 six-game total and edged out Venezuela's Alicia Marcano, who posted a 1,369 effort at Sunset Station Hotel and Casino's Strike Zone Bowling Center.

Marcano needed two strikes in her final frame to claim the gold, but left a 4 pin on her second shot. Team USA's Kelly Kulick entered the last game with a 29-pin advantage over Marcano and had a chance to retain her lead, but a 3-6-9-10 in the 10th frame left her with a 1,367 total and the bronze medal.
 
"There were four or five of us in it going into the last game, so it was pretty exciting," said Nation, who also won singles gold at the 2009 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships. "I just wanted to make sure to stay in my own moment and make good shots, hoping the pins would fall my way. Whether it was me or Kelly, I just wanted us to be on top."

Nation's focus was tested in Game 4 when she registered a foul after starting the game with six consecutive strikes. She chose not to dispute the foul and didn't allow it to affect her performance as she finished with 215.

"You just have to move on from something like that, and I'm glad it didn't cost us in the end," Nation said. "Winning two of the three medals is a great start for us, and I think we're all mentally and physically prepared for the next couple of days leading into the team event, which is the one we're really looking forward to."

At the 2008 PABCON Championships in Santiago, Chile, Kulick finished fourth in singles before winning gold medals in doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters.

"Stefanie was consistent all day long and put herself in contention to win it," Kulick said. "I'm disappointed that I had the opportunity to win the gold and threw a bad shot, but I'm thrilled for Stefanie. Last time, I finished fourth in singles, so at least I improved and got a medal today. Now, I'm going to focus on doubles with Shannon (Pluhowsky) tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to the team event. That's the pinnacle of a tournament like this, and it's a good opportunity for us to learn and improve as we look forward to the World Championships next year."

Team USA's Liz Johnson finished fifth Monday with 1,344, while Shannon O'Keefe was seventh (1,322), Tennelle Milligan was 14th (1,252) and Pluhowsky was 30th with 1,183.

The 2010 PABCON Women's Championships features 60 competitors from 13 countries competing for medals in six events - five-player team, trios, doubles, singles, all-events and Masters match play.

For complete coverage of the PABCON Women's Championships, go to BOWL.com and search: PABCON.