BubbaRay
04-26-2008, 07:49 AM
By Jerry Schneider and Jason Pinter
USBC Communications
CANTON, Mich. - A bowler who is always a threat to win any tournament she enters and another who hopes to break through for her first national title took the lead in two Classic Division events Friday at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships.
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., took the lead in Classic All-Events (190 and above average) with 2,113 and looks to add another title to her already impressive resume. Meanwhile, Corrine Ham of Cocoa, Fla., bolted into the lead in Classic Singles with a 736 series.
Bowling just lanes apart from Ham, Johnson fired 699 in team, 708 in doubles and 706 in singles to overtake the all-events lead.
"My weakness is looking at the leader board, but I try and focus on my game and not anyone else's," said Johnson, who won the 2007 U.S. Women's Open and is an 11-time Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist. "You can't control what other bowlers do. You can only control what you do."
In addition to her professional titles, Johnson, who took home the 2007 USBC Women's Championships Classic Doubles title with partner Sue Jeziorski, was the first woman in history to win a PBA regional and finished second in a PBA national tour event, the highest finish for a woman.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ham, who has always considered herself a good amateur bowler who is capable of winning, but victories in major competitions have always seemed to elude her.
By rolling a 736 series on games of 278, 236 and 222, to take the lead in Classic Singles, she hopes to break that drought.
"I feel this is my best chance to win a national title," Ham said. "I've had a few top 10s here over the years but never have been really close to winning."
Ham, the general manager for her family-owned bowling center in Titusville, Fla., posted her leading singles set after rolling 606 in team and 664 in doubles.
"The more I bowled the more it seemed like the lane conditioning pattern came to my game," she said. "This year there was a nice inside shot which is really more conducive to my game. I haven't been able to take advantage of an inside shot in recent years."
Ham, the daughter of two-time Senior Queens champion Shirley Levens, finished sixth in the 2005 Queens which she counts has her biggest career highlight to this point. She and Johnson will both take their shot at winning the 2008 USBC Queens, which starts tomorrow with the first round of qualifying.
"The Women's Championships is a great event to get warmed up for the Queens," said Johnson. "It's a great stamina builder and has great competitors. I feel I'm ready for the Queens."
USBC Communications
CANTON, Mich. - A bowler who is always a threat to win any tournament she enters and another who hopes to break through for her first national title took the lead in two Classic Division events Friday at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships.
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., took the lead in Classic All-Events (190 and above average) with 2,113 and looks to add another title to her already impressive resume. Meanwhile, Corrine Ham of Cocoa, Fla., bolted into the lead in Classic Singles with a 736 series.
Bowling just lanes apart from Ham, Johnson fired 699 in team, 708 in doubles and 706 in singles to overtake the all-events lead.
"My weakness is looking at the leader board, but I try and focus on my game and not anyone else's," said Johnson, who won the 2007 U.S. Women's Open and is an 11-time Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist. "You can't control what other bowlers do. You can only control what you do."
In addition to her professional titles, Johnson, who took home the 2007 USBC Women's Championships Classic Doubles title with partner Sue Jeziorski, was the first woman in history to win a PBA regional and finished second in a PBA national tour event, the highest finish for a woman.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ham, who has always considered herself a good amateur bowler who is capable of winning, but victories in major competitions have always seemed to elude her.
By rolling a 736 series on games of 278, 236 and 222, to take the lead in Classic Singles, she hopes to break that drought.
"I feel this is my best chance to win a national title," Ham said. "I've had a few top 10s here over the years but never have been really close to winning."
Ham, the general manager for her family-owned bowling center in Titusville, Fla., posted her leading singles set after rolling 606 in team and 664 in doubles.
"The more I bowled the more it seemed like the lane conditioning pattern came to my game," she said. "This year there was a nice inside shot which is really more conducive to my game. I haven't been able to take advantage of an inside shot in recent years."
Ham, the daughter of two-time Senior Queens champion Shirley Levens, finished sixth in the 2005 Queens which she counts has her biggest career highlight to this point. She and Johnson will both take their shot at winning the 2008 USBC Queens, which starts tomorrow with the first round of qualifying.
"The Women's Championships is a great event to get warmed up for the Queens," said Johnson. "It's a great stamina builder and has great competitors. I feel I'm ready for the Queens."