
Josie Earnest Barnes
Associate Head Coach
Highlights:
- Four-time winner on PWBA Tour
- Won 2021 U.S. Women’s Open
- Iconic figure in Vanderbilt bowling as two-time NCAA Player of Year and four-time All-American.
- Eleventh year on staff
- Seven-time and current Team USA member; competed in World Games and virtually every other major bowling championship.
- Member of Vanderbilt’s Athletic Hall of Fame
- Former Tennessee Co-Amateur Athlete of the Year
- She and husband Kyle welcomed baby daughter in October of 2019
Josie Barnes is regarded as one of the top professional bowlers in the world. She was selected for the USA team for the 2017 World Championship and has five times been a member of Team USA and five times a Junior Team USA member, earning over a dozen international medals.
She is consistently among the leaders on the Women’s Professional Bowlers Tour, winning the 2018 East Hartford Open and the 2016 Rochester Open. In 2013 she was inducted into Vanderbilt’s Athletic Hall of Fame, becoming the first member of the bowling program to be elected to the coveted and elite group. She and her husband Kyle reside in Nashville.
Vanderbilt Student-Athlete Highlights
2009-10
• Became first college bowler to be twice be voted the NCAA Player of the Year
• Her 214.9 average led nation by nearly 14 pins
• First-team Academic All-American
• First team All-American
• Placed second at United States Amateur Championship (Jr. Gold)
• Co-Tennessee Amateur Athlete of the Year (2008)
• High game of 284 second best in school history
• Had seven top five finishes in eight tournaments with three wins
• Named first team captain in program’s history for 2009-10 season
2008-09
• Voted Player of Year by NTPCA
• First team All-America
• Led VU with 205 average in 63 games, 52 over 200 Four Top 5 finishes, best was second at Capital City
2007-08
• Led VU with 198 average in 70 games
• Second team All-America
• MVP of NCAA Tournament
• 32 games over 200, 14 over 225, high of 268 at Arkansas State
Senior Highlights
Team USA 2012, 2013, 2015
Won 4 Golds, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze as an adult
Won 26 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze between Junior and Adult Team USA
High Finishes at the USBC Queens is 5th in 2012 and 9th in 2013
High finish at the US Open 11th in 2013
Junior Highlights
• 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 Member of Junior Team USA
• PABCON Youth International Tournament in El Salvador, capturing the Gold in singles, trios, team, and all-events and the Silver in Doubles.
• 2008 -Two Gold, Three Silver, and One Bronze with Junior Team USA at the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Orlando.
• 2007- Three Gold and One Bronze at the Warm Up to World Youth in Orlando.
• 2005 -Five Gold Medals with Junior Team USA at the International Youth Friendship Tournament in the Dominican Republic, capturing the singles, doubles, team, all-events and Masters titles.
• 2005 -Won three Gold Medals and one Silver Medal in another international competition – the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale.
• 2006- Won North Point Insurance High School Open Singles
• Won four Pepsi Cola State Championships
• Won the 2004 Junior Masters Tournament in Dayton, Ohio
• 12-time Illinois Scholarship Bowling Club champion
• Twice won the Illinois State Amateur Championship (2003-2004)
• Four top 12 finishes at the Junior Gold Tournament
• 2005 Teamed with younger sister Jessica to win Illinois State doubles title
• Six sanctioned 300 games, one with “sport shot” conditions, high series of 787 and over 70 700 series.
Personal
- Born June 28, 1988
- Husband Kyle Barnes is an amateur bowler
- Won two conference tennis singles titles, qualified for the 2005 state tournament.
- National Honor Society, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, student council and the National Honor Roll
- Salutatorian of high school class
- 2006 Won Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award
- 2006 Illinois Star of Tomorrow Award