Jan. 7, 2011
(Jessica Earnest and Brittni Hamilton model their new Team USA wardrobe)
HENDERSON, Nev. – Vanderbilt’s Brittni Hamilton made the Team USA roster with a fourth-place finish in the Team USA Trials and teammate Jessica Earnest bowled her way to a spot on the Junior Team USA with a strong finish Friday.
Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio, won the women’s division but since she along with the next two finishers had already earned a spot on this coveted USA team, Hamilton became an automatic qualifier. The Webster, N.Y., product is also a member of the Junior Team USA, continuing her splendid national success.
Jessica Earnest was chosen by the National Selection Committee as an at-large member of the Junior Team, the second time she has had that honor.
Hamilton had a 214.97 average, some five pins per game behind Pluhowsky’s winning 220.36 average over 36 grueling games. Vandy’s Josie Earnest came in ninth after a good week-long showing and Commodore Kim Carper was 65th in this field that included every skill level from professional to high school.
The top three men and top three women in the final standings who were not already selected to be on Team USA earned automatic spots on the 2011 Team USA roster. Williams, Pluhowsky and Johnson all were selected in November, so they were not eligible for the automatic spots.
Joining Boyle on the men’s team was third-place finisher EJ Tackett of Huntington, Calif., and Fagan, who finished fourth. On the women’s side, Brenda Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, Brittni Hamilton of Webster, N.Y., and Kim Yioulos of Rochester, N.Y., all earned the automatic spots by finishing third through fifth, respectively.
The National Selection Committee picked Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, Bryanna Caldwell of Tucson, Ariz., Jarret Mizo of Honolulu and Steve Smith of San Diego to round out the final roster for Team USA in 2011.
Heading into the Team USA Trials, 13 players had already secured spots by virtue of their selection in November. Williams, Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Tommy Jones, Patrick Allen and Bill O’Neill make up the remainder of the men’s team. On the women’s side, Stefanie Nation, Shannon O’Keefe, Pluhowsky, Johnson, Kelly Kulick, Tennelle Milligan and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard were selected.
The top two boys and top two girls finishers who are 20 years or younger before Jan. 1, 2011 also earned automatic spots on Junior Team USA. Boyle, Tackett and Yioulos all earned spots on both Team USA and Junior Team USA. Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla., took the second girls spot.
The National Selection Committee polished off the Junior Team USA 2011 roster by adding Tyler Herrman of Harrisburg, Pa., TJ Baral of Palm City, Fla., Samantha Kelly of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., to the team.
Look to bowl.com for complete coverage and results.
