RENO, Nev. - Diandra Asbaty of Chicago and Dan Patterson of West Seneca, N.Y., were crowned U.S. Amateur champions Friday at the United States Bowling Congress Team USA Championships.
Asbaty, the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion, earned a spot on Team USA for the eighth time in her career by posting a total of 10,811, including match play bonus pins, for 48 games. She went 15-8-1 in matches.
Patterson, who was a first-time Team USA member in 2005, won the title with 12,540, including match play bonus pins, for 56 games. He went 22-10-0 in matches.
The top five men and women earned automatic spots on Team USA 2006. Patterson is joined on the men's side by Fero Williams of Gardena, Calif., Scott Pohl of Eagan, Minn., Martin Bedford of Lockport, N.Y., and Ronnie Sparks Jr. of Wayne, Mich.
Asbaty is joined by Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix, Olivia Sandham of Wichita, Kan., Lynda Barnes of Flower Mound, Texas, and Samantha Linder of Winter Haven, Fla.
The National Selection Committee also selected three men and women from the players who made match play to join the team. David Haynes of Las Vegas, Bill Hoffman of Columbus, Ohio, Rhino Page of San Diego, Stefanie Nation of Orlando, Fla., Shannon O'Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., and Amanda Burgoyne of Newport, Minn., were all picked.
The committee also awarded two-year Team USA spots to Haynes, Hoffman, Williams, Pluhowsky, Barnes and Nation. Patterson and Asbaty automatically earned two-year spots.
Asbaty charged into the lead for the first time all week after 47 of 48 games. A 279 in game 47 moved her ahead of Pluhowsky and Linder. Despite falling to Pluhowsky 195-190 in the final position round match, Asbaty hung on to win the title.
"I came here just to make Team USA, and that's all that mattered to me," Asbaty said. "I knew it was going to be a marathon week, so I just sort of paced myself. Coming into the last eight games I knew I needed to turn it on to make the team."
Patterson's run to the title was just as stressful. Leading by just eight pins heading into the position round game against Williams, Patterson struck out in the 10th for a 259 game. Williams struck on the first ball in the 10th but failed to strike on the second ball for 254.
"I put a note on my wall two years ago that I wanted to make Team USA, and that goal came true last year," Patterson said. "Then my new goal was to win the U.S. Amateur championship. It's one of those things were the dream came true, and I can't even put it into words. It's amazing."
Team USA 2006 members will participate in events such as the World Tenpin Bowling Association Men's World Championships, Tournament of the Americas and QubicaAMF World Cup.
For complete coverage of the Team USA Championships, including stories and full standings, visit the Team USA section of bowl.com. (United States Bowling Congress)
The United States Bowling Congress, as the national governing body, ensures the integrity and protects the future of the sport, provides programs and services and enhances the bowling experience.
USBC officially launched Jan. 1, 2005, as an organization serving nearly three million adult and youth bowlers in the United States. It resulted from the merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling.
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