Preview of Tonight's USBC Queens Televised Finals

"I'm just taking everything in as it happens and trying to enjoy being out here and competing. When I'm not in a bowling center, I try not to think about bowling or talk about bowling. Tonight, I'm going to relax and enjoy the moment and just wait for the lights to go on tomorrow."

--Elysia Current

Tonight, ESPN2 will televise the match play finals of the USBC Queens Championship live from the Oncenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY at 7 PM EDT. Former college bowling standout Elysia Current, who knocked Sacramento favorite and past Queens champion Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg out of the competition, went undefeated yesterday in double-elimination match play and will be the top seed in tonight's stepladder finals, needing to win only one match to claim the coveted Queens tiara and a $20,000 check.

I watched Bowl.com's live streaming of the competition most of yesterday and the day before, and I have to say that Elysia looks like she has an excellent chance of winning tonight. She has a sound, cleanly efficient style and throws a powerful ball that seems tailor-made for the lane conditions in the Convention Center.

The first match of the star-studded finals pits Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, who handed her sister Carolyn Dorin-Ballard her first defeat yesterday, against three-time Queens titlist Wendy Macpherson. The winner will take on Kim Terrell-Kearney. The winner of that match will go up against Missy (Bellinder) Parkin. And the winner of that match will advance to take on Elysia Current for the championship.

Last year's champion, Kelly Kulick, got knocked out relatively early in yesterday's match play competition.

You can click here to see how the bowlers who made it to match play fared in the brackets, here to read Bowl.com's preview story on the finals tonight, and here to watch match play action from Monday and Tuesday in the Bowl.com/Ustream archives. Finally, below is a video preview of tonight's finalists and matches.

Who Didn't Vote for Kelly Kulick, and Why Not?

The Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) just selected Bill O' Neill and Kelly Kulick as the BWAA male and female Bowlers of the Year for 2010. I can't think of more deserving choices, and they are the candidates I would have voted for. Wait a minute. As a card carrying member of the BWAA, I did vote for them.

But what astonishes me is that not everyone voted for Kelly Kulick to win. Yes, she received 46 out of 48 first place votes, but two people cast first place votes for Wendy Macpherson.

Now I have nothing against Wendy Macpherson. She's inarguably one of the greatest female bowlers in history. But female Bowler of the Year after the unbelievable season Kelly Kulick had? Come on now! What "bowling writer" would fail to give proper due to what is very possibly the greatest year a female bowler has ever had?

I blogged recently about how Kelly Kulick has never received the respect she deserves for what she's accomplished. Her not garnering all 48 first place votes for Bowler of the Year is just another example of it. And the fact that the two dissenters were bowling writers with presumed expertise in the sport makes it all the more striking. It seems to be either a manifestation of abject ignorance and incompetence on the part of those voters, or a deliberate and spiteful slap in the face for Kelly Kulick for heaven knows what. Or maybe it just reflects a perverse fixation on Wendy Macpherson.

Here are the stats for Kelly Kulick and Wendy Macpherson. For whom would YOU have voted?

Kelly Kulick

1st, 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions

1st, USBC Queens

1st, U.S. Women's Open

1st, PBA regional, Lakewood, Wash.

1st, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships doubles

1st, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships team

1st, Malaysian Open

2nd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships all-events

3rd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships singles

3rd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships trios

5th, PBA Earl Anthony Memorial Women's Series

7th, PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

PBA Women's Series average - 219.32

PBA Women's Series earnings - $46,440

Wendy Macpherson

1st, Japan Open including a 300 game

6th, PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

PBA Women's Series average - 198.42

PBA Women's Series earnings - $3,000

You can read more about the BWAA's selections here, and watch the championship match of the 2010 USBC Queens below.

Bowling Video of the Day--Leanne Barrette vs Wendy Macpherson

Yesterday I posted videos of Steve Cook and the Steve Cook Classic league. In that post, I mentioned that Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg bowls in that league along with Steve Cook and many other fine local bowlers. Leanne appeared in PWBA televised finals over 100 times. Below is one of those appearances. It was the championship match of the 2002 Empire State PWBA Classic against Wendy Macpherson.