Bond Wins U.S. Amateur Championship

Henderson, Nev. - Julia Bond was crowned United States Amateur Bowling Champion after she defeated Stephanie Zavala 229-204 in the women's U.S. Amateur final at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials Sunday night at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev.

Bond, a junior on Nebraska's third-ranked bowling team, was also named to Team USA for the 2017 season after she finished fourth overall at the trials with 54 ranking points.

Bond came in to the competition having already earned a spot on Junior Team USA in 2017 based on her performance at the 2016 Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis.

Competitors earned points based on their finishing positions in the five qualifying rounds. The top bowler of the block earned one ranking point, second place earned two points, etc., with the lowest total of ranking points after the five six-game blocks determining the 2017 USBC Team USA Trials champion.

Husker senior Gazmine Mason and junior Kelly Belzeski also competed at the trials.

Kayla Johnson, a Husker from 2010-2012, was also named to Team USA for the 2017 season by the National Selection Committee based on her performances throughout the week, while Shannon Pluhowsky, who competed for Nebraska from 2000-05, was selected by the National Selection Committee based on her submitted resume.

Erin McCarthy, who lettered for Nebraska in the 2009 season and hails from Omaha, claimed the trials championship with 46 total ranking points.