Four Huskers Set to Compete at USBC Team USA Trials

Nebraska bowlers Julia Bond, Kelly Belzeski and Amanda Morgan will compete this week for a chance to qualify for Team USA at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Team USA Trials, held Tuesday through Sunday at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. 

Shannon Pluhowsky, who competed for Nebraska from 2000-05, Lizabeth Kuhlkin, who competed for Nebraska from 2012-15, and Gazmine Mason, who competed for Nebraska from 2013-17, are also competing with the goal of making the Team USA roster for the 2018 season.

The top four women at the 2018 Team USA Trials, based on ranking points, will earn automatic spots, while two additional women will be selected by the National Selection Committee from the pool of players that competed during the week at The Orleans. The National Selection Committee also will select a maximum of five women for the team based on submitted resumes. 

Mason, Bond, and Belzeski competed for Junior Team USA in 2016 and 2017. 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 at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev.

Competitors will earn ranking points based on their finishing positions in each of the qualifying rounds - the top bowler of the block earns one ranking point, second place earns two points, etc. - with the lowest total of ranking points after the five blocks determining the Team USA Trials champion, which will earn an automatic spot on Team USA for 2018.

Live scoring and a link to a live stream of the competition can be found at Bowl.com.