Pluhowsky Wins Gold Medal At Pan Am Games

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - University of Nebraska bowler Shannon Pluhowsky (Phoenix, Ariz.) continued her amazing run of international success, coming from third place to win the women's bowling gold medal at the Pan American Games at the Sebelen Bowling Center Tuesday afternoon.

Pluhowsky, a junior left-hander who competes for Coach Bill Straub?s Husker bowling team, entered the final game in third place, but rallied with a 246 to move past Guatemala?s Sofia Rodriguez and Venezuela?s Margalit Mizrachi for her first gold medal - her second medal of the Pan Am Games - and second by a U.S. bowler this week.

Pluhowsky, who averaged a 204.92 during the 12-game competition over two days, finished with a pinfall of 2,459, 35 pins ahead of the total by Rodriguez?s total of 2,424. Clara Guerrero of Colombia took the bronze with a total of 2,408 pins. Pluhowsky, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining at NU, was in sixth place after Monday?s competition, but moved back into medal contention with scores of 224, 211, 195 and 200 before her big finale. After starting with three spares in the final game, she had six straight strikes, then left a solid seven-pin, spared and added nine.

"I made some good shots early and knocked down nine three times. After that, I wanted to be strong to the pocket, stay clean and hope for the best," Pluhowsky said.

A two-time U.S. Amateur Champion, Pluhowsky capped her junior bowling career with wins in the Masters competition of the 2002 Federation Internationale des Quilleurs World Youth and American Zone Championships. She beat the world?s best adults in the 2002 AMF World Cup last year and was the collegiate bowler of the year in 2001.

For all her previous success, the 20-year-old ranked this victory as her biggest.

"It means a lot because this is as close as we?ll ever get to the Olympics," Pluhowsky said. "This is the top."

RESULTS
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Results after Tuesday?s final round of women?s singles in the 14th Pan American Games at the Sebelen Bowling Center.

1. Shannon Pluhowsky, United States, 2,459; 2. Sofia Rodriguez, Guatemala, 2,424; 3. Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 2,408; 4. Margalit Mizrachi, Venezuela, 2,394; 5. Adriana Perez Navarro, Mexico, 2,352; 6. Sara Vargas, Colombia, 2,328; 7. Maria Ramirez, Costa Rica, 2,316; 8. Illiana Lomeli Lemus, Mexico, 2,314; 9. Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 2,280; 10. Annie Henriquez, Dominican Republic, 2,249; 11. Yoselin Garcia, Puerto Rico, 2,247; 13. Stacy Werth, United States, 2,240; 14. Dianne Ingham, Bermudas, 2,233; 15. (tie) Jennifer Willis, Canada, 2,225 and. Ghiselle Araujo Vargas, Costa Rica, 2,225. 17. Jacqueline Costa, Brazil, 2,210; 18. Laura Lanzavecchia, Argentina, 2,202; 19. Robin Crawford, Canada, 2,195; 20, G. Dune Dill, Bermuda, 2,173; 21. Luiza Rocha, Brazil, 2,148; 22. Eloina Valle, Honduras, 2,141; 23, Marta Wursten, Argentina, 2,118; 24. Mirna Tabormina, Chile, 2,113; 25. Ely Bennett, Panama, 2,102; 26. Karen Holder, Panama, 2,067; 27. Marina McClain, Bahamas, 2,064; 28. Patricia Ciotti, Venezuela, 2,016; 29. Renatha Arnold, Aruba, 1,950; 30. Maria Castillo, Guatemala, 1,943; 31. Susette Croes, Aruba, 1,904; 32. Joanna Whiteside-Powell, Bahamas, 957-WD.