%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Lincoln ? The stakes are high for five current or former Husker bowlers this week, as the 2004 USA Amateur Bowling Championship takes place in Las Vegas.
The tournament, which features over 200 of the top amateur bowlers in the nation, not only includes the most prestigious title in U.S. bowling, but also eight spots on Team USA for the upcoming year. Competition begins Tuesday with three days of qualifying with the finals set for Saturday afternoon.
The Husker contingent is led by two-time U.S. Amateur champion Shannon Pluhowsky (Phoenix, Ariz.), who is seeking an unprecedented third straight title. In 2003, she joined Julie Gardner (1991-92) and Liz Johnson (1993-94) as the only consecutive winners of the U.S. Amateur. Pluhowsky, who won a gold medal at the Pan American Games last summer and was a runner-up at the Bowling World Cup in October, comes into the tournament on a roll, winning three of four tournaments during Huskers’ fall campaign, including a 254.300 average at the Whitewater Invitational ? the highest average ever rolled in collegiate tournament play.
Two of Pluhowsky’s biggest challengers may be a pair of former Husker greats in former Husker greats Diandra Asbaty (Hyman) and Kari Schwager. Asbaty, a five-time team USA member, won the U.S. Amateur title in 1999 and was the college bowler of the year in 2000. Schwager, another former Team USA member, was a teammate of Pluhowsky and Asbaty on NU’s 2001 IBC National Championship team. Schwager, who concluded her college career last season, earned her spot in this tournament by winning the regional title last summer.
Husker freshmen Amanda Burgoyne (Newport, Minn.) and Adrienne Miller (Albuquerque, N.M.) will also bid for Team USA honors this week.
Burgonye, a two-time Junior Team USA member, placed seventh at the 2003 U.S. Amateur tournament, and has been one of the Huskers top bowlers this season. She won her first tournament at the Women’s Triad in November and was named the WIBC Star of Tomorrow in October, representing the top junior bowler in the nation.
Miller earned a spot in the 2004 field by winning the New Mexico state tournament last summer. The daughter of current PBA Bowler Mike Miller, Adrienne, a fve-time women’s bowler of the year in New Mexico, has also been impressive in her first season at NU, recording a pair of top-20 finishes, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Southern Classic in November.