Former Husker Helps Team USA Win Doubles Gold

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Former Nebraska bowler Diandra (Hyman) Asbaty of Chicago teamed up with Tenelle Milligan of Costa Mesa, Calif., to claim the gold medal in the Pan American Games doubles tournament this week.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Asbaty and Tenelle finished the 12-game tournament with a total of 5,356 pins, topping the second-place team of <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Puerto Rico by 387 pins. 

 

Team USA swept both doubles tournaments, as the men’s team of Rhino Page of Topeka, Kan., and Cassidy Schaub of Polk, Ohio, also claimed the top spot. The two victories tallied the U.S. Pan American games medal total to 24, twice as many than second-best Mexico, since bowling received Pan-Am medal-sport status in 1991.

 

Former Husker Paola Gomez joined Asbaty in the women’s singles competition on Thursday. Gomez fell in the semifinals, while Asbaty lost in the first round.

 

Asbaty, who has been on Team USA for nine years, competed in the 2007 Pan American games for the first time in her career.  Asbaty has celebrated much success on Team USA this season, not only finishing second at the United States Bowling Congress Queens tournament, but also winning her second career World Ranking Masters championship in May.

 

Asbaty competed for the Huskers from 1998 to 2002, where she was named the College Bowler of the Year by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association in 2000.  She helped the Huskers win national titles in 1999 and 2001.