Chloe Skurzynski Snatches Lead of US Amateur Championship -- Team USA Trials, Day 4
Lauren Pate blitzed the women's field on Day 4 of Team USA Trials competition, while Chloe Skurzynski sneaks into the US Amateur lead.
When I texted my sister, Isabel, that Chloe Skurzynski — her longtime college roommate, who transferred with her from Maryland Eastern-Shore to Stephen F. Austin this summer — had taken the lead in the US Amateur division, she responded, “She’s on crack.”
Skurzynski had a similarly humorous reaction when I told her she moved into first place: “Don’t screw this up now, Chloe.”
The junior from eastern PA posted a 16th place finish at +39 on Day 4 of Team USA Trials competition. She said she wished today had gone better, as longer patterns are her strong suit, but was pleased with her performance, especially on spares.
“I've been keeping an eye on (the standings) but I know a lot of the other girls have been bowling really well,” Skurzynski said. “I know I'm bowling good, but I didn't think I was gonna be putting myself up there with the rest of them. It's a really cool thing to do. It's a really cool thing to see. Hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.”
Tomorrow’s relatively flat pattern is 36 feet and 23.5-mLs, the shortest of the week.
“I have a game plan, but obviously from practice to competition, it's playing different,” she said. “So I just have to work off whatever practice gives me in the afternoon tomorrow. I'm not too worried or anything, as long as I can keep the ball in front of me hit the head pin and make my spares. Just keep it clean.”
Ashley Rucker and Hope Gramly round out the current stepladder finals for the US Amateur championship.
In other news: Even a Nolan-sized black cloud couldn't stop Lauren Pate from leading Day 4 of Team USA Trials competition. The two-time Team USA member paced the women’s field with a six-game series of 1,412 on the longest pattern of the week.
Pate would have undoubtedly posted the highest block of the week — and may have contended for 300-over — had I not been present. Nevertheless, the McKendree graduate moved into fifth place overall, rounding out a top-five of exclusively professional bowlers.
Shannon Pluhowsky disappointed relative to the bar she had set over the first three days of competition, but she maintained her lead with 12th place finish at +53. Julia Bond trimmed her deficit in the overall standings to 12 points, rolling 238-255 her last two games to jump into eighth on the day.
Paige Peters followed up yesterday’s fourth place performance with anther top-15 finish to move into a tie for the youth lead. She shares the lead her Vanderbilt teammate, Mabel Cummins, at 94 points.
Day 4 Women’s Leaders
1. Lauren Pate (P) — +212
2. Maryssa Carey (AM) — +183
2. Brooklyn Buchanan (Y) — +143
4. Saralyne Nassberg (Y) — +134
5. Danielle Jedlicki (Y) — +125
Overall Leaders
1. Shannon Pluhowsky (P) — 19 pts.
2. Julia Bond (P) — 31 pts.
3. Shannon O'Keefe (P) — 60 pts.
4. Bryanna Coté (P) — 62 pts.
5. Lauren Pate (P) — 73 pts.
Overall Amateur Leaders
1. Chloe Skurzynski (AM) — 81 pts.
2. Ashley Rucker (AM) — 87 pts.
3. Hope Gramly (AM) — 93 pts.
T-4. Paige Peters (Y) — 94 pts.
T-4. Mabel Cummins (Y) — 94 pts.
Overall Youth Leaders
T-1. Paige Peters (T-9th overall) — 94 pts.
T-1. Mabel Cummins (T-9th) — 94 pts.
3. Danielle Jedlicki (13th) — 107 pts.
4. Brooke Roberts (14th) — 113 pts.
5. Alyssa Ballard (17th) — 123 pts.
6. Caroline Thesier (18th) — 128 pts.
7. Anna Callan (22nd) — 142 pts.
8. Ashtyn Woods (24th) — 144 pts.
9. Annalise O'Bryant (25th) — 146 pts.
10. Jennifer Loredo (29th) — 155 pts.
*Bolded players have already earned spots on Junior Team USA.
The women will complete their final squad of competition tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. local time (6 p.m. EST). After those six games, the top-three amateurs will bowl in the stepladder finals to determine the US Amateur champion.