The 1987 Masters champion finished qualifying with 3,505, an average of 233.6, and will face defending champion and No. 64 seed Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, in the opening round of the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

Steelsmith, who earned $1,000 for being the top qualifier, finished 76 pins ahead of second-place finisher Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, finished third with 3,424.

The top 63 players from the final qualifying standings advanced to match play. Two-time champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., earned the final spot with 3,148, an average of 209.8.

Match play begins at 4 p.m. Pacific on Thursday with three rounds of matches on the schedule. By the end of the day, only 32 players will remain in the field and stay alive heading into Friday’s match-play rounds.

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund. The Masters will conclude Sunday with the nationally televised stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/masters.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.

2012 USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Thursday’s Results

QUALIFYING - ROUND 3
(15 games)

1, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 3,505.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,429.
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,424.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,382.
4, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 3,382.
6, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,376.
6, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,376.
8, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,375.
9, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,372.
9, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,372.
11, Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., 3,361.
12, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,354.
13, Stuart Williams, England, 3,344.
14, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,335.
15, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,313.
16, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,311.
17, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,300.
18, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,293.
18, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 3,293.
20, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,286.
20, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,286.
22, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,279.
23, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,276.
24, Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,271.
25, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,265.
26, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,257.
27, Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 3,254.
28, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,253.
29, Matt McNiel, Chanhassen, Minn., 3,252.
30, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 3,249.
31, Siu Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 3,246.
32, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,241.
33, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,237.
34, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 3,222.
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,219.
35, Shigeo Saito, Japan, 3,219.
37, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,213.
38, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 3,210.
39, Paul Ashby, Middleburg Hts., Ohio, 3,206.
40, Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., 3,203.
41, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore., 3,192.
42, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,189.
43, Robert Gotchall, Lincoln, Neb., 3,188.
44, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,187.
45, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,184.
46, Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 3,180.
47, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,179.
47, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,179.
49, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 3,175.
50, Mathew Jones, Phoenix, 3,174.
50, Jason Duran, Arvada, Colo., 3,174.
52, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,171.
53, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 3,169.
54, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,166.
55, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,165.
56, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,163.
57, Vernon Peterson, Lake Wales, Fla., 3,162.
58, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,157.
59, Kyle Barnes, Smyrna, Tenn., 3,154.
60, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,149.
60, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,149.
60, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,149.
63, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,148.

DID NOT ADVANCE

64, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,138, $1,200.
65, Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 3,137, $1,100.
66, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,136, $1,100.
67, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,132, $1,100.
68, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 3,131, $1,100.
69, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,121, $1,050.
70, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 3,114, $1,050.
71, Michael Herring, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3,105, $1,033.
74, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3,099, $1,000.
75, Jason Barnhouse, Maple Grove, Minn., 3,087, $1,000.
76, Cameron Smith, Glendale, Ariz., 3,038, $1,000.
77, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,028, $1,000

She joins Australia’s Cara Honeychurch (1998) and Colombian standout Clara Guerrero (2009) as the only bowlers in the organization’s history to receive both awards in the same year.

Pluhowsky made history at the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women’s Championships in September when she became the first bowler to claim four gold medals in one tournament.

The 29-year-old left-hander won doubles and trios gold at the World Women’s Championships before helping Team USA to its first team gold medal in 24 years. She added a bronze medal in all-events and then wowed bowling fans in Hong Kong by rolling games of 300 and 299 on the way to the Masters title.

“We practiced a lot and definitely felt ready, but everything had to fall into place,” said Pluhowsky, a 12-time Team USA member (including 2012) who has won eight medals in World Women’s Championships competition. “The more you bowl, the better you feel and perform. I did a lot of bowling, and it paid off. You always work hard and hope for the best, and I ended up having the best year of my career.”

Pluhowsky found success on three continents in 2011 and bookended the year with victories on opposite sides of the globe. She started things off with her fourth career win at the USBC Team USA Trials and closed out the year by winning the women’s side of the AMF Australian Masters in October.

In all, Pluhowsky has won more than 20 medals in international competition. Her list of accomplishments also includes three Professional Bowlers Association Women’s Series victories, three consecutive USBC Junior Gold Championships wins, QubicaAMF World Cup titles in 2002 and 2004, two NCAA team national championships and a USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships win with Nebraska and a USBC Queens title as an amateur in 2006.

Years of success at all levels of the game have earned Pluhowsky countless awards and honors, and her election to the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame is an honor she shares with just four other Americans - Les Zikes (1999), Diandra Asbaty (2005), Lynda Barnes (2006) and Bill Hoffman (2008).

“This is something I’ve always dreamed of, but it’s still pretty shocking,” Pluhowsky said. “To achieve something like this before you’re 30 and long before your career is done, is crazy. It really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

The 2011 World Bowling Writers Male Bowler of the Year is PBA star Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, and Sweden’s Raymond Jansson will join Pluhowsky in the WBW Hall of Fame.

For more information about Pluhowsky and her success, visit BOWL.com.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.

Andersson has moved into the women’s lead for the first time with 151 points, while Koivuniemi leads the men’s rankings with 233 points. The World Bowling Tour points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

At the 42nd Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland - the opening event of the 2012 season - Andersson picked up 40 points for a second-place finish among the women’s field. The United States’ Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who did not compete in Finland, is in second with 145 points.

Sweden’s Nina Flack remained in the top three by earning 15 points to bring her total to 135, while Finland’s Krista Pollanen won the women’s rankings at the Ballmaster for the second straight year, bringing her fourth-place total to 130 points.

On the men’s side, Koivuniemi picked up 35 points to increase his lead on the men’s field. Sean Rash of the United States added six points to his total in Finland to bring his total to 148 for second place. The United States’ Mike Fagan is third with 140 points after finishing second at the Ballmaster and adding 40 points.

The World Bowling Tour is made up of various events around the world and players earn points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

The top three men and top three women will be invited to compete in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association at the end of 2012.

The World Bowling Tour Finals will feature a total prize fund of $70,000. The top three men and top three women will bowl a stepladder finals format in their respective divisions. The prize money for each division is the same, with the winner taking $20,000, second place earning $10,000 and third place winning $5,000.

The tour continues with the United States Bowling Congress Masters from Jan. 24-29 and is immediately followed by the WTBA International Open from Jan. 28-Feb. 5. 

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.

WORLD BOWLING TOUR POINTS
Top 25
(Pos., Name, Country, Points)

MEN

1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 233.
2, Sean Rash, USA, 148.
3, Mike Fagan, USA, 140.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 120.
5, Osku, Palermaa, Finland, 112.
6, Chris Barnes, USA, 92.
7, Dominic Barrett, England, 90.
8, Tommy Jones, USA, 82.
9, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 82.
10, Su Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 77.
11, Bill O’Neill, USA, 76.
12, Chris Loschetter, USA, 71.
13, Paul Moor, England, 66.
14, Norm Duke, USA, 65.
15, Tore Torgersen, Norway, 65.
16, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 59.
17, Ronnie Russell, USA, 55.
18, Tom Hess, USA, 54.
19, Syafiq Ridhwan, Malaysia, 50.
20, Jeong Seung-Soo, Korea, 50.
21, Martin Paulsson, Sweden, 48.
22, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 45.
23, Karl Wahlgren, Sweden, 44.
24, Jack Jurek, USA, 40.
25, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 40.

WOMEN

1, Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 151.
2, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, USA, 145.
3, Nina Flack, Sweden, 135.
4, Krista Pollanen, Finland, 130.
5, Kelly Kulick, USA, 100.
6, Liz Johnson, USA, 70.
7, Elin Adolfsson, Sweden, 51.
8, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 50.
9, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 50.
10, Kim Min-Hee, Korea, 50.
11, Angkana, Netrviseth, Thailand, 50.
12, Shannon Pluhowsky, USA, 50.
13, Jazreel Tan, Singapore, 46.
14, Darya Kovalova, Ukraine, 44.
15, Cassie Staudinger, Australia, 43.
16, Jeon Gui-Ae, Korea, 40.
17, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 40.
18, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 40.
19, Yanee Saebe, Thailand, 40.
20, Nicki Ainge, England, 38.
21, Marjo Pontinen, Finland, 37.
22, Heidi Manninen, Finland, 36.
23, Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 35.
24, Veronica Lantto, Sweden, 35.
25, Lexi Nicoll, Australia, 35.

Kent and McEwan topped their respective fields in a grueling four-day, 28-game format in which the players in the field earned points based on their finishing position each round to determine the final standings.

With daily finishes of third, 32nd, second and sixth, Kent finished with 43 points, while McEwan had daily finishes of fifth, fifth, second and third to total 15 points at Texas Star Lanes.

The women’s final came down to a single pin as McEwan just barely edged Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Johnson finished with 16 points, but had she gotten just one additional pin in Friday’s final round it would have been enough to win the title. Johnson finished the final game with back-to-back open frames.

“With this format and it being as close as it was, I wasn’t really as nervous as I probably should have been because I wasn’t exactly sure of the situation,” said McEwan, who competes collegiately at Fairleigh Dickinson. “I came out here wanting to make Junior Team USA and to make Team USA and win is a really great feeling.”

With his sixth-place finish in Friday’s final round, Kent was able to outdistance the men’s field. Steve Smith of San Diego finished second 57 points, which was 14 points behind Kent.

“It’s unbelievable to be able to come out and perform the way I wanted to,” said Kent, the 2010 USBC Junior Gold champion who bowls collegiately at Robert Morris-Illinois. “My mental game this week was probably the best it has ever been in my entire life, and that is what kept me in the game.”

The top three men and top three women in the standings earned automatic spots on Team USA for 2012. Joining McEwan on the women’s team was Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tenn., and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago. Johnson, who finished second overall, was not eligible to occupy one of the automatic spots because she had previously been selected for Team USA 2012. On the men’s side, Kent is joined by Smith and AJ Johnson of Oswego, Ill.

The National Selection Committee added two men and two women to Team USA 2012. Jarret Mizo of Honolulu, John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., Tammy Turner of North Ogden, Utah, and Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., were selected.

The additions to Team USA on Friday bring the total roster to 20. The National Selection Committee added Patrick Allen, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill, Sean Rash, Liz Johnson, Kelly Kulick, Stefanie Nation, Shannon O’Keefe and Shannon Pluhowsky in November.

Junior Team USA spots were also up for grabs at the Team USA Trials with McEwan, Rachel Gittings of Glen Allen, Va., AJ Johnson and Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, earning automatic spots. The National Selection Committee added Tyler Cruz of Tacoma, Wash., Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tenn., Kaitlin Quinn of Livonia, N.Y., and Kelsey Muther of Wichita, Kan.

There are now a total of 20 Junior Team USA members as 12 players got spots at the USBC Junior Gold Championships last July. The new members join Addileen Pointer, Elise Bolton, Holly Harris, Amanda Greene, Natalie Jimenez, Jessica Earnest, Kent, AJ Chapman, Andrew Koff, Gary Faulkner, Zack Hattori and Tyler Vostry.

A total of 225 bowlers are competed this week with 145 in the men’s field and 80 in the women’s field. It’s the highest entry count for the event since 2007 in Reno, Nev., when 233 bowlers took part.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to for the fastest USBC headlines.

Liz Johnson leads the women’s division with eight points, while AJ Johnson is at the top of the men’s pack with 29 points at Texas Star Lanes. The players in the field earn points based on their finishing position each round. After four rounds, the man and women with the least amount of points will be crowned champions.

AJ Johnson earned 11 points in Round 1, three in Round 2 and 15 in Thursday’s third round to top the men’s field. Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, is second with 32 points, while Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., is third with 37.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve thrown the ball this well and that in itself makes me feel good,” said AJ Johnson, who totaled 1,568 for seven games in finishing 15th Thursday. “Being consistent over the past three days has been the key for me, especially with the new points system being used.”

In the women’s division, Johnson has had finishes of first, third and fourth over the three days to lead with eight points. Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., is second with 12, while Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., is third with 29.

If Johnson finishes within three positions of McEwan and no lower than 21st place, she would be guaranteed a victory in the event’s final round Friday. McEwan would need to finish ahead of Johnson by five positions and no lower than 17th to take the victory.

“I had to pull out every trick today to not just get to the pocket, but to find a way to carry,” said Johnson, who finished fourth Thursday with a seven-game total of 1,551. “Being consistent so far has worked and if I can continue to be consistent tomorrow, I feel pretty confident that I can win.”

The top three men and top three women in the standings after all four rounds will earn automatic spots on Team USA for 2012. If Liz Johnson or any other bowler who has already been selected for Team USA in 2012 finishes among the top three, the automatic spot drops to the next player in the standings.

In addition to the automatic spots on Team USA, the National Selection Committee, which is led by Team USA head coach Rod Ross, will select two men and two women as at-large selections to Team USA.

A total of eight Junior Team USA spots - four boys and four girls - also will be available. The top two boys and top two girls in the final points standings will earn automatic spots, while two boys and two girls spots will be at-large selections taken from either the Team USA Trials field or the finals field from the USBC Junior Gold Championships held in July 2011. All bowlers 20 and under as of Jan. 1, 2012 are eligible for Junior Team USA.

A total of 225 bowlers are competing this week with 145 in the men’s field and 80 in the women’s field. It’s the highest entry count for the event since 2007 in Reno, Nev., when 233 bowlers took part.

All rounds of the Team USA Trials are being broadcast on BowlTV, which can be found at YouTube.com/BowlTV. Results and stories for the event are available on BOWL.com.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC,/a> for the fastest USBC headlines.