Delaware State University Head Bowling Coach and touring professional Kim Terrell-Kearney has won her second U.S. Women’s Open championship. Terrell-Kearney captured the 2008 title with a 216-189 victory over Trisha Reid in the championship match of the U.S. Bowling Congress major event Wednesday evening, August 6.
Terrell-Kearney, who also won the 2001 Open championship, built an early lead and held on to win her third-career major title. She earned $25,000 for the victory, which will be featured on a tape-delayed basis by ESPN for five consecutive weeks at 1 p.m. Eastern beginning Sept. 7.
In the championship match, Terrell-Kearney struck on four of her first five shots to take a 24-pin lead at the halfway point, while Reid mustered just three strikes in the entire game.
"It's been a great week, and it's really satisfying to reach my goal of 10-career titles," Terrell-Kearney said. "Winning the Open is the pinnacle of most bowlers' careers and to win it twice is amazing."
The Terrell-Kearney/Reid championship contest also marked the first matchup of African-American athletes for a professional title in the history of bowling.
Only a handful of black women, including Terrell-Kearney, and one black male have won professional bowling titles. Although she wasn't sure, Terrell-Kearney had a hunch history was being made.
"I had a feeling it was the first time something like this had happened," said Terrell-Kearney. “I’ve had footsteps to follow in, and hopefully I'm providing inspiration for other African Americans out there to pursue their goals in bowling."
Terrell-Kearney narrowly advanced to the championship match with a 216-202 victory over USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas. In the dramatic finish, Dorin-Ballard missed a 10 pin in the final frame to open the door for Terrell-Kearney, who earlier in the match missed a 10 pin of her own.
"I knew I couldn't make mistakes against Carolyn, and I feared that miss would cost me even though it happened early in the match," said Terrell-Kearney, who struck on her first ball in the final frame to advance. "It took me a minute to regain my composure after that, but thankfully I did. I was just hoping for an opportunity in the 10th frame and it happened."
The tournament began with 184 competitors. Terrell-Kearney was seeded 12th in the Round of 16.
All of the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and championship match will be televised on a tape-delayed basis by ESPN. The telecasts begin Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. and continue for five consecutive weeks.
In her first season at Delaware State, Terrell-Kearney led the Hornets to an 84-47 overall record and No. 11 ranking in the final National Tenpin Coaches Association regular season poll during the 2007-08 campaign. DSU was runner-up to eventual NCAA Champion Maryland-Eastern Shore in the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament, the highest finish in the nine-year history of the team.
This story contains information from the bowl.com, a service of the United States Bowling Congress.