TEAM USA WINS WOMEN'S DOUBLES AT 2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

LIMA, Peru - Team USA's Stefanie Johnson and Shannon O'Keefe knew they would have a great look on the freshly oiled lanes this week at the 2019 Pan American Games, so they used that to their advantage en route to the doubles gold medal Saturday at the Bowling Center of La Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA).

They validated their assessment of the event's 41-foot World Bowling Rome oil pattern with opening games of 477 and 469, before having to address the expected transition that slowed their momentum during the opening round of doubles Thursday.

Johnson powered them through it with a big third game (276), and O'Keefe regained her stride in Game 4 (235) to help the duo cruise to the victory with a 12-game total of 5,317.

Johnson, whose 1,409 six-game performance Saturday was the highest set in Pan American Games competition by a woman, paced the pair over the two days with an individual total of 2,692. O'Keefe added 2,625.

Mexico's Aseret Zetter (2,637) and Iliana Lomeli (2,416) earned the silver medal with a 5,053 effort and Astrid Valiente (2,528) and Aumi Guerra (2,486) of the Dominican Republic held on for the bronze with 5,014.

The women's field this week in Peru includes representatives from 16 countries.

"Just being at this event is an incredible experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to be able to compete in our first Pan American Games together already meant so much," said Johnson, a 35-year-old right-hander. "To come out on top truly is a dream come true. We thought about this moment from the second we knew we both qualified, and it was amazing to stand up there together."

Canada's Caroline Lagrange and Colombia's Clara Guerrero previously shared the record for the event's highest six-game total during doubles with 1,366, while United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer and longtime Team USA member Kelly Kulick owns the highest singles total, 1,376, rolled in 2011.

While the additional accolades always are nice, Johnson and O'Keefe both attribute their continued success together to their team chemistry, communication and ability to push and motivate one another. That has been the case since 2005, when they both made Team USA for the first of 15 consecutive times.

"The chemistry Shannon and I have when we compete together is undeniable, and I always know she has my back, while I have hers, which is pretty hard to beat," Johnson said. "We knew we had to come out today as strong as possible, and we helped keep each other focused the whole way. We had a great start and just kept riding that wave."

The Team USA tandem entered the day in second place, 43 pins behind Valiente and Guerra, but halfway through Saturday's six-game block, Johnson and O'Keefe were 227 pins ahead of their nearest adversaries and nearly 350 pins ahead of fourth place.

The key to their success in the second half of the doubles event was how they attacked the lanes as the oil pattern transitioned during the middle part of the block. Their strategy came from the things they learned during Thursday's first round.

"The lanes were a little different today, and we were able to stay right longer, but it became pretty evident when it was time for me to change balls to something that was a little cleaner but still read the midlane, which happened toward the end of Game 3," said O'Keefe, a 40-year-old right-hander. "By the end of the last game, we'd only moved a few boards left the whole day, so we were comfortable. Overall, we had a great day out there, and it was a lot of fun."

Team USA head coach Rod Ross helped talk through the things the team saw Thursday, and that helped them select their equipment and game plan for Saturday's six games.

He also has been around long enough to know how well Johnson and O'Keefe work together on the lanes, so once the plan was in place, he was able to step back and let them do what they do best.

"We went into today with a really good game plan, they played off each other really well and they made the right moves," Ross said. "It was very exciting as a coach to be a part of this and be able to witness their lane play and excellent execution today on the way to the gold medal. This is a great start to the week."

The last time the Team USA women won the doubles gold medal at the Pan Am Games, which are held every four years, was at the 2011 event in Guadalajara, Mexico. That win included a pair of USBC Hall of Famers - Kulick and Liz Johnson.

Saturday's doubles win wasn't the first for O'Keefe and Johnson at a top-tier event. The two also found the top of the podium at the 2013 World Bowling World Championships. The latest victory simply was another memorable moment in an incredibly special relationship.

"When I came off the lanes and we hugged, I just told her this was meant to be and I love her and I'm so grateful to be able to share this experience with her," O'Keefe said. "I love all my teammates, but there has always been something special with Stef and I. So, I couldn't picture it any other way."

The 32 bowlers now will turn their attention to singles, which gets underway Sunday at 10 a.m. Eastern.

All competitors will complete 12 games of qualifying over two days, before the field is cut to the top eight bowlers in each division for match play. The top four bowlers after match play will advance to Tuesday's knockout-style semifinals.

The 2019 Pan American Games officially kicked off Friday night with a formal opening ceremony and will continue through Aug. 11. The bowling competition, featuring 16 men's countries and 16 women's countries, will conclude Tuesday.

This year's Pan Am Games is expected to bring more than 6,700 athletes to Lima to compete in 39 sports and 61 disciplines.

Since bowling was added to the Pan American Games in 1991, Team USA has won 21 of a possible 32 gold medals and claimed 35 medals overall, 20 more than the next-closest country.

For complete results or more information about the 2019 Pan Am Games, visit Lima2019.pe.

For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

2019 Pan American Games
Bowling Center of La Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA)
Lima, Peru

Saturday's results

DOUBLES
(12 games)

GOLD - Stefanie Johnson/Shannon O'Keefe, United States, 5,317
SILVER - Aseret Zetter/Iliana Lomeli, Mexico, 5,053
BRONZE - Astrid Valiente/Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 5,014