KULICK REPRESENTS BOWLING A
WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION EVENT

Kelly Kulick was the star of the 2008 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships and her performance made her one of eight finalists for the 2009 Sportswoman of the Year Award for team competitors from the Women's Sports Foundation.

While Jessie Vetter, a goaltender for the University of Wisconsin ice hockey team, took home the award when the winners were announced Oct. 13 at the 30th annual Salute to Women in Sports in New York City, Kulick was proud to be a part of the program.

"It was a great event," said Kulick, who was attending for the third time. "The Women's Sports Foundation always does a great job. To be part of that event was wonderful.

"Any time bowling can be honored it is a privilege. When I saw what Jessie Vetter had done over an entire season, I could understand why she won."

Kulick led Team USA to 14 out of 16 medals at the 2008 PABCON Championships. She won the gold medal in doubles with Wendy Macpherson with a combined 2,602. With the help of a 300 game, Kulick and teammates Macpherson and Diandra Asbaty also captured gold in trios.

The Union, N.J., right-hander led teammates Asbaty, Macpherson, Liz Johnson, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Lynda Barnes to a gold in the team event after averaging 226 for six games. She also captured gold medals in all-events with 5,463 and Masters with a 2-1 victory over Johnson.

Other finalists were: Cara Black and Liezel Huber (Tennis Doubles), Nicole Fawcett (Volleyball), Sandra Kiriasis (Bobsled), Shannon Kleibrink (Curling), Danielle Lawrie (Softball), Renee Montgomery (Basketball), Hannah Nielsen (Lacrosse) and Marta Vieira da Silva (Soccer).

Johnson, who joined Kulick at the event, was nominated in the individual category but was not a finalist. Courtney Kupets, a gymnast from University of Georgia, won that category. Other honorees were Wilma Rudolph Courage Award winner Tiffara Steward, a Farmingdale State University basketball player, and the Gatorade Company, which was given the Billie Jean King Contribution Award for its nearly four-decade long dedication to the betterment of girls' and women's athletics.

In addition, three sports-world luminaries were given special tribute awards: Annika Sorenstam, legendary golfer and philanthropist, Dick Ebersol, Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, and Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee head women's basketball coach and all-time winningest coach in NCAA history.

Among those joining Kulick and Johnson at bowling's table were Professional Bowlers Association Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Fred Schreyer, former United States Bowling Congress director Elaine Hagin and USBC Director of Marketing Brandi Connolly.