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Bowling News USA - February 9, 2010 Liz Johnson Named Women's Bowler of the Decade!

Much to her surprise, Liz Johnson (Storm staff) of Cheektowaga was selected for a unique bowling honor to start 2010.

Johnson was named women's Bowler of the Decade in a poll by US Bowler, the magazine of the United States Bowling Congress. Walter Ray Williams, Jr., the all-time winner on the PBA Tour, was voted the male recipient of the honor.

While Williams was an overwhelming favorite, the voting for the women was much closer. In fact, in a similar poll conducted by Bowlers Journal International, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard took the women's honor while Williams was chosen for the men.

"I really thought Carolyn would win," Johnson said when informed of her selection in the US Bowler poll. "I'm shocked. Carolyn has bowled so phenomenally. Maybe my last five or six years have been good, but, wow!, I'm so surprised."

There were three categories of voters in the US Bowler poll — PBA media, PBA Women's Series competitors and bowl.com visitors. Johnson led in all three with Dorin-Ballard second and Kelly Kulick third.

Among Bowling Writers Association of America members, Johnson received 250 points, Dorin-Ballard 202 and Kulick 172. Among the competitors it was 90-84-40 in the same order and among Web site visitors it was 431-288-263.

Johnson won five titles on the Professional Women's Bowlers Association tour, which closed in 2003. She was the 2009 USBC Queens and 2007 Women's U.S. Open champion, won a pair of PBA Women's Series events and was the first woman to advance to a PBA Tour title match when she reached the final of the 2005 Banquet Open.

Between 2000 and 2009, Williams won 17 PBA Tour titles, including five majors, earned more than $1.5 million and made 63 television appearances. Norm Duke was runner-up and Chris Barnes third in the voting. Duke won 16 titles and four majors in the decade.

The pro tour heats up again with two majors this month.

The USBC Masters will begin with the first of three qualifying rounds on Tuesday at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

In two weeks, another grueling event, the U.S. Open, will take place in Indianapolis.

(courtesy: Buffalo News Sports)

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February, 2010