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Last April, Jodi Woessner of Oregon,
Ohio, tried to call her husband,
Aaron Hawkins, to tell him how she
bowled at the 2010 USBC Women’s
Championships in El Paso, Texas. But
by the time she was able to connect
with him, the news of her record-setting
performance at the El Paso Convention
and Performing Arts Center no longer
was a surprise, thanks to the power of
the Internet.
Hawkins was on an airplane while his
wife was competing and, upon touching
down, he used his cell phone to connect
to Facebook. On the popular Internet
website, he learned of the news from the
lanes.
Woessner, 41, had earned a spot
in the tournament record books and
landed at the top of the Scratch and
Diamond Division standings with a
2,330 all-events total, the highest in
91 years of Women’s Championships
competition. Despite some of her focus
being on Hawkins’ safe arrival in El Paso,
Woessner averaged 258.8 to best the
nine-game record of 2,231 set by Leanne
Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., in 2005.
“It’s hard to imagine getting in a
zone like that for one day, let alone two
days in a row,” said Woessner, who shot
816 in doubles, 764 in team and 750 in
singles. “You can’t force yourself into
that zone, no matter how hard you try.
Everything was just falling my way. It
was unbelievable.”
The right-hander’s effort at the 2010
event was 324 pins more than any
previous performance in her 15-year
Women’s Championships career, and it
was the third-highest nine-game total
in USBC-certified competition. Caren
Park of Seattle holds the record at 2,372
(1991-92 season). Woessner’s total also
was higher than anyone has bowled in
107 years of competition at the USBC
Open Championships.
The 816 series tied Woessner with
Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y.,
for the highest three-game series in
tournament history. Her success on the
biggest stage in women’s bowling was a
dream come true.
“I don’t enter a tournament that
I don’t think I have a chance to win,
but the multitude of great bowlers
at this event makes it so tough,” said
“You can’t force yourself into
that zone, no matter how
hard you try. Everything
was just falling my way.
It was unbelievable.”
— Jodi Woessner
Woessner, whose previous-best finish at
the Women’s Championships was third
place. “Winning a title at the Women’s
Championships was something I’ve
always dreamed of. I’ve always wanted
to win, and knew I had the ability to do
so, but never thought it would happen in
the fashion it did.”
Woessner and her family kept an eye
on the tournament leaderboards on
BOWL.com as the 100-day event came
to a close, and their Fourth of July party
turned into a bigger celebration when
she got the call notifying her that her
Scratch and Diamond Division victories
were official.
Even after months of recognition
and congratulations, Woessner said the
magnitude of her success won’t truly
sink in until she arrives at the 2011
tournament in Syracuse, N.Y., and is
recognized as the defending champion.
At that point, she’ll undertake the
daunting task of looking past the
excitement and concentrating on her
2011 performance.
Woessner is familiar with both success
and pressure. In 2008, she became the
sixth woman to win a Professional
Bowlers Association regional title when
she topped PBA star Jason Couch, 279-
257, to win the PBA Central Region
SETTING THE BAR
Storm Products/Beechmont Toyota
Open. Also in 2008, she proved herself
against the best women bowlers in
the world when she claimed the PBA
Women’s Series Shark Championship.
For Woessner, each success parlays
into the next, filling her with confidence
and knowledge. Most recently, she
started 2011 on a high note by winning
the Ohio Queens Tournament, a title
that has eluded her for nearly 20 years.
“You pull from your successes and try
to get back into that zone,” Woessner
said. “I often think back to my win
against Jason, as well as my performance
in El Paso last year. At the time, I didn’t
even realize I was breaking a record. I
was focused, and sometimes, the pins
just know when your armswing is loose.”
As she prepares to put her titles
on the line at the 2011 Women’s
Championships, Woessner bowls in
three leagues each week and competes in
tournaments nearly every weekend. She
also plans to get some new equipment as
her appearance gets close but knows that
part of her preparation will be mental.
“I’ll probably go out early to get
comfortable with everything,” said
Woessner, who has maintained a 203.4
average in her tournament career. “I
have to remember that it’s a new year
and a new venue. I just have to do what I
do and bowl my game. I don’t think I’m
a favorite just because I won last year,
but I’d love to repeat. Part of my plan is
to use last year as a positive experience
rather than to add pressure.”
Woessner will hit the lanes at The
Oncenter for team competition on April
21 at 6 p.m. and doubles and singles
April 22 at 7 a.m. She’ll then regroup
and focus on the USBC Queens, which
will run from April 23-27.
The highest all-events total in
USBC Women’s Championships history (nine-game):
2,330 Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 2010
2,231 Leanne Barrette, Elk Grove, Calif., 2005
2,172 Robin Romeo, Newhall, Calif., 2009
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