Bowling history made by Kim Terrell-Kearney and Trisha Reid

This is an historic event because this is the first time a US Open bowling event {for that matter any major bowling event male or female} was contended by two African Americans women and that the semifinals had minority women in the majority.
In my youth league I had the pleasure to bowl with George Branham III(at the now defunct Northlanes bowling center) who became the first African American man to win a major PBA bowling event (he won the biggest event of the time the Firestone Tournament of Champions)



Terrell-Kearney wins US Women's Open

Kim Terrell-Kearney won the first professional championship match featuring two black bowlers, beating Trisha Reid 216-189 on Wednesday night in the U.S. Bowling Congress' U.S. Women's Open.

Terrell-Kearney, from Dover, Del., built an early lead and held on for her second U.S. Women's Open victory and third career major title. She earned $25,000.

"I had a feeling it was the first time something like this had happened," said Terrell-Kearney, the women's bowling coach at Delaware State. "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."

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, from Columbus, Ohio, had 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."

Terrell-Kearney 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."

Reid moved into the final by defeating Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli, 237-180, in the other semifinal. Reid pulled ahead after Zulkifli left the 2-4-10 split in the fourth frame and a pocket 7-10 split in the sixth frame.

"It feels great, just awesome, and I'm still overwhelmed," said Reid, who was one of 12 bowlers to earn spots in the PBA Women's Series through qualifying at the U.S. Women's Open this week. "Even though I finished second, I still feel like I won. I really came here to make the top 12 for the Women's Series and everything after that was icing on the cake."

A tribute to George Branham III

Kim Terrell-Kearney Historic bowling match.