Colombia Win Team Gold, Thoma Takes All-Events at Pan Am Women's Championship

Colombia won team gold on home lanes on the final day of the VI Pan American Women's Championship in Bogota, and Maggie Thoma of the United States won the all-events title in her first international tournament.

The championship, organised by PANAM Bowling, brings together national teams of women bowlers from across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. This year, 12 nations competed at the Bowling Industry centre in Bogota from September 29 to October 3.

Medals were awarded in five events: singles, doubles, trios, the five-player team event and all-events, which combines every game a player bowls across the week, 24 in total.

Team: Colombia win on home lanes

The team event closed the championship on Friday. The United States led after three games, 3,152 to Colombia's 3,077. The hosts then bowled 1,128 in game four, the best team game of the event, and never gave the lead back.

Colombia finished with 6,328, a 210.9 average, and won by 175 pins. Juliana Franco (1,319), Sara Duque (1,312) and Maria Jose Rodriguez (1,309) led the way. Duque shot 267 in the decisive fourth game, and Rodriguez closed with 257.

The United States took silver with 6,153, and Thoma bowled the high game of the event, a 277. Canada won bronze with 5,793, led by Jade Cote (1,255) and Marissa Naylor (1,254). It was Canada's first medal of the week.

All-events: Thoma finishes on top

Thoma won all-events with 5,371, a 223.8 average over 24 games, and finished 219 pins clear of her teammate Katelyn Abigania (5,152). She bowled over 1,270 in every event and leaves Bogota with five medals.

"I don't think anything will ever compare to what I did this week," Thoma told USBC.

Rodriguez took bronze with 5,116, her fourth medal of the week after doubles silver, trios bronze and team gold. Colombia had three players in the top eight, with Franco fifth and Laura Plazas eighth. Canada's Cote and Naylor tied for sixth on 4,938.

Abigania won four medals in her adult Team USA debut: gold in doubles and trios, and silver in team and all-events. In June, she won the girls' singles title at the IBF World Youth Championships.

"This was my Adult Team USA Debut and it was a week full of learning, grit, and dedication," she wrote on Facebook after the championship. "I had an amazing time with these amazing ladies and to say we're bonded for life is an understatement."

How the week unfolded

Breanna Clemmer opened the championship with singles gold on Tuesday, her first international singles title. Thoma took silver, and Colombia's Juliana Botero gave the hosts their first medal with bronze.

Doubles went down to the last game on Wednesday. Annalise O'Bryant and Abigania were tied with Colombia's Rodriguez and Franco after five games and won by seven pins.

The United States finished first and second in trios on Thursday, with O'Bryant, Thoma and Abigania winning gold. Colombia's Rodriguez, Franco and Botero took bronze.

Full results are published on ScoreBowl.