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    NAVY SECURES MEN'S, WOMEN'S DOUBLES BOWLING TITLES; AIR FORCE CLINCHES MIXED DOUBLES

    GREAT LAKES, IL, UNITED STATES

    07.23.2019

    Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Okula 

    NR NPASE Midwest

    NAVY SECURES MEN'S, WOMEN'S DOUBLES BOWLING TITLES; AIR FORCE CLINCHES MIXED DOUBLES AT GREAT LAKES
    By Ens. Jacob Dirr, NR NPASE MW

    GREAT LAKES, Ill. -- Two pairs of Navy bowlers claimed Doubles championship crowns, followed by an Air Force victory in mixed doubles competition at the Armed Forces Bowling Championship hosted at Naval Station Great Lakes, on Tuesday, July 23.

    The second day of the annual championship bowling event featured pitched competition in the women’s doubles, where relative new-comers Navy Cmdr. Tamera Tuttle of Dayton, Ohio, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephanie Parsolano of Spring Hill, Fla., eked out a two-pin win over the championship veterans, Air Force Maj. Danielle Crowder and Air Force Master Sgt. Lisa Yanez.

    The men’s Navy victory featured the unique addition of Coast Guard Lt. Scott McIntire of Tehachapi, Calif., to the Navy team, paired with Navy Chief Petty Officer Michael Zylius of Oak Lawn, Ill., who together leapt to an early lead and kept the other competitors chasing them until the end.

    In mixed doubles match-ups, Crowder avenged her loss earlier in the day, teaming up with Air Force Staff Sgt. James McTaggart, to stride to an easy victory together.

    The Armed Forces Bowling Championship annual competition features the best bowlers from the Service branches that field a team over a two-day elimination round of over 50 bowlers and three-day championship series in Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Team competition.

    NAVY CHAMPIONS FEEL THE LOVE AT HOME

    Navy doubles competitors had their best showing in years -- aptly timed for the championship's new location at Naval Station Great Lakes.

    For Zylius, of Naval Commander U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, the competition offered a chance to win in front of his mom, who lives in Chicago. Growing up in Oak Lawn, Ill. a short drive away, the Zylius family’s life revolved around bowling, he said.

    “Mom bought me toy bowling sets,” Zylius said. “It’s great being able to share this with her, I’m so thankful to my command for allowing me to come here.”

    Teammate McIntire, of Coast Guard 9th District in Cleveland, Ohio, said the two each stepped up to help carry the other when the other faltered in the six-game doubles heat.

    While the men’s champions are seasoned championship competitors, the women’s doubles champions were each making just their second appearance at the championship.

    Tuttle, of Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla., savored the victory after trying out for the team last year, but failing to make the cut. Paired up with Parsolano, of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., the duo fell behind early, but rallied when they realized they were in the hunt for a win, each breaking 200 in the final game.

    “We both bowled better when the adrenaline kicked in,” Parsolano said. “I knew we weren’t in first, but we were close.”

    “It is almost like you bowl better against tough competition, you rise to the occasion,” Tuttle said, in a nod to the strong Air Force women’s pair Yanez, of Randolph AFB, Texas, and Crowder, of Montgomery AFB, Ga.

    AIR FORCE AVENGES EARLIER LOSS DURING MIXED COMPETITION

    Air Force bowling veterans Crowder, of Maxwell AFB, Ala., and McTaggart, of Creech AFB, Nev., said the mixed doubles competition allows for a change of pace from the days of grueling competition, and is a little more relaxed.

    But the pair, who both have been bowling since early childhood, dug in early to set their eye on the prize and they were not looking back.

    “I wasn’t losing to Navy again,” said Crowder, who averaged 200 in mixed doubles.

    Fortunately, she paired well with McTaggart in their first outing together, as he also had something to prove, having been unseated in earlier rounds as the defending men’s 2018 Singles and Doubles champ.

    Both said they were lucky to have families who support their bowling passion and cheer them on from home, thanks to do-it-yourself setups broadcasting their lanes on Facebook Live.

    “My parents and father-in-law watched the whole thing,” McTaggart said.

    “I couldn’t come without family support,” said Crowder, who took last year off to have her second child and was proud that her 3-year-old, father and husband all cheered her from Alabama.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.23.2019
    Date Posted: 07.25.2019 15:13
    Story ID: 333036
    Location: GREAT LAKES, IL, US
    Hometown: DAYTON, OH, US
    Hometown: MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, AL, US
    Hometown: OAK LAWN, IL, US
    Hometown: SPRING HILL, FL, US
    Hometown: TEHACHAPI, CA, US

    Web Views: 51
    Downloads: 0

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