LAKE WALES, Fla. - The final day of the 2012 Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions belonged to countries from South America as Venezuela took the mixed doubles gold, while Colombia swept the individual Masters titles.
Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli and Karen Marcano defeated Team USA's Steve Smith and Liz Johnson, 493-409, to win the mixed doubles Masters at the Kegel Training Center.
Colombia's Paola Gomez knocked off Johnson for the women's Masters title, while her brother, Andres Gomez, defeated Canada's Dan MacLelland to take the men's Masters gold.
Watch all the gold-medal matches on BowlTV.
In the mixed doubles championship match, Team USA got off to a slow start and never recovered in earning the silver medal. Monacelli fired a 259 game, while Marcano had 234 in the winning effort. Johnson shot 239 and Smith had 170 for Team USA.
"We just fell short in the final matches," Team USA assistant coach Kim Terrell-Kearney said. "Looking back, I don't think we would do a whole lot differently. Sometimes you just get beat."
Paola Gomez came out strong against Johnson in the women's Masters title match and cruised to a 246-216 victory. In the men's title match, Andres Gomez took down MacLelland, 236-209. The losers in the championship matches took silver medals.
In the mixed doubles semifinals, Venezuela defeated Brazil, 427-405, while Team USA knocked off Puerto Rico, 514-416. Brazil and Puerto Rico shared the bronze medal.
Andres Gomez barely survived in the men's semifinals, defeating Brazil's Marcelo Suartz, 245-244, while MacLelland advanced 279-217 over Monacelli. Johnson defeated Guatemala's Sophia Granda, 258-234, while Paola Gomez knocked off Marcano, 213-176, in the women's semifinals. All semifinal losers shared bronze medals.
A total of 18 countries were represented in the PABCON Champion of Champions, which features one man and one woman from each country.
2012 PABCON CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
At Kegel Training Center, Lake Wales, Fla.
Saturday's results
MEN'S MASTERS
(One-game matches)
Quarterfinals
Andres Gomez, Colombia def. Ernesto Franco, Mexico, 224-172
Marcelo Suartz, Brazil def. Alberto Lizano, Costa Rica, 223-211
Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela def. Jean Perez, Puerto Rico, 226-212
Dan MacLelland, Canada def. Steve Smith, United States, 217-207
Semifinals
Gomez def. Suartz, 245-244
MacLelland def. Monacelli, 279-217
Championship
Gomez def. MacLelland, 236-209
WOMEN'S MASTERS
(One-game matches)
Quarterfinals
Paola Gomez, Colombia def. Aseret Zetter, Mexico, 237-230
Liz Johnson, United States def. Neishka Cardona, Puerto Rico, 298-190
Sophia Granda, Guatemala def. Thashaina Seraus, Aruba, 192-167
Karen Marcano, Venezuela def. Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 196-168
Semifinals
Gomez def. Marcano, 213-176
Johnson def. Granda, 258-234
Championship
Gomez def. Johnson, 246-216
MIXED DOUBLES MASTERS
(One-game matches)
Quarterfinals
Puerto Rico def. Mexico, 441-432
United States def. Guatemala, 436-349
Brazil def. Colombia, 400-376
Venezuela def. Canada, 457-401
Semifinals
Venezuela def. Brazil, 427-405
United States def. Puerto Rico, 514-416
Championship
Venezuela def. United States, 493-409