Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Encyclopedia
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is one of the top female ten-pin bowlers
in the World. She was a member of the PWBA
(when it existed) and has bowled in PBA
Tournaments as well. She was an exempt competitor in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 PBA Women's Series
seasons, which were sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress
(USBC). Carolyn was a 2007 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame.
Dorin-Ballard is a member of the Roto Grip Professional Staff, and also endorses, Turbo 2-N-1 Grips, USBC and Ballard's Bowling Solutions. On March 1, 2011, she was named the USBC's Director of Coaching.
.
Carolyn is married to PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr.
, whom she met in college. The couple has a daughter, Alyssa, and the family now resides in Keller, TX. She is also the sister of top female bowler, former PWBA member and current TV bowling analyst Cathy Dorin-Lizzi. Her brother-in-law (Cathy's husband), Jeff Lizzi, is also a member of the PBA.
In bowling circles, Carolyn is often referred to by just the initials, "CDB."
In the existence of the PWBA Tour, Carolyn was one of its top bowlers. Carolyn had 20 Tour titles over a 14 year career (1990-2003). Carolyn won her first title in a doubles tournament in 1991 with her partner, Lisa Wagner, who was one of the top bowlers on the tour in the 1980s. With the support of her sister and husband, her career took off in 1994, when she began a string of 8 titles in 4 seasons beginning with her first singles title, the Lady Ebonite
Classic. In that period she was the runner up in the Player of the Year voting all 4 seasons.
In 2001, she had her career year. She won 7 titles, posted an average of 214.73, was Player of the Year, and earned $135,045 in prize money. She received many honors this year including nomination for an ESPY
award. She broke 8 tour records that season.
Her career totals were 20 PWBA titles, 2 Player of the year awards, 3 major titles (1997 and 2001 Brunswick World Open, 2001 WIBC Queens
), and 3 WIBC
Titles (2000 All-Events Champion, 2001 Team Champion, 2004 Doubles Champion with Lynda Barnes). She was a 7-time WIBC All American and 6-time Bowlers Journal All-American. Before the PWBA disbanded, she had moved up to 6th on the all-time Tour earnings list (over $910,000). She won two PBA Women's Series titles (2007 Great Lakes Classic and 2008 Cheetah Championship). She also won the PBA Women's Series Showdown in April, 2009.
In 2006, she joined top female bowlers from around the world in the USBC Women's Challenge tournament. The event took place on a single lane, in the middle of a shopping mall in Las Vegas, Nevada
. This event was particularly challenging, because all of the distractions of a mall (music, voices, people walking in the upper level) were present during the entire tournament. She made it to the semi-finals where she was defeated by Clara Guerrero
. (Guerrero would go on to lose to Cara Honeychurch in the final.)
The only major missing from Dorin-Ballard's resume is the U.S. Women's Open
, although she has made the semi-finals five times (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) with runner-up finishes in the 2003 and 2009 events.
Carolyn is known as the best female bowler of all time, and at the Kegel training center also has the title of being the most accurate player in history of the testing center, hitting the exact target over 30 times in a row at the exact same speed. During the PBA Women's Series Showdown in 2009, CDB rolled 21 consecutive strikes over two games to earn the distinction of rolling the most consecutive strikes in the history of televised bowling. Currently a Roto Grip staffer, Carolyn is representing the brand with her recent bowling with Team USA and is on the roster to bowl the PanAmerican games this current year. She was part of Team USA in 2011 -- the team that went to the WTBA World Women's Championships in Hong Kong
and took home gold for the United States in the team event for the first time since 1987.
Carolyn Fan Website (some info outdated)
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
in the World. She was a member of the PWBA
Professional Women's Bowling Association
The Professional Women's Bowling Association formed in 1960. After the organization struggled, a group of female professional bowlers left the PWBA to form the Ladies' Professional Bowlers Association in 1974. The two merged again in 1978, forming the Women's Professional Bowlers Association,...
(when it existed) and has bowled in PBA
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
Tournaments as well. She was an exempt competitor in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 PBA Women's Series
PBA Women's Series
The PBA Women's Series was a mini-tour for female professional bowlers. It was started in 2007 as a way to bring women's bowling back to television after the Professional Women's Bowling Association disbanded in 2003...
seasons, which were sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
(USBC). Carolyn was a 2007 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame.
Dorin-Ballard is a member of the Roto Grip Professional Staff, and also endorses, Turbo 2-N-1 Grips, USBC and Ballard's Bowling Solutions. On March 1, 2011, she was named the USBC's Director of Coaching.
Personal and Family
Carolyn's father was a POW during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Carolyn is married to PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr.
Del Ballard Jr.
Delmas Perry "Del" Ballard Jr. is a professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association. He was a 2009 inductee into the PBA Hall of Fame, and a 2011 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame. Del is the husband of top female bowler Carolyn Dorin-Ballard with whom he has one...
, whom she met in college. The couple has a daughter, Alyssa, and the family now resides in Keller, TX. She is also the sister of top female bowler, former PWBA member and current TV bowling analyst Cathy Dorin-Lizzi. Her brother-in-law (Cathy's husband), Jeff Lizzi, is also a member of the PBA.
In bowling circles, Carolyn is often referred to by just the initials, "CDB."
Bowling career
Carolyn attended West Texas State University on a partial bowling scholarship. While there, She led the University to back to back national titles and was a 3 time All-American. She was the MVP of the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships in 1989. She graduated in 1989, with a B.A. in Communications.In the existence of the PWBA Tour, Carolyn was one of its top bowlers. Carolyn had 20 Tour titles over a 14 year career (1990-2003). Carolyn won her first title in a doubles tournament in 1991 with her partner, Lisa Wagner, who was one of the top bowlers on the tour in the 1980s. With the support of her sister and husband, her career took off in 1994, when she began a string of 8 titles in 4 seasons beginning with her first singles title, the Lady Ebonite
Ebonite
Ebonite is a brand name for very hard rubber first obtained by Charles Goodyear by vulcanizing rubber for prolonged periods. It is about 30% to 40% sulfur. Its name comes from its intended use as an artificial substitute for ebony wood...
Classic. In that period she was the runner up in the Player of the Year voting all 4 seasons.
In 2001, she had her career year. She won 7 titles, posted an average of 214.73, was Player of the Year, and earned $135,045 in prize money. She received many honors this year including nomination for an ESPY
Espy
-People:* Cecil Espy , American baseball player* Duane Espy, American baseball figure* James Pollard Espy , American meteorologist.* Mike Espy , American politician* William Gray Espy , American actor...
award. She broke 8 tour records that season.
Her career totals were 20 PWBA titles, 2 Player of the year awards, 3 major titles (1997 and 2001 Brunswick World Open, 2001 WIBC Queens
USBC Queens
The USBC Queens is an annual ten-pin bowling event for amateur and professional female bowlers, sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress...
), and 3 WIBC
Women's International Bowling Congress
The Women's International Bowling Congress was an organization for women bowlers formed in 1916 as a counterpart to the American Bowling Congress ....
Titles (2000 All-Events Champion, 2001 Team Champion, 2004 Doubles Champion with Lynda Barnes). She was a 7-time WIBC All American and 6-time Bowlers Journal All-American. Before the PWBA disbanded, she had moved up to 6th on the all-time Tour earnings list (over $910,000). She won two PBA Women's Series titles (2007 Great Lakes Classic and 2008 Cheetah Championship). She also won the PBA Women's Series Showdown in April, 2009.
In 2006, she joined top female bowlers from around the world in the USBC Women's Challenge tournament. The event took place on a single lane, in the middle of a shopping mall in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. This event was particularly challenging, because all of the distractions of a mall (music, voices, people walking in the upper level) were present during the entire tournament. She made it to the semi-finals where she was defeated by Clara Guerrero
Clara Guerrero
Clara Juliana Guerrero Londoño is a Colombian bowler. She has won Colombian championships and multiple international championships in various competition categories...
. (Guerrero would go on to lose to Cara Honeychurch in the final.)
The only major missing from Dorin-Ballard's resume is the U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
, although she has made the semi-finals five times (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) with runner-up finishes in the 2003 and 2009 events.
Carolyn is known as the best female bowler of all time, and at the Kegel training center also has the title of being the most accurate player in history of the testing center, hitting the exact target over 30 times in a row at the exact same speed. During the PBA Women's Series Showdown in 2009, CDB rolled 21 consecutive strikes over two games to earn the distinction of rolling the most consecutive strikes in the history of televised bowling. Currently a Roto Grip staffer, Carolyn is representing the brand with her recent bowling with Team USA and is on the roster to bowl the PanAmerican games this current year. She was part of Team USA in 2011 -- the team that went to the WTBA World Women's Championships in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and took home gold for the United States in the team event for the first time since 1987.
Sources
Carolyn's WebsiteCarolyn Fan Website (some info outdated)