Pictured Is: 2023 MMA Queens Champion Katie Hurley, left. And MMA Assc Manager Leslie Marsh. Photo courtesy of the MMA.
Editors Note: After never having bowled before at AMF Chandler Lanes. Katie Hurley of Peoria, decided to take the plunge on January 15, and bowl in the Mesa Metro Queens event. She did not go home disappointed. She led the field of 14 hopefuls at the end of qualifying at +9. And ran the table in match play, with a 4-0 record, to secure this years title. She was an accomplished junior bowler in the West Valley, who got her start at AMF Peoria Lanes. She bowled collegiately at UAB in Birmingham, Al.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg
Managing Editor - thetenpinexpress.com
Director Mesa Metro Association
Chandler, AZ. - - - There is one Cardinal Rule that is not to be broken, when it comes to bowling tournaments taking place in the East Valley.
And that Cardinal Rule is: what happens in the East Valley, stays in the East Valley.
But, someone in the East Valley, forgot to send the memo to Katie Hurley.
Hurley, a right-hander from Peoria, made the one-hour trip east to Chandler on Sunday January 15. To bowl in the 2023 Mesa Metro Queens event, at AMF Chandler Lanes. She did not go home disappointed when the tournament finally came to an end around 3:30 that afternoon. After leading the qualifying round at +9, she went undefeated in match play, 4-0, to secure this year's title.
"At this stage in my life, though I am still young and have many years of bowling ahead of me, I feel a strong sense of determination and a fighting spirit within. I have goals I want to achieve, and I want to use these developmental years to chase after those dreams," she said, following the event. "Winning a Queens title in my young career feels amazing! Winning this title feels like everything is falling into place while igniting a sense of hope in me that I'm just getting started. If I were the youngest to win this event, (she just turned 23), that would make the whole experience feel even more meaningful to me."
Having never bowled at AMF Chandler before, until January 15. She will be the first one to admit, that she didn't know what to expect there until it became time to bowl.
"This was my first-time bowling at AMF Chandler and I went into this tournament with that same positive, determined mindset I always do!," she said, of her first experience at AMF Chandler. "I didn't have any expectations other than that this tournament was going to be another well-run event thanks to Mesa Metro!"
But when the qualifying round got underway at 10:30, her competitiveness began to take over and it showed from the scores she was able to put together. She rolled games in qualifying of: 213-180-238-194-184, for a 1009 total.
In the double elimination match play round, she again, went 4-0. She defeated Karol Przybytek, 184-157; Sun Jones, 278-158; and Mary Sturm twice. 198-166; and 237-157 for the title.
"I finished the qualifying round at +9 and felt like I just had to keep making my spares and hitting the pocket. After qualifying, I felt locked in physically and mentally and really focused on staying positive!," she said, of her qualifying round. "When I shot my 278 game in match play, I felt even more locked in. Everything was clicking and I just needed to stay true to my line and keep chipping away."
She said she started to feel the vibe and support during the qualifying round.
"In general, the atmosphere of a tournament is so different compared to a regular league night or practice session. I personally love the atmosphere of a tournament and I definitely enjoyed the environment and people I was surrounded by during the tournament," she said, of the MMA Queens. "It felt surreal to be in the finals and to have a group of people cheering us on. The vibe turns electric, with every shot becoming more meaningful than the last. I received so much amazing support during this tournament!"
The MMA Queens event this year had 14 entries. By far, the most in the last few years. Rounding out the top five in qualifying were: Krysta LaRue, +22; Abbie Hugill, +24; Sun Jones, +59: and Anastasia Riley,+64.
"Anything can happen on the lanes and when things happen that are out of my control, I just have to move on and keep going. During the qualifying round, my scores were up and down and I was a little worried toward the end about where I stood against the field," she said, of her performance. "I was mostly worried about spares, knowing those are ultimately the game changers. I focused hard on my stroke, knowing they would make or break my set!"
Her best performance prior to winning the Mesa Metro Queens event, came last year.
"I bowled the State Queens tournament in the Summer of 2022 and I finished 9th!," she said, of her previous best performance. "Spending extra time on the lanes is very beneficial and important to me, so practicing is definitely something I capitalize on! I feel like my game is sharper after I've had some time to practice and focus on my personal game!"
Others who rounded out the field were: Mary Sturm, Joan Harnish, Karol Przybytek, Angela Wolfe, Stacey Silaghi-Constantino, Lora Summers-Franklin, Debbie Toon, Virginia Young, and Nicole Armstrong.
"I was so happy to see so many talented ladies show up and show out for this tournament! The field was hard and everyone showed up with their best game faces on," she said, of the field. "With such a diverse and talented squad, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I feel so blessed to be able to compete in this field of talented women!"
Excelling at bowling at a young age:
Katie comes from a well-established bowling family in the West Valley, where everyone bowls. From her father David, to her sister Annie.
She and her sister got their start in bowling at Mission Bell, now Bowlero, and AMF Peoria! They loved waking up every Saturday morning for league and enjoyed bowling with other kids in their area! They have created lifelong, meaningful friendships from those leagues and it gave them that competitive spirit from a young age!
"There is always a good time to start bowling," she says, of the game "Whether you're young, or still young at heart!"
She had a stellar junior bowling career, where she accomplished some of the achievements below:
2018 Pepsi Tournament- State Finals- U20 Scratch Girls- 1st Place
- 2018 Pepsi Tournament- Northern Section- U20 Scratch Girls- High Qualifier
- 2017 Pepsi Tournament- Northern Section- U20 Scratch Girls- High Qualifier
- 2016 Pepsi Tournament- Northern Section- U20 Scratch Girls- High Qualifier
- 2016 Pepsi Tournament- 3rd Place
- 2016 Metro Phoenix USBC- High Association Average- Youth Girls
- 2016 High School Bowling- SMHS- High Average- Girls
- High School Bowling- SMHS- 1st Place team (2014-2015)
- 2018 Arizona State USBC Lily May Hester Star of Tomorrow
- 2018 Metro Phoenix USBC Ruth Brummitt Scholarship (inaugural winner)
- 2016 Metro Phoenix USBC Outstanding Youth Scholarship Winner
- 2017 Metro Phoenix USBC Outstanding Youth Scholarship Winner
- Multiple league high average, high game, and high series awards
- High game: 289
- High series: 737.
"I had the opportunity to bowl in one Junior Gold event, back in 2018!," she said, of bowling Junior Gold. "Junior Gold is such a unique experience and I enjoyed being able to meet elite professional bowlers and see so many bowlers in one place! It was an awesome challenge and I learned so much! Junior Gold definitely served as a challenge and was a way for me to branch out before entering college. Junior Gold was another way that I was introduced to the harder conditions of bowling and I learned a lot about myself and my game. I still carry that knowledge and experience with me, even after college."
In fact, it was another trip outside of Junior Gold, where she and her sister were recruited on bowl in college.
"My sister and I were recruited to bowl in college through the ITRC Combine in Arlington, Texas. All athletes that were accepted went through various tests related to bowling, both physical and mental. At the combine, I was able to meet with many coaches and found Coach Crews at the University of Alabama at Birmingham- UAB," she said, of the Combine and being recruited by UAB. "Moving 1,732 miles away from home to bowl was not my original plan when I first began bowling at the age of 8, but I am so glad I made that decision. It was a huge transition, bowling for a new team with a new phase of life ahead of me. I am an adaptable person who is open to change and I was ready for this new challenge. Coach Crews welcomed me to her family with open arms and I had the best group of girls by my side for 4 years. I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Kinesiology."
Her College accomplishments included:
- Tournament MVP at Lewis University Tournament
- MEAC All-Conference Third Team
- MEAC Bowler of the Week
- MEAC All-Academic Honors
- Dean's List Academic Honors
Being an athlete in college has its ups and downs. But she could not get through the rough patches, without having a family member by her side.
"Having my sister with me during the recruiting process and then joining her at UAB was absolutely surreal. We always talk about how lucky we feel to be so close and to even have been roommates at one point!," she said, of her time at UAB. "We've stuck by each other since the beginning, so it was only natural that we stay together through this amazing journey! There were ups and downs in our journey, but we stuck to our roots and maintained our amazing and close relationship throughout our time in college. I still feel so blessed to have had my major life and bowling experiences with my sister by my side!"
While Phoenix and Birmingham are still about 1,732 miles away. It still takes two shots to knock down 10 pins. Sometimes one. But, the game of bowling still remains the same.
"Phoenix and Birmingham are two different worlds, in the best way! I experienced such a different culture in the Southeast and learned so much about their unique lifestyles and how it differed to the one I knew in Phoenix," she said, of her time at UAB. "I was lucky enough to travel around the country for tournaments during my time in college and got to see so many diverse areas! It sparked my love for adventure and reminded me how much I love visiting places I've never been to! I also valued the perspective I gained from those who grew up in the Southeast and shared my stories of Phoenix all the same!"
There was not one moment during her time at UAB, where she can say was her most memorable one. But she said, her senior year brought everything into perspective for her.
"It's hard to choose just one moment in the four years I attended UAB, but I'll never forget the moments I felt during my Senior Year, Knowing I was leaving the program that gave me so much. Every shot at every tournament became more meaningful! I set out to achieve many goals for my senior year and one goal in particular was to make an All-Tournament Team or become an MVP at a tournament," she said, of achieving that goal. "I achieved that goal and received an MVP award from the tournament hosted by Lewis University. Senior year for me also represented redemption, as my early years were halted by COVID-19. It felt good to have a great year on the lanes, achieve my goals, and have a fantastic team and coach by my side through the whole journey. Overall, my college experience was a huge blessing- I went to an amazing school, made lifelong friends, and furthered my love for my favorite sport!"
Arizona Bowling News - January 24, 2023