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A resolution congratulating Vanderbilt University Associate Head Coach Josie Earnest Barnes on winning the U.S. Women's Open in Bowling.
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WHEREAS, on August 31, 2021, Josie Earnest Barnes won the U.S. Women's Open in Bowling in Rohnert Park, California, winning $100,000, the largest first-place check in women's bowling history; and
WHEREAS, Barnes earned the iconic green jacket for winning her first major on the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour, beating Singapore's Cherie Tan, 198-194; and
WHEREAS, Barnes grew up in rural Illinois and was a toddler when her parents opened a bowling center which put her on the fast track to a successful bowling career; and
WHEREAS, at age 12, Barnes beat bowlers six to 10 years older than her to finish in the top five in a state tournament; and
WHEREAS, Barnes, 33, is currently the Associate Head Coach at Vanderbilt University where she competed in bowling as a student from 2006-2010; and
WHEREAS, during her freshman year at Vanderbilt, Barnes helped lead the Commodores to their first national team title in any sport and was named tournament MVP; and
WHEREAS, she was a four-time All-American and the first bowler to win NCAA Player of the Year twice; and
WHEREAS, Barnes' bowling career as a student earned her a place in the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Barnes has won junior, NCAA, and Professional Women's Bowling Association championships throughout her career including the 2016 Rochester Open, the 2018 East Hartford Open, and the 2019 Greater Cleveland Open; and
WHEREAS, Barnes is a nine-time member of Team USA, including the current team, and was a five-time member of Junior Team USA; and
WHEREAS, Barnes is equally focused on winning more tournaments while expanding the sport's popularity through college programs like Vanderbilt's, explaining that it allows girls the opportunity to get an education while getting to compete at the highest level; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and prop...
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