Milligan wins two gold medals in bowling

A near-perfect game and a clutch performance were some of the highlights Costa Mesa resident Tennelle Milligan produced on her way to two gold medals in bowling at the Pan American Games last week in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Milligan bowled a 299 in the final game of women’s doubles, when Team USA won gold. She left the 10 pin standing.

Milligan and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago finished with a 12-game total of 5,356 to win the event by 387 pins.

Before bowling 299, Milligan said in a press release that her coach, Jeri Edwards, inspired her.

“Coach said before that game, ‘Enjoy the moment,’ and we did,” said Milligan, who averaged 216.58 in doubles. “Shots came off my hand with no added pressure.

“Gold medals never get old. Dee bowled really well, and I hung around then came out at the end.”

Milligan defeated Venezuela’s Alicia Marcano, 2-1, in the best-of-three, gold medal match for the women’s singles. Milligan won the decisive game, 212-204, on the strength of three straight strikes that came late in the game.

Milligan won the first game, 256-160, striking on eight of 11 first-ball attempts, but Marcano rebounded with nine straight strikes to take Game Two, 267-214.

— From staff reports