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Coldwater's Keplinger competing for Team USA Bowling at World Games

troy tennyson, the daily reporter
·4 min read
Coldwater's Alec Keplinger, back row, third from left, poses with his Team USA teammates after earning the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships held in Sweden
Coldwater's Alec Keplinger, back row, third from left, poses with his Team USA teammates after earning the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships held in Sweden

BIRMINGHAM, AL. — The 2022 World Games kicked off on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama and the year’s events had a little bit of local flair as Coldwater graduate and current Wichita State University bowler Alec Keplinger is competing for Team USA in the sport of Bowling.

The World Games is an international multi-sport event comprising of sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games and takes place over the course of 11 days.

Some of the disciplines contested at the World Games include DanceSport, Roller Sports, certain forms of Gymnastics, Fistball, Flag Football, Floorball, Handball, Korfball, Lacrosse, Squash, Racquetball, Softball, Wheelchair Rugby, various forms of Martial Arts, Power Lifting, Tug of War, Archery, Billiards, and of course Bowling, in addition to a number of other disciplines.

Coldwater's Alec Keplinger (middle) poses with his Junior Team USA teammates after winning the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships
Coldwater's Alec Keplinger (middle) poses with his Junior Team USA teammates after winning the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships

The games are held every four years, much like the Olympics, and were created to “provide a unique setting for thousands of athletes from different sports and countries to join in a celebration of unity and friendship across all boundaries (Worldgames.org).”

Keplinger, a 2019 graduate of Coldwater High School, was one of four athletes selected to represent Team USA in the discipline of Bowling and made his way to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on Friday to compete in the World Games. Keplinger will be joined on Team USA by two-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe; three-time PWBA Tour Champion Julia Bond; and 2022 U.S. National Amateur Bowling Championships winner Trent Mitchell.

Keplinger himself earned the nod after winning the 2021-22 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player award. Keplinger began his post high school career with a win at the 2019 Junior Gold Championships and has since starred at Wichita State University. Keplinger most recently returned from Helsingborg, Sweden where he represented Junior Team USA at the International Bowling Federation U21 World Championships where he helped the men’s team earn a silver medal in the four-player event.

Joining Keplinger on Team USA at the U21 World Championships was Tyrell Ingalls of Loganville, Georgia; Spencer Roberge of Springfield, Missouri; and Julian Salinas of Richmond, Texas.

In order to secure their silver medal the men’s team had to defeat the Australian team in a best-of-three Baker semifinals, winning 2-0. Team USA then moved on to face the Czech Republic in the championship where the two teams battled in a three game Baker slugfest. The gold medal came down to the final roll for the Czech Republic who secured the gold medal in the tenth frame of the third baker game, winning 268-259. The Czech Republic won game one 241-214 before Team USA came back with a 207-179 game two victory, forcing the deciding game three.

The Junior Team USA Girls Team also took silver, defeating Team Sweden in the semifinals before falling to Singapore in the Gold Medal matchup.

Coldwater's Alec Keplinger poses with his World Championships Doubles partner Spencer Robarge of Springfield, MO.
Coldwater's Alec Keplinger poses with his World Championships Doubles partner Spencer Robarge of Springfield, MO.

Entering into the World Games Keplinger has an extensive resume of honors and awards, including the 2013 USBC Youth Open Team Event Champion; the 2018 Michigan Youth Singles Champion; the 2018 MHSAA Individual State Champion; the 2019 U20B Junior Gold Champion; a 2020 and 2021 Junior Team USA Member; a 2-time Michigan Pepsi Tournament Champion; in addition to being a recipient of the Heritage Merit Scholarship.

Keplinger and his teammates will now compete in the World Games which will feature bowling in both singles and doubles competition.

As quoted in the article “Team USA Ready For 2022 World Games in Alabama” by Aaron Smith posted on bowl.com, “In singles at the World Games, the 32 athletes in each gender-based division will be divided into two draws of 16. A single-elimination format will be used, with each match featuring a best-of-three format.

The winners of each draw will compete for the gold medal, while the two players who lose in the semifinals will bowl an additional match to determine the bronze medalist.

In doubles, 16 teams will compete in each division using the Baker format. Doubles also will feature a single-elimination format, with best-of-three contests determining which team advances to the next round.

The final two teams will bowl for gold, while the teams that fall in the semifinals will compete for bronze.”

Competition in the World Games began on Friday with men’s and women’s singles competition, with doubles starting on Saturday. Those that advance in both categories will return to the lanes on Sunday before the medal round begins on Monday.

For more information on The World Games or to keep up with Team USA Bowling you can visit twg2-22.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Coldwater's Keplinger competing for Team USA Bowling at World Games