Husker bowler takes game to the international level
Steven Bender/DN
Nebraska junior Diaixka Hyman, 20, practices foe the women's bowTing team at the
East Campus lanes Wednesday.
■NU's Diandra Hyman placed
ninth in the World Cup with
Team USA.
BY LINCOLN ARNEAL
Winning a national tide would
be the ultimate achievement for
most college athletes, but
Nebraska bowler Diandra Hyman
already has taken her success to a
global level
Hyman, a junior Husker
bowler, recently competed in the
World Cup tournament in Lisbon,
Portugal, finishing ninth for Thant
USA.
“It was by far the biggest tour
nament I’ve ever bowled in my life
so far,” Hyman said. "It was amaz
ing to me to think that I was the
only one there in the women’s
division with USA on my back.”
A total of 88 countries were
represented, with 64 of those
competing in the women’s divi
sion.
Hyman competed well in the
tournament. She bowled in 24
games and qualified to advance.
She bowled 16 more games in the
next round but ended up in ninth
position, just missing the cut to
make it to the semifinals.
“I was shooting to make the
top eight because they make it to
the semifinals, but I was an alter
nate,” Hyman said. “It was very
hard for me to walk away with my
head hung because I am ninth in
the world, and that is not too
shabby.”
The tournament was a little
different than what Hyman was
used to because it was done on an
individual basis instead of as a
team like in college tournaments.
“It was a lot more intense
(than other tournaments)
because everyone in the world
looks to the U.S. to do well,”
Hyman said. “Knowing that, it is
hard not to put pressure on your
self. ... I tried hard to focus on
other things, and I think I did a
good job because I bowled well”
To be able to compete in the
World Cup, Hyman qualified for
the Team USA squad last
December.
Hyman said about the qualify
ing tournament: “I’m not sure
what happened to me, but I just
had the best week of bowling of
my life.”
Not only did she win the tour
nament by more than 500 pins,
she also outscored all of the men
in a field that included some of the
top amateur bowlers in die United
States.
Hyman bowled so well that
she not only set a women’s record
for scoring, but also finished with
a score higher than the men’s
record.
To make the tournament
more interesting, Hyman had to
bowl against her sister, Kassy, in
the semifinals. Kassy Hyman
ended up finishing fourth.
With the victory, Diandra
Hyman earned a spot on Team
USA and a spot in the World Cup.
The Team USA berth also
allowed Hyman to compete in the
Youth World Championships in
the Dominican Republic in
August
There were four different
events to compete in - singles,
doubles, team and a masters tour
nament at the end
She brought home medals in
all four events - a silver in the sin
gles and doubles, a bronze in the
team division and a gold in the
masters.
“The masters was the biggest
part of die tournament because it
names the ultimate champion for
the championships,” Hyman said
“So that was a real highlight for
ma”
Hyman also competed in the
World Championships last
November in the United Arab
Emirates as a part oflteam USA
After seeing various parts of
the world, Hyman said she likes to
travel.
"To be able to see the world
doing what I love, there is no bet
ter opportunity in my eyes,"
Hyman said
Even though bowling tourna
ments take her all over die world
and use a lot of her time, Hyman
said she still has her priorities
straight
"When I made Team USA last
year, I thought to myself that it is
important that I get through
school because (bowling) is going
be something that I am going to
do for the rest of my life,” Hyman
said “But when I heard that there
were three world tournaments at
the end oftheyear, it was very hard
for me to pass that up.”
Even though she travels a lot
she said she tries to keep up on her
school work.
“I said if I could not keep my
grades up and maintain my GPA,
then I would sacrifice the tourna
ments,” Hyman said “But I can do
both.”
Since Hyman has been com
peting in the world champi
onships, she has had to miss sev
eral of the Husker bowling meets.
“It was a very touchy subject
when I first started speaking about
going to these world tournaments
because I knew that I would miss
some of my collegiate tourna
ments,” Hyman said. “I don't want
to let my team down, and they
know that I am with them even
though I am not”
Even though Hyman does a lot
of traveling, she said she still prac
tices with the team when she can
and tries to help the team with its
games, receiving help in her game
as well.
“There comes a time in your
life that you have to sacrifice
something, and you can’t do
everything you want to do,”
Hyman said “I’ve always been one
to go with my heart... and this is
what my heart is telling me to do.”
71 was by far the
biggest tournament
I’ve ever bowled in my
life so far. It was
amazing to me to
think that I was the
only one there in the
women’s division with
USA on my back.”
Diandra Hyman
junior NU bowler
She already has missed two
tournaments, but Hyman said she
doesn't plan on missing any more.
Hyman said she may have to
make some sacrifices on die indi
vidual level Last year, die was the
individual national champion for
Nebraska and was named colle
giate Bowler of the Year. Because
of the meets she has already
missed this season, she would
have to bowl excellently to have a
shot at repeating.
“I would love to be All
American, but if I am not, I hope
that my team succeeds," Hyman
said.
Even though she has had
tremendous success with
Nebraska and at die world meets,
Hyman said she doesn’t plan to
take her game to the professional
level because a bowler can’t be a
professional and be on Team USA
“Representing the United
States is so important to me -
competing and wearing the red,
white and blue,” Hyman said.
“Anybody can buy a pro card that
says you are a pro bowler, but not
everybody can be on Team USA"
Hyman will continue her
international competition later
this month when she travels to
Puerto Rico to compete in the
World 10-Pin Team Cup.
. i
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