Clara Ferrari sure made a good first impression on the Princeton Women’s Masters Bowling Tournament.

In her very first year in the field, she captured the 2026 Masters Tournament, leading from start to finish, upending defending champion Katie Gerrard 99.15 to 95.22 in Peterson Points.

“It was definitely something I had my eye set on. I was hoping to go out there and give it my best and whatever happens happens,” Ferrari said. “There was great competition by all. Katie bowled phenomenally as did everyone else. Definitely kept me on my toes.

“I enjoyed the tournament very much and the bowling center is great.”

Ferrari, 24, a Peru bowler, is a protege of past men’s masters champion Joe Zokal.

“Joe Zokal has been my coach since I started at 14. He’s the best,” Ferrari said.

Gerrard didn’t go down without a fight. She cut Ferrari’s lead to less than one point with strong second and third rounds, accumulating 2,583 pins with Ferrari tallying 2,460 heading into the final round.

Ferrari was hard driven on Sunday, knocking down 1,190 pins to finish with a 4,965 total. Gerrard finished with a 4,772 series.

“It was a great couple of weekends of bowling. Everyone bowled great with some big games,” Gerrard said. “It is always a fun tournament. Looking forward to next year.”

The first five included Shannon Allen (90.22), Josie Lindsey (87.46) and Danielle Hoopes (85.18). Rounding out the top 10 were Melissa Armstrong (83.10), Anna Flaig (83.08), Gabbie Cummings (82.35), Nicole Walker (82.06) and Natalie Stocking (80.12).

Shannon Allen was presented the Darlene Shepard Sportsmanship Award.