Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, Calif., successfully concluded two years of international travel when they captured Bayer Advanced Aspirin World Bowling Tour men’s and women’s finals titles to kick off the 2012-13 Professional Bowlers Association television season at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Barnes, a 14-time PBA Tour champion, defeated reigning WBT men’s champion Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, 244-228, while Parkin defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 238-190, in the women’s finals during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling. Both finals, which featured three players who qualified by earning points in World Tenpin Bowling Association-PBA International Tour events over a span of two years, aired Sunday on ESPN. Both champions earned $20,000.

Barnes, who won the Columbia 300 Vienna Open in Austria in October to lock up his berth in the WBT men’s finals, edged Mike Fagan of Dallas, 258-244, in the semifinal match before closing with a string of six strikes for a come-from-behind victory over his close friend, Koivuniemi, in the title match.

In the women’s finals, Johnson advanced to the title match after a thrilling 267-260 victory over PBA Tour titlist Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J. But Johnson’s strike shot evaporated in the title match. A 4-6-7 split in the second frame and a 4-6 in the fourth put her in a hole she couldn’t escape.

Columbia 300 is off to a hot start so far this season. Chris Barnes rolled the Eruption and Mass Eruption. Both bowling balls gave him a great 1-2 punch. Missy Parkin tossed the Eruption and the Omen. A few 10 pins where left but then again both Chris and Missy struck more than enough to win their titles respectively.