Liz Kuhlkin (pictured above) of Schenectady, New York, rolled through the stepladder finals Saturday, winning three matches to claim the title at the 2015 PWBA Topeka Open. Kuhlkin, who recently wrapped up her collegiate career at Nebraska, defeated Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, 241-203, in the championship match at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, Kan. Kuhlkin earned $10,000 for the title and a spot in the season-ending PWBA Tour Championship.
Four-time Team USA member Danielle McEwan (pictured) of Stony Point, New York, overcame a slow start Friday and took the lead heading into match play at the PWBA Topeka Open presented by Prairie Band Casino & Resort. McEwan fired a 12-game total of 2,701 (225.08 average) to top the field of 80 players at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, Kansas. The top 16 in the qualifying standings Friday advanced to Saturday's round-robin match play, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Central.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association will return to Topeka for the first time in nearly 30 years this week when the Topeka Open begins Friday. Topeka hosted the 1985 and 1986 U.S. Women's Open and now will welcome back the PWBA Tour at West Ridge Lanes. As the PWBA Tour hits the middle stretch of the schedule, Stefanie Johnson (pictured) of Grand Prairie, Texas, sits atop the race for PWBA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year with six events remaining.
O'Keefe earns her firsat PWBA title while O'Neill picks up his seventh PBA title
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Ill., and Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., won their first seven of eight matches Sunday to run away with the 16th annual PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament title at Palace Lanes, repeating their title-winner performance of 2013. O'Keefe earned her first PBA title while O'Neill picked up his seventh PBA title and second of the 2015 season. The winner pair also split the $15,000 first prize.
Lynda and Chris Barnes (pictured) averaged a combined 214.6 over eight games to take the qualifying lead in the 16th annual PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament Saturday at Palace Lanes in Houston, Texas. Lynda, a member of the USBC Hall of Fame, and husband Chris, an 18-time PBA champion, finished qualifying with 3,434 pins to take a one-pin lead over Jodi Woessner and Dino Castillo into Sunday's cashers' round.
Former collegiate star Anita Arnett of Richmond, Texas, and partner Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth (r-l) held the early lead in the 16th annual PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament Friday at Palace Lanes, averaging a composite 213.56 to pace their 42-team squad with a 3,417 pinfall total. In second place after the opening squad were Kristin Warzinski of Muskegon, Mich., and Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, with 3,272, 145 pins behind the leaders.
Stefanie Johnson (pictured) of Grand Prairie, Texas, dominated the PWBA Wichita Open on Saturday, blasting the field in match play and taking the title in the stepladder finals. Johnson, an 11-time Team USA member, defeated Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, 247-221, in the championship match at Northrock Lanes to win her first career PWBA title. Needing a mark and good count in the final frame, Johnson stepped up and delivered a clutch strike to lock up the win.
Propelled by an improved spare-shooting game, Bryanna Caldwell (pictured) of Red Rock, Arizona, led qualifying Friday at the PWBA Wichita Open. Caldwell had a 12-game qualifying total of 2,689 (224.08 average) to top the field of 106 bowlers at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kansas. Diana Zavjalova of Latvia led most of the day and finished in second place with 2,685, just four pins off the lead. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, took the third position with 2,646.
Record field to pursue PBA and PWBA Tour titles in Houston July 31-August 2; Xtra Frame to provide live coverage
After watching her best friend, Luci Bonneau, lose her painful struggle against breast cancer in 1999, Donna Conners made a pledge to honor Bonneau's memory in a way that would have a lasting impact. Sixteen years and $650,000 later, Luci Bonneau has not been forgotten and her memory has never been more appreciated. Most bowling fans refer to it as "The Luci," but it is now more accurately called the PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles.
The PWBA Tour heads to Wichita, Kansas, this week where a vibrant, bowling-savvy community will embrace the competitors for the PWBA Wichita Open. Wichita will welcome some of the best female bowlers in the world this week at Northrock Lanes. The players will take part in 12 games of qualifying Friday before the top 16 advance to round-robin match play Saturday. The event concludes with the stepladder finals at 6:30 p.m. Central on Saturday.
Tan defeated Team USA's Stefanie Johnson, 257-246, at South Plains Lanes
Jazreel Tan (pictured) entered the 2015 PWBA Lubbock Sports Open hoping to prove that she and her Team Singapore teammates could compete on the big stage of the PWBA, and she did that with a dominating performance this week at South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas. The 25-year-old right-hander led the event through qualifying and match play, and she topped Team USA member Stefanie Johnson of Grand Prairie, Texas, 257-246, to claim the title and $10,000 top prize.
Tan is one of four bowlers from Singapore among the 16 match play qualifiers
Jazreel Tan (pictured) of Singapore took the lead early during qualifying at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Lubbock Sports Open and maintained that momentum to earn top qualifier honors at South Plains Lanes on Friday. The 25-year-old right-hander averaged more than 224 on the way to a 12-game pinfall of 2,697 and is one of four bowlers from Singapore among the 16 who qualified for match play. The event concludes with the stepladder finals at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
With the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour now in full swing, the tour will make its first stop in Lubbock, Texas, since 1998 this week. PWBA members and amateurs will descend upon the West Texas city for the PWBA Lubbock Sports Open starting Friday at South Plains Lanes. The PWBA Tour got underway last week with the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open. All rounds will be broadcast live on Xtra Frame.
Elysia Current (pictured) of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, took advantage of great ball reaction in the stepladder finals and rolled to the title Saturday at the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open. Current defeated top seed Kristina Wendell of Kingston, New York, 246-194, in the championship match before a standing-room only crowd at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes. The PWBA Storm Sacramento Open was the first regular-season event on the PWBA Tour in more than a dozen years.
Kristina Wendell (pictured) of Kingston, New York, earned top qualifier honors Friday at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Storm Sacramento Open. Wendell took the lead after the opening six games of qualifying and kept the top spot after 12 games with a total of 2,752 (229.33 average) at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, Calif. Maria Jose Rodriguez of Colombia earned the last spot in the match-play field, qualifying 16th with 2,522 (210.17 average).
Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, Calif., United States (July 9-11, 2015)
When the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour ceased operations a dozen years ago, Leanne Hulsenberg (pictured) decided to settle down in the Sacramento area. Now, she'll have a chance to resume her career in the community that took such good care of her for a decade. Hulsenberg will be in the sold-out field of 80 bowlers who will compete in the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open, the first standard PWBA event in 12 years, starting Friday at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes.
The PWBA Storm Sacramento Open quickly filled its 64-player field, so the tournament will open 16 additional spots that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The tournament will take place July 9-11 at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, California, and is the first standard event of the 2015 PWBA Tour season. Each standard tour stop has a set field limit, but Fireside Lanes and the PWBA Tour were able to accommodate additional spots because of the heavy demand.
USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson (pictured) of Cheektowaga, New York, added to her legacy Tuesday as she became the ninth bowler in history to win multiple titles at the USBC Queens, a PWBA event. In the title match at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., Johnson cruised to a 256-202 victory against rookie Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska. Johnson claimed the coveted Queens tiara and $20,000 top prize, while McCarthy took home $10,000 for second place.
List of undefeated players includes six past champions
Defending champion Maria Jose Rodriguez (pictured) of Colombia is getting more and more comfortable as time progresses at the 2015 USBC Queens, a PWBA event, and she is one of 16 players still undefeated in match play. The 26-year-old right-hander made two late charges Sunday at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley to sneak past Team USA member Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tennessee, (641-636) and fellow Team Colombia member Rocio Restrepo of Louisville, Ohio, (606-590).
Top 64 players advance to the double-elimination match-play bracket starting Sunday at 10 a.m. Eastern
Verity Crawley (pictured) of Babson Park, Florida, was able to maintain her lead at the 2015 USBC Queens and while she didn't bowl as well in Saturday's final qualifying round, she gathered a lot of valuable information. The collegiate standout, a native of England, averaged more than 235 over 15 games this week to earn the top seed for the double-elimination match-play bracke. She'll take on No. 64 seed Natalie Cortese of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, in the opening round.
Liz Kuhlkin (pictured above) of Schenectady, New York, rolled through the stepladder finals Saturday, winning three matches to claim the title at the 2015 PWBA Topeka Open. Kuhlkin, who recently wrapped up her collegiate career at Nebraska, defeated Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, 241-203, in the championship match at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, Kan. Kuhlkin earned $10,000 for the title and a spot in the season-ending PWBA Tour Championship.
Four-time Team USA member Danielle McEwan (pictured) of Stony Point, New York, overcame a slow start Friday and took the lead heading into match play at the PWBA Topeka Open presented by Prairie Band Casino & Resort. McEwan fired a 12-game total of 2,701 (225.08 average) to top the field of 80 players at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, Kansas. The top 16 in the qualifying standings Friday advanced to Saturday's round-robin match play, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Central.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association will return to Topeka for the first time in nearly 30 years this week when the Topeka Open begins Friday. Topeka hosted the 1985 and 1986 U.S. Women's Open and now will welcome back the PWBA Tour at West Ridge Lanes. As the PWBA Tour hits the middle stretch of the schedule, Stefanie Johnson (pictured) of Grand Prairie, Texas, sits atop the race for PWBA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year with six events remaining.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Ill., and Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., won their first seven of eight matches Sunday to run away with the 16th annual PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament title at Palace Lanes, repeating their title-winner performance of 2013. O'Keefe earned her first PBA title while O'Neill picked up his seventh PBA title and second of the 2015 season. The winner pair also split the $15,000 first prize.
Lynda and Chris Barnes (pictured) averaged a combined 214.6 over eight games to take the qualifying lead in the 16th annual PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament Saturday at Palace Lanes in Houston, Texas. Lynda, a member of the USBC Hall of Fame, and husband Chris, an 18-time PBA champion, finished qualifying with 3,434 pins to take a one-pin lead over Jodi Woessner and Dino Castillo into Sunday's cashers' round.
Former collegiate star Anita Arnett of Richmond, Texas, and partner Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth (r-l) held the early lead in the 16th annual PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament Friday at Palace Lanes, averaging a composite 213.56 to pace their 42-team squad with a 3,417 pinfall total. In second place after the opening squad were Kristin Warzinski of Muskegon, Mich., and Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, with 3,272, 145 pins behind the leaders.
Propelled by an improved spare-shooting game, Bryanna Caldwell (pictured) of Red Rock, Arizona, led qualifying Friday at the PWBA Wichita Open. Caldwell had a 12-game qualifying total of 2,689 (224.08 average) to top the field of 106 bowlers at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kansas. Diana Zavjalova of Latvia led most of the day and finished in second place with 2,685, just four pins off the lead. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, took the third position with 2,646.
After watching her best friend, Luci Bonneau, lose her painful struggle against breast cancer in 1999, Donna Conners made a pledge to honor Bonneau's memory in a way that would have a lasting impact. Sixteen years and $650,000 later, Luci Bonneau has not been forgotten and her memory has never been more appreciated. Most bowling fans refer to it as "The Luci," but it is now more accurately called the PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles.
The PWBA Tour heads to Wichita, Kansas, this week where a vibrant, bowling-savvy community will embrace the competitors for the PWBA Wichita Open. Wichita will welcome some of the best female bowlers in the world this week at Northrock Lanes. The players will take part in 12 games of qualifying Friday before the top 16 advance to round-robin match play Saturday. The event concludes with the stepladder finals at 6:30 p.m. Central on Saturday.
Jazreel Tan (pictured) entered the 2015 PWBA Lubbock Sports Open hoping to prove that she and her Team Singapore teammates could compete on the big stage of the PWBA, and she did that with a dominating performance this week at South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas. The 25-year-old right-hander led the event through qualifying and match play, and she topped Team USA member Stefanie Johnson of Grand Prairie, Texas, 257-246, to claim the title and $10,000 top prize.
Jazreel Tan (pictured) of Singapore took the lead early during qualifying at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Lubbock Sports Open and maintained that momentum to earn top qualifier honors at South Plains Lanes on Friday. The 25-year-old right-hander averaged more than 224 on the way to a 12-game pinfall of 2,697 and is one of four bowlers from Singapore among the 16 who qualified for match play. The event concludes with the stepladder finals at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
Elysia Current (pictured) of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, took advantage of great ball reaction in the stepladder finals and rolled to the title Saturday at the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open. Current defeated top seed Kristina Wendell of Kingston, New York, 246-194, in the championship match before a standing-room only crowd at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes. The PWBA Storm Sacramento Open was the first regular-season event on the PWBA Tour in more than a dozen years.
Kristina Wendell (pictured) of Kingston, New York, earned top qualifier honors Friday at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Storm Sacramento Open. Wendell took the lead after the opening six games of qualifying and kept the top spot after 12 games with a total of 2,752 (229.33 average) at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, Calif. Maria Jose Rodriguez of Colombia earned the last spot in the match-play field, qualifying 16th with 2,522 (210.17 average).
USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson (pictured) of Cheektowaga, New York, added to her legacy Tuesday as she became the ninth bowler in history to win multiple titles at the USBC Queens, a PWBA event. In the title match at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., Johnson cruised to a 256-202 victory against rookie Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska. Johnson claimed the coveted Queens tiara and $20,000 top prize, while McCarthy took home $10,000 for second place.
Defending champion Maria Jose Rodriguez (pictured) of Colombia is getting more and more comfortable as time progresses at the 2015 USBC Queens, a PWBA event, and she is one of 16 players still undefeated in match play. The 26-year-old right-hander made two late charges Sunday at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley to sneak past Team USA member Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tennessee, (641-636) and fellow Team Colombia member Rocio Restrepo of Louisville, Ohio, (606-590).
Verity Crawley (pictured) of Babson Park, Florida, was able to maintain her lead at the 2015 USBC Queens and while she didn't bowl as well in Saturday's final qualifying round, she gathered a lot of valuable information. The collegiate standout, a native of England, averaged more than 235 over 15 games this week to earn the top seed for the double-elimination match-play bracke. She'll take on No. 64 seed Natalie Cortese of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, in the opening round.