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Luci Bonneau Mixed Doubles gets PBA Regional status, Xtra Fame coverage

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05/16/12

2012 PBA Spare Shots #20

Lucibonn

The 13th annual Luci Bonneau Memorial Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Tournament, the nation's most popular combination of high-level competitive bowling and fund-raising, returns to Palace Lanes in Houston, Texas, July 21-22, where it will receive PBA Regional title status and live online coverage on Xtra Frame for the first time in 2012.

The photos shows defending champions Shannon Pluhowsky and Tommy Jones.

The tournament, founded by Donna Conners, honors her long-time friend and fellow Professional Women's Bowling Association competitor who lost her life to breast cancer. The event is sponsored by Storm Products, Carol "Stormin" Norman's Pro Shop and others. Proceeds benefit the Stehlin Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

A number of PBA Tour competitors will be in the field, and will participate in a pro-am event preceding the tournament. If a PBA member(s) wins the event, he and/or she will earn PBA Regional titles for the first time. PBA's Xtra Frame online bowling channel will cover Saturday and Sunday's competition live.

Also on the summer Xtra Frame schedule will be live coverage from the PBA Senior U.S. Open from the Suncoast in Las Vegas, June 3-8, and the PBA Senior Tour's 2012 season finale, the Senior Decatur (Ill.) Open presented by Brunswick from Spare Time Lanes Aug. 11-14.

Regional Roundup: Big finish gives Blanchard third West Region title

PBA Rookie of the Year candidate Josh Blanchard (pictured left) of Gilbert, Ariz., fired a 279 game in his final position match on Sunday, May 13, to advance from third place to first and win his third career PBA regional title in the PBA Northwest Region Sunset Chevrolet Open at Daffodil Bowl in Puyallup, Wash.

Blanchard, who earned $2,000, posted a 5-3 match play record and compiled 3,792 pins over 16 games, including match play bonus pins, to defeat Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., by 10 pins for the title.

In the companion U.S. Foods Senior Open in Puyallup, Hugh Miller (right) of Mercer Island, Wash., went 7-1 and knocked down 4,022 total pins for his 16 games to top Kevin Croucher of Grants Pass, Ore., to claim the $1,000 first prize and his fifth Northwest Senior Regional title.

The PBA's new regional "animal pattern" championship program will dominate the May 18-20 weekend when four events are scheduled:

the PBA Central Region Baldo Campana Viper Open (and Senior Open) benefitting Lorain County Kids Fund at Rebman Recreation in Lorain, Ohio;
the PBA Midwest Region Stars and Strikes Scorpion Open presented by Ebonite at Scott AFB, Ill.;
the PBA Southwest Region Fort Sill (Okla.) Viper Open at Twin Oak Lanes, and
the PBA West Region Battle at Black Oak Casino Cheetah Open at Black Oak Lanes in Tuolumne, Calif.

Also on the May 18-20 calendar is the PBA East Region Iroquois Lanes Senior Open in Canajoharie, N.Y.

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, PBA regional players from across the country will head to Columbus Western Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, for the Regional Players Championship-East May 25-27. At stake is a projected first prize of $6,000.

Also on tap over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the PBA South Region will host the Liberty Fair Mall Senior Open presented by Track May 25-28 at Sport Lanes in Martinsville, Va., while the PBA Midwest and Central Regions will have joint one-day senior events May 25 and 26: the Viper Senior Open on Friday and the Cheetah Senior Open on Saturday, both at Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The West Region also has back-to-back senior regionals planned. The West Region Saguaro Senior Open is set for May 28-30 at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West, Ariz., followed by the Budweiser/Golden Eagle Senior Open at Starlite Lanes in Flagstaff, May 30-June 1.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, click here.

Quick Notes

As expected, PBA star players led mixed doubles teams from the United States, Venezuela, Colombia and Canada qualified for the 2013 World Games during the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions tournament May 9-12 at Kegel Training Center in Babson Park, Fla.

Team USA paired amateur Steve Smith of San Diego with two-time PBA Women's Series titlist Liz Johnson (pictured left) of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Venezuela was led by PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli.

PBA Tour titlist Andres Gomez (pictured right), who won the men's masters title over Team Canada's Dan MacLelland, and his sister, former PBA Women's Series competitor Paola Gomez, led Colombia to a second-place finish in team all-events, but they already had secured a World Games berth as representatives from the host country.

The World Games, a showcase for sports that are not included on the Olympic Games program, will be held 2013 in Cali, Colombia.