Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois, and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsyalvania, withstood a challenge from Jason Belmonte of Australia and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, in the position round match to successfully defend their Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles title Sunday at Bowl on Bellaire.

From left, Donna Connors (tournament manager), Shannon O’Keefe, Bill O’Neill and Del Ballard.

O’Keefe, a 12-time Team USA member, earned her fourth PWBA Tour title while O’Neill earned his eighth PBA Tour title and first of the season.

In the position round match, Belmonte, the three-time defending Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, and Asbaty, a 15-time Team USA member and the winner of the 2012 USBC Queens, defeated O’Keefe/O’Neill 459-415 but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 116-pin deficit.

O’Keefe/O’Neill won with an 8,902 pinfall total, including bonus pins, to Belmonte/Asbaty’s second-place 8,860 pinfall.

It was O’Keefe’s fourth win in “The Lucy” in five years, with O’Neill as a partner having also won in 2013. O’Keefe also won the event with husband Brian in 2012.

“It was going to be tough to beat Diandra that game so I just shifted my focus to keep up with her,” O’Keefe said of the position round match. “I was able to put together some good frames at the end of the game so she wouldn’t get too far ahead of me.

“Communication is always important when you’re bowling doubles,” O’Keefe added. “But the ability to bounce ideas off your teammate and change your game plan quickly, if necessary, is also important in a tournament like this.”

O’Neill struggled in the final match but like O’Keefe bowled well enough to keep the team out front.

“I couldn’t get a strike but fortunately I didn’t have any splits and I made my spares,” O’Neill said. “We had a pretty big lead heading into the last match and we were able to keep them from getting too far ahead of us.”

O’Neill also credited the ability to communicate and the knowledge of each other’s games for their success as doubles partners.

“We know each other’s games so well both physically and mentally,” O’Neill added. “We’ve kind of gone back and forth over the years where she bowled really well and I was kind of along for the ride and this year I was having a better tournament, but the point is we’re good at being able to work through the grind that makes this tournament what it is.”

Proceeds from the tournament and accompanying pro-am raise funds are donated to The Rose, a Houston-based organization that helps women who can’t afford breast care treatment or mammograms, and the Huntsman Group.

Next up on Xtra Frame is the PBA50 Dave Small’s Championship Lanes Classic from Anderson, Ind. which begins Monday. For subscription and schedule information click here.

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Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles – Final Standings

Players with position, hometown and 20-game total, including match play bonus pins

1, Shannon O’Keefe, O’Fallon, Ill. / Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8,902, $16,000
2, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, Ill. / Jason Belmonte, Australia, 8,860, $8,000
3, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia / Joe Hostetler, Louisville, Ohio, 8,628, $5,000
4, Cassandra Leuthold, Lincoln, Neb. / Jason Sterner, Cocoa, Fla., 8,619, $4,000
5, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio / Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 8,575, $3,000
6, Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb. / AJ Johnson, Osnego, Ill., 8,463, $2,500
7, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard , Keller, Texas / Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 8,328, $2,350
8, Allie Ijams, Wichita, Kan. / Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 8,267, $2,250

Other cashers (after 12 games)
9, Kayla Johnson, Washington, Ill./DJ Archer, Houston, Texas 4,940, $2,180
10, Daria Kovalova, Wichita, Kan./Kris Prather, Milton, Fla. 4,934, $2,100
11, Shannon Sellens Copiague, N.Y./Anthony Pepe East Elmhurst, N.Y., 4,930, $2,050
12, Verity Crawley, England/Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4,903, $2,000
13, T’nia Falbo, Greensburg, Pa./BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa., 4,901, $1,950
14, Anggie Ramirez, Austin, Texas/AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 4,896, $1,900
15, Stefanie Johnson, Grand Prairie, Texas/Chris Johnson Grand Prairie, Texas, 4,895, $1,850
16, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif. / Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 4,889, $1,800
17, Clara Guerrero, Colombia/Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4,886, $1,750
18, Karen Marcano, Venezuela/Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 4,884, $1,700
19, Angela Chirpich, Urbandale, Iowa/Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4,881, $1,650
20, Amanda Greene, Romney, W.Va./Kyle Sherman, O’ Fallon, Mo., 4,868, $1,600
21, Sandra Andersson, Sweden/Brett Cooper Denver, Colo., 4,864, $1,550
22, Marcia Kloempken, Pleasant View, Utah/Mitch, Beasley Clarksville, Tenn., 4,856, $1,500
23, Kristina Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y./John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 4,843, $1,450
24, Diana Zavjalova Latvia/Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 4,827, $1,400
25, Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah/EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 4,819, $1,350
26, Kelly Kulick Union, N.J./Chris Colella, Indianapolis, Ind., 4,804, $1,300
27, Heather Whitney, Euless, Texas/Tyson Branagan, Fort Worth, Texas , 4,803, $1,250
28, Danielle McEwan Stony Point, N.Y./Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 4,800, $1,200
29, Catherine Rawsthorne, Lewiston, Idaho/Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 4,784, $1,150
30, Sarah Lokker, New Baltimore, Mich./Perry Crowell, Hoquiam, Wash., 4781, $1,100
31, Anita Arnett Richmond, Texas/Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 4,773, $1,050
32, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y. /Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. 4,761, $1,000
33, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia/Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 4,759, $950
34, Kristina Wendell, Kingston, N.Y./Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,744, $900
35, Sandra Gongora, Mexico/Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 4,736, $850
36, Brandi Calderon, Tempe, Ariz./Mike Calderon, Tempe, Ariz., 4,691, $800
37, Daria Pajak, Poland/Michael Haugen, Phoenix, Ariz., 4,678, $750
38, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla./ Michael Moore, Orlando, Fla., 4,641, $700

History of Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Winners

2000 – Donna Conners/Mark Scroggins
2001 – Amy Dillon/Chris Barnes
2002 – Diandra (Hyman) Asbaty/Dino Castillo
2003 – Genie Franklin/Wes Malott
2004 – Krystal Scott/Russ Wilson
2005 – Rachel Perez/Paul Fleming
2006 – Carolyn Dorin-Ballard/Marc Laracuente
2007 – Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones
2008 – Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones
2009 – Carolyn Dorin-Ballard/Parker Bohn III
2010 – Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones
2011 – Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones
2012 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bryan O’Keefe
2013 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill
2014 – Missy Parkin/Scott Norton
2015 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill
2016 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill