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2018 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Schedule & Champions

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The 2018 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour, which was re-launched in 2015 after nearly a dozen years, features 10 regular-season events and four “majors”.

The 2018 PWBA Tour kicked off in April with the PWBA Las Vegas Open and concludes with back-to-back “majors”, the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship in August and the PWBA Tour Championship in September.

The stepladder finals of the first six standard events of the 2018 season will be covered on the PBA’s Xtra Frame live streaming service. The finals of the four majors (USBC Queens, U.S. Open, Players Championship and Tour Championship) and the three elite events will broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

2018 PWBA Champions:
2 – Shannon O’Keefe
1 – Shayna Ng
Danielle McEwan
Josie Barnes
Erin McCarthy
Jordan Richard
Liz Kuhlkin
Liz Johnson
Diana Zavjalova
Rocio Restrepo

2018 PWBA Tour Schedule & Champions

2018 PWBA Tour #1
PWBA Las Vegas Open
South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, Nev., USA (April 26-28, 2018)
Champion: Shayna Ng of Singapore

2018 PWBA Tour #2
PWBA Sonoma County Open
Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif., USA (May 3-5, 2018)
Champion: Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Ill.

2018 PWBA Tour #3
PWBA Fountain Valley Open
Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., USA (May 10-12, 2018)
Champion: Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y.

2018 PWBA Tour #4
USBC Queens (Major)
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., USA (May 16-22, 2018)
Champion: Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Ill.

2018 PWBA Tour #5
PWBA East Hartford Open
Silver Lanes in East Hartford, Conn., USA (May 31-June 2, 2018)
Champion: Josie Barnes of Nashville, Tenn.

2018 PWBA Tour #6
PWBA Louisville Open
Fern Valley Strike and Spare in Louisville, Ky., USA (June 7-9, 2018)
Champion: Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Neb.

2018 PWBA Tour #7
PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open
ABC West Lanes in Mechanicsburg, Pa., USA (June 14-16, 2018)
Champion: Jordan Richard of Tipton, Mich.

2018 PWBA Tour #8
U.S. Women’s Open (Major)
Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla., USA (June 23-30, 2018)
Champion: Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, N.Y.

2018 PWBA Tour #9
19th PBA/PWBA Storm Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles
Copperfield Bowl in Houston, Texas, USA (July 26-29, 2018)
Champions: EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., and Liz Johnson of Palatine, Ill.

2018 PWBA Tour #10
Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open
Seminole Lanes in Seminole, Fla., USA (August 2-4, 2018)
Champion: Diana Zavjalova of Latvia

2018 PWBA Tour #11
BowlerX.com PWBA Twin Cities Open
Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan, Minn., USA (August 9-11, 2018)
Champion: Rocio Restrepo of Colombia

2018 PWBA Tour #12
Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open (elite format; live TV finals)
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, USA (August 16-18, 2018)

2018 PWBA Tour #13
QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship (PWBA Major; live TV finals)
Plano Super Bowl in Plano, Texas, USA (August 22-25, 2018)

2018 PWBA Tour #14
PWBA Tour Championship (PWBA Major; live TV finals)
Richmond Raceway Complex, Old Dominion Building in Richmond, Va., USA (Sept. 16-19, 2018)


Semifinalists determined at 2018 PWBA Tour Championship

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The final four competitors now are set at the 2018 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Championship with the completion of the third round Tuesday inside the Old Dominion Building at Richmond Raceway.

Top seeds Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, were automatically seeded into the semifinals based on their rankings on the season-long points list, and they’ll be joined Wednesday in the championship round by Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, and Colombia’s Maria Jose Rodriguez.

Featured photo from right: Maria Jose Rodriguez, Danielle McEwan, Kelly Kulick and Shannon O’Keefe.

McEwan, the 2015 PWBA Tour Championship winner, will take on Rodriguez in the opening match of the live televised final, which will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern. O’Keefe will face Kulick in a rematch of last year’s title tilt in the second match, and the winners will meet to see who claims the final major championship of the 2018 season and $20,000 top prize.

O’Keefe earned the top seed at the season-ending event after mathematically locking up her first PWBA Player of the Year Award at the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship in August. The award is determined by competition points accumulated during the season.

The 39-year-old right-hander also is defending her title at the Tour Championship after posting a 5-0 mark on her way to the win in 2017, which also was held at the Old Dominion Building. The win was the first major championship of O’Keefe’s career, which she earned by defeating Kulick in the title match, 222-203.

O’Keefe has been at the Old Dominion Building this week observing match play and filling her notebook with details of what she’s seen on the 40-foot lane condition. She feels her preparation will put her in position to succeed Wednesday.

“I’ve been gathering a ton of information trying to get prepared,” said O’Keefe, a two-time winner in 2018.

“I’ve been taking notes of the shapes and angles people are playing, which bowling balls they’re using, seeing which way you want to miss and more. I just tried to watch as intently as possible and mentally imagine myself in each match. There’s something different about getting those competitive games in, and I’m in the unique situation where I don’t get to take advantage of that. There is a bit of anxiousness to get out there, but I’m ready to go.”

Kulick makes her third television appearance in four seasons at the Tour Championship and will make her second consecutive appearance on CBS Sports Network after finishing as the runner-up at the 2017 PWBA Tour Championship.

From left: Missy Parkin, Liz Kuhlkin, Kelly Kulick Liz Johnson.


After going the distance in the best-of-five format Monday against Josie Barnes of Nashville, Tennessee, Kulick settled in Tuesday by sweeping Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, 3-0, and besting Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, to advance to the semifinals, 3-1.

“This means I still got it,” said Kulick, a six-time major champion. “I might have been out of the picture for a little while, but things have become clear the last few weeks. I came in here with no expectations whatsoever, which allowed me to be who I was and who I am and just enjoy the moment.”

Kulick has been in the hunt time and time again since the relaunch of the PWBA Tour in 2015, collecting a total of 15 championship-round appearances heading into competition this week. However, she’s only recorded one win (2017 PWBA Fountain Valley Open) and is ready to have the hits fall her way.

“I feel like I’m owed a few breaks,” Kulick said. “I feel like I’m putting in the work and effort, but I’m missing something, and it’s time I don’t miss it. But, I’m going to bowl the pins, and the plan is to knock down more of them than my opponent.”

From left: Maria Jose Rodriguez, Rocio Restrepo, Erin McCarthy and Diana Zavjalova.

Rodriguez had the most interesting path to Wednesday’s championship round after her opening match against Rocio Restrepo of Louisville, Ohio, was rescheduled to Tuesday morning due to severe weather issues in the area Monday.

Having to win three matches to advance to the semifinals, Rodriguez would go on to defeat Restrepo (3-2), 2018 PWBA Rookie of the Year Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan (3-2), and Latvia’s Diana Zavjalova (3-2) to make her second championship-round appearance of the season.

“I don’t like to make it easy,” said Rodriguez, the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Queens champion. “Every match is stressful, but I just tried to trust my process and keep grinding. I was throwing it well against Diana even though I was down 0-2, but I paid the price for every little mistake. I was able to figure out how to minimize those mistakes.”

Rodriguez, a 29-year-old right-hander, had set a personal goal of winning one game this year after being swept in her two previous trips to the Tour Championship.

Fresh off back-to-back sixth-place finishes at the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open and PWBA Players Championship, she quickly erased that statistic in her first game against Restrepo and never looked back.

“My goal was to just to win one game at this tournament,” said Rodriguez, the runner-up at the 2018 PWBA Louisville Open. “It feels great to break through.”

The 16-player field at the Tour Championship included all of this year’s eligible PWBA Tour champions, and the final spots in the bracket were filled in using the 2018 PWBA Tour points list.

Four lanes were specially installed for the 2018 event inside the Old Dominion Building by QubicaAMF, the official supplier of bowling equipment for the 2018 PWBA Tour Championship.

All rounds leading up to Wednesday’s championship round were broadcast live on BOWL.com’s BowlTV.

Click here for more information about the PWBA Tour.

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2018 PWBA Tour Schedule & Champions

2018 PWBA Tour Championship – Match Play Results

Single-elimination, best-of-five matches

Round 1
(Winners advance; Losers eliminated, earn $2,000)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (9) Josie Barnes, Nashville, Tenn., 3-2
(221-179, 219-224, 223-193, 170-186, 256-173)
(5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., def. (16) Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 3-2
(225-178, 187-160, 181-208, 203-255, 202-189)

(14) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., def. (7) Bryanna Coté, Red Rock, Ariz., 3-2
(213-192, 201-210, 192-178, 214-225, 216-197)
(6) Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., def. (15) Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3-0
(218-193, 268-222, 209-187)

(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (8) Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 3-2
(204-191, 212-215, 201-183, 195-220, 214-156)
(11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, def. (10) Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 3-1 (229-150, 206-222, 268-229, 246-168)

Round 2
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,500)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (4) Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3-0
(228-204, 222-159, 207-201)
(5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., def. (14) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3-1
(242-222, 226-236, 210-197, 238-186)

(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (6) Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., 3-2
(249-214, 221-256, 216-186, 180-266, 212-185)
(11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, def. (3) Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3-1
(244-187, 254-206, 196-238, 244-193)

Round 3
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,000; Winners advance to TV)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3-1
(192-242, 290-192, 222-187, 258-186)
(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3-2
(209-213, 200-238, 217-214, 234-205, 206-193)

Wednesday’s Semifinals
(Championship round will be televised live at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network; winners meet for the title)
(1) Shannon O’Keefe, Shiloh, Ill. vs. (12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J.
(2) Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y. vs. (13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia

Maria Jose Rodriguez wins 2018 PWBA Tour Championship

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Colombia’s Maria Jose Rodriguez capped the 2018 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour season Wednesday by winning her first career PWBA Tour title at the PWBA Tour Championship.

Rodriguez (featured photo) edged Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, inside the Old Dominion Building at Richmond Raceway, 236-228, to collect a major championship and $20,000 top prize. The championship round was broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

The 29-year-old right-hander (left) gained the early advantage against Kulick, posting six strikes in her first eight frames, but back-to-back 10 pins in the ninth and 10th frames gave Kulick, who was working on four consecutive strikes, the chance to win her seventh major title.

Needing a strike on her first delivery for a chance to win, Kulick left a 10 pin of her own to record her second consecutive runner-up at the Tour Championship.

“I could only control what I could control,” Rodriguez said. “I made great shots and was happy with how I threw it. When Kelly left the 10 pin, I couldn’t believe it. I started to shake so bad, and I still can’t believe it. I’ve worked so hard and fought so hard, and I’m so happy this happened.”

Rodriguez used different bowling balls on each lane during her semifinal and championship matches, relying on the information she gained on that pair of lanes in bracket play.

“I bowled on that pair twice in match play, and I’m now thankful each match went to five games,” Rodriguez said. “I got to see the transition and how those lanes ended up playing totally different. I just learned by watching and trying different things in match play, and I knew I couldn’t use the same ball on both lanes.”

Rodriguez (right) burst onto the scene in 2014, winning the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Queens in Reno, Nevada. That title match also was against Kulick and ended in similar fashion. Needing a double to win, Kulick left a 10 pin to give Rodriguez the 190-189 victory.

In Wednesday’s opening match, Rodriguez rolled eight strikes to hold off a charging Danielle McEwan (left) of Stony Point, New York, 237-224.

Rodriguez struck on five of her first six shots to build an early lead on McEwan, who opened in the fourth frame. McEwan, who won the 2015 PWBA Tour Championship, responded with five consecutive strikes to put herself in position to advance with a double in the 10th frame, but she was unable to get the 10 pin out on her first delivery.

Kulick cruised in match play at the Old Dominion Building, getting more comfortable as she continued to move closer to the CBS Sports Network final, which included finishing with a 770 total in her final three games to close out Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York.

The 41-year-old right-hander was frustrated as she tried to get her fit to cooperate in both of her matches Wednesday, but she took solace in knowing she executed the way she wanted to in her final frame.

“I didn’t have the feel I had all week long, and that’s what I was searching for,” Kulick (right) said.

“Once I found it against Maria, I executed the way I wanted. When I needed to make a good shot in the 10th frame, I did, so I’m walking away knowing I threw the best shot I possibly could. It ended up being a weak 10, but it was a pocket delivery that was well executed. I walk away knowing I left nothing on the table. Am I disappointed? Absolutely. But if I keep knocking on the door, it’s going to push itself open.”

Kulick’s semifinal win was a rematch of last year’s title tilt against defending champion and 2018 PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe (left) of Shiloh, Illinois.

O’Keefe started quickly in her return trip to the Old Dominion Building, rolling four consecutive strikes, but Kulick matched the effort starting in the sixth frame to bring the match within two pins.

O’Keefe, a two-time winner in 2018, put the match in Kulick’s hands in the ninth frame with a 3-4-6-7-10 split she was unable to convert. Kulick closed out the game to win, 243-210.

The 16-player field at the Tour Championship included all of this year’s eligible PWBA Tour champions, and the final spots in the bracket were filled in using the 2018 PWBA Tour points list.

Players were seeded into the bracket based on their ranking on the points list, and each bracket match featured a best-of-five format leading up to Wednesday’s semifinals. The Tour Championship is a single-elimination event.

Four lanes were specially installed for the 2018 event inside the Old Dominion Building by QubicaAMF, the official supplier of bowling equipment for the 2018 PWBA Tour Championship.

All rounds leading up to the championship round were broadcast live on BOWL.com’s BowlTV.

Click here for more information about the PWBA Tour.

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2018 PWBA Tour Schedule & Champions

2018 PWBA Tour Championship – Match Play Results

Single-elimination, best-of-five matches

Round 1
(Winners advance; Losers eliminated, earn $2,000)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (9) Josie Barnes, Nashville, Tenn., 3-2
(221-179, 219-224, 223-193, 170-186, 256-173)
(5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., def. (16) Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 3-2
(225-178, 187-160, 181-208, 203-255, 202-189)

(14) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., def. (7) Bryanna Coté, Red Rock, Ariz., 3-2
(213-192, 201-210, 192-178, 214-225, 216-197)
(6) Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., def. (15) Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3-0
(218-193, 268-222, 209-187)

(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (8) Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 3-2
(204-191, 212-215, 201-183, 195-220, 214-156)
(11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, def. (10) Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 3-1 (229-150, 206-222, 268-229, 246-168)

Round 2
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,500)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (4) Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3-0
(228-204, 222-159, 207-201)
(5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., def. (14) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3-1
(242-222, 226-236, 210-197, 238-186)

(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (6) Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., 3-2
(249-214, 221-256, 216-186, 180-266, 212-185)
(11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, def. (3) Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3-1
(244-187, 254-206, 196-238, 244-193)

Round 3
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,000; Winners advance to TV)
(12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. (5) Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3-1
(192-242, 290-192, 222-187, 258-186)
(13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (11) Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3-2
(209-213, 200-238, 217-214, 234-205, 206-193)

Semifinals
(Losers eliminated, earn $6,000)
(1) Shannon O’Keefe, Shiloh, Ill. vs. (12) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J.
(2) Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y. vs. (13) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia

Championship
(Winner earns $20,000; Loser earns $10,000)
Rodriguez def. Kulick, 236-228.

Brazil’s Stephanie Martins wins Singles at 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

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Even the most elite bowlers will tell you there’s always room for improvement, and subtle changes to equipment or style are not uncommon.

For Brazil’s Stephanie Martins, two significant changes have elevated her game and confidence, and she showed her progress Tuesday as she claimed the singles gold medal at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women’s Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The 27-year-old right-hander (featured photo) secured her first medal in adult international competition with a record 1,518 six-game total at Sebelen Bowling Center, a 253 average. She bowled on the day’s opening squad, then had the title mathematically locked up with two games to go on the second, and final, squad of the day.

Martins, who had games of 226, 221, 279, 279, 245 and 268, was followed in the standings by a pair of left-handers. Colombia’s Anggie Ramirez Perea (left) claimed the silver medal with a 1,410 total, and Team USA’s southpaw, Shannon Pluhowsky, earned the bronze medal with a 1,405 set.

Singles first was contested at the tournament in 1981, and Martins’ effort was the highest singles set in tournament history by any competitor, man or woman. Bill O’Neill of the United States owns the overall six-game record at the PABCON Championships with 1,560, posted during trios at the 2011 tournament in Mexico.

“This had been a dream goal of mine,” Martins said. “I’ve never medaled in the international competitions as adult, and it’s something I’ve been working toward, as well.”

Defending champion Missy Parkin (right) of the United States made a run at the medal stand, too, but fell short, finishing fourth with 1,358. She claimed the women’s singles title at the 2016 event in Cali, Colombia, with 1,437.

This year’s singles medal ceremony will take place Friday, along with the medal presentations for doubles and trios.

Martins, who bowled collegiately at Webber International from 2009-2013, remained in Florida after finishing school, but she opted for a change of scenery to start 2018 and returned to her native Brazil to be closer to her supportive friends and family.

Without the watchful eyes of the experienced coaches she worked with at Webber, Martins was on her own to keep her game moving in the right direction, so she could find success on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour and while representing Brazil on the lanes.

She immediately noticed that her timing was off, so, with help from a few coaches she sent video to, she changed her approach from five steps to four, a huge change at any level, but it has paid off.

Her win Tuesday also marked the first gold medal, and fifth medal overall, for Brazil at the PABCON Championships. The Brazilian men previously claimed silver in trios (2007), bronze in team (2001) and bronze in singles (2012). The only other woman from Brazil to medal at the event was Tereza Muelas, who was the singles bronze medalist in 1985.

“This means a lot, especially with me moving back home in December and making such big changes in my game,” Martins said. “I felt like I needed to change to be better. By myself, it’s hard, and it took a while to see results, but it was nice to come out here today and bowl so well.”

“It’s always fun to get off to a good start and win a medal, especially coming off a disappointing PWBA Tour Championship, where I only bowled three games,” Pluhowsky (left) said. “It also was nice getting to bowl six games and move across the house today because we were able to gather some good information that will help us later in the week.”

The field this week features 51 competitors representing nine countries – Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Competition continues Wednesday with six games of doubles, and medals also will be awarded this week in trios, team, all-events and Masters match play. Colombia’s Clara Juliana Guerrero and Rocio Restrepo are the defending champions in the doubles event.

The 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships is being contested on the 36-foot World Bowling Stockholm oil pattern. For more information, or to follow the scores from the PABCON Women’s Championships, click here.

Photos courtesy of Matt Cannizzaro, USBC.

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Team USA headed to Dominican Republic for 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – Singles Results

Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Sept. 25, 2018)

Team USA sweeps doubles at 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

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The Team USA women swept the doubles event Wednesday at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women’s Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the performance ended up being about more than just the gold, silver and bronze medals.

Along with the unprecedented hardware haul, the effort also earned the teammates a little redemption, a place in PABCON history and some momentum as the coveted team event quickly approaches.

Team USA rookie Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan, used the things she learned during a frustrating singles event to rally back with the highest individual set of the day at Sebelen Bowling Center, and she teamed with longtime Team USA member Shannon O’Keefe (featured photo from left to right) of Shiloh, Illinois, to take the gold medal with a 2,780 total.

Richard posted a 1,401 six-game total in the win, while O’Keefe added 1,379. The two finished the block with games of 492, 502 and 499 to set the bar during the first of the day’s two squads.

A few lanes away, Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, rolled matching 1,364 sets to settle into second place with 2,728.

Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, and singles bronze medalist Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, used a 534 fourth-game effort on the afternoon squad to catapult themselves to the bronze medal with 2,684. Kuhlkin had 1,359, and Pluhowsky added 1,325.

The doubles medal ceremony will take place Friday, along with the medal presentations for singles and trios.

“I feel so much better than yesterday, and I’m back to just being comfortable and knowing that the one day won’t define me,” said Richard, who improved by 256 pins from singles to doubles. “I was able to learn from it. We gathered a lot of good information yesterday and put it to use today, and I’m excited with how we bowled, especially heading into the rest of the week.”

The medal is Richard’s first in adult international competition, to go along with a pair of medals (silver and bronze) at the 2016 World Bowling Youth Championships as a member of Junior Team USA.

The main difference for Richard from singles to doubles was equipment selection.

The 36-foot World Bowling Stockholm oil pattern being used this week, along with a high-friction lane surface, initially suggested that urethane balls might be the best option. After struggling to find a consistent reaction Tuesday, Richard switched to a more aggressive ball and finished singles with a 246 game. That ball selection and momentum carried into doubles.

The group’s success at Sebelen Bowling Center marked the first time in tournament history a women’s team had won all three doubles medals. The Team USA men are the only other bowlers to accomplish the feat, doing so in 1974.

“The ladies bowled phenomenal today,” Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. “They stayed in the moment the whole way and trusted their shots and execution. The lanes can play a little tricky from pair to pair, but they were able to make the quick adjustments and really use the things we learned yesterday to their advantage.”

Along with the personal turnaround Richard experienced on the lanes, this year’s medal sweep was extra special for the Team USA women, who did not medal in doubles at the 2016 PABCON Adult Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Parkin was on that trip and won singles for one of Team USA’s three gold medals, but the doubles event only yielded finishes of fourth, a tie for fifth and 18th.

“After not medaling in 2016, it definitely is gratifying to not only medal, but to medal gold, silver and bronze this year,” said Parkin, who finished fourth in singles Tuesday. “It’s an amazing redemption.”

This year, it was defending champions Rocio Restrepo and Clara Guerrero of Colombia on the outside looking in, as the pair settled for a fourth-place finish Wednesday with a 2,598 total, 86 pins shy of the medal stand. Restrepo led the effort with a 1,319 set, and Guerrero contributed 1,279.

The field this week features 51 competitors representing nine countries – Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Competition continues Thursday with six games of trios, and medals also will be awarded this week in team, all-events and Masters match play. Team USA is the defending champion in the trios event. O’Keefe and Pluhowsky teamed with Josie Barnes of Nashville, Tennessee, to win the title in 2016.

The 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships is being contested on the 36-foot World Bowling Stockholm oil pattern. For more information, or to follow the scores from the PABCON Women’s Championships, click here.

Photo courtesy of Matt Cannizzaro, USBC.

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Brazil’s Stephanie Martins wins Singles at 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships
Team USA headed to Dominican Republic for 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – Doubles Results

Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Sept. 26, 2018)

2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – All Events after 12/24 games

Shannon O’Keefe, Jordan Richard highlight 2018 PWBA Tour season

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The 2018 Professional Women’s Bowling Association season officially is complete, highlighted by Shannon O’Keefe completing a bucket-list item in earning PWBA Player of the Year honors and Jordan Richard reaching the stepladder finals at five events on her way to the PWBA Rookie of the Year award.

O’Keefe, of Shiloh, Illinois, claimed her first PWBA Player of the Year award after winning two titles in the first four events of the 2018 season, including her second career major at the United States Bowling Congress Queens.

She led the tour in championship-round appearances (seven), which included a runner-up finish at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open, third place at the PWBA Tour Championship, fourth-place finishes at the PWBA East Hartford Open and BowlerX.com PWBA Twin Cities Open, and a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 39-year-old right-hander completed her career year by leading the Tour in points (130,050), tying for the lead in cashes (13), finishing fourth in average (216.27) and making the Round of 12 nine times.

“It means the absolute world to me,” said O’Keefe, after clinching the award at the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship.

“All the hard work, dedication, the tears, the frustrations – it’s all worth it. I feel I’ve been knocking on the door, and I’ve had some really good seasons. Last year, I finished third, the year before that was fifth.

“I’ve been climbing that ladder and knocking on the door. I just feel player of the year is something people always will remember in your career. I have bucket-list items that I’m trying to check off and that was just one of them. So, to be able to mark that off, I can move on to the next thing.”

Richard, 22, stood out in what was arguably the best rookie class since the relaunch of the PWBA Tour in 2015. Despite missing the Tour’s first three events, Richard settled in nicely, and, in only her fourth event, claimed her first career title at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open.

The two-time National Tenpin Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year finished the season second in average (217.43), third in championship-round appearances (five) and seventh in points (89,150).

The Tecumseh, Michigan, native was a mainstay on CBS Sports Network in August, making the TV finals in all four events during the month, and was the only player on tour to make four consecutive finals appearances.

She garnered a third-place finish at the BowlerX.com PWBA Twin Cities Open, fourth-place finishes at the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open and QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship, and fifth-place at the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open.

“I really don’t think it will set in for a while,” said Richard, after learning she had earned enough competition points to claim the honor. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted since I’d heard about the relaunch of the PWBA in 2015. I knew when I came out here it’s what I wanted.

I was rookie of the year in college and then I was rookie of the year in one of the organizations that I bowled in, so it’s something that I’ve wanted.”

In addition to O’Keefe, seven players returned to victory lane during the 2018 PWBA season including PWBA Player of the Year runner-up Danielle McEwan, who claimed the PWBA Fountain Valley Open for her fourth career title. McEwan provided O’Keefe a late scare down the stretch in the race for PWBA Player of the Year, but she fell just short of the honor.

Liz Kuhlkin captured her second career title and first major championship at the U.S. Women’s Open. Kuhlkin, who won the PWBA Topeka Open in 2015, was without a title since but made major strides in 2018 to return to the winner’s circle.

Stefanie Johnson captured her first career major championship at the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship in front of a hometown crowd at Plano Super Bowl in Plano, Texas. Johnson made the TV finals in three of the four majors this season, finishing fourth at the USBC Queens and second at the U.S. Women’s Open before claiming the emotional victory.

Other players returning to victory lane in 2018 were: Josie Barnes (PWBA East Hartford Open); Liz Johnson (PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open); Diana Zavjalova (Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open); and Rocio Restrepo (BowlerX.com PWBA Twin Cities Open).

Joining Richard as first-time champions in 2018 were Shayna Ng (PWBA Las Vegas Open); PWBA season average leader (217.46) Erin McCarthy (PWBA Louisville Open) and Maria Jose Rodriguez, who captured last week’s PWBA Tour Championship at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

The 2019 PWBA Tour schedule is set and the season will kick off in Cleveland with the PWBA Greater Cleveland Open on April 25-27. The 2019 schedule includes three new venues – Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, Arizona, Executive Strike and Spare in Louisville, Kentucky, and Buffaloe Lanes North in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Visit PWBA.com for the complete 2019 schedule, player biographies, photos, videos and more. Don’t forget to follow the PWBA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all offseason content.

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2018 PWBA Tour Schedule & Champions

Team USA wins Trios at 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

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For the fourth consecutive time in Pan American Bowling Confederation competition, the Team USA women are the trios gold medalists.

The latest triumph for the United States was a runaway victory for Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio (1,423), Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan (1,308), and Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois (1,279), who averaged nearly 223 over six games Thursday at Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to reach the top of the standings at the 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships with a 4,010 pinfall total.

Featured photo from left: Shannon O’Keefe, Jordan Richard and Shannon Pluhowsky.

Their teammates (from left), Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California (1,302), Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana (1,299), and Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York (1,267), used a strong last frame to claim the silver medal with a 3,868 effort.

Brummett and Kuhlkin both tossed three strikes in the final frame, and Parkin struck on her first offering to lift the team past Colombia’s Clara Guerrero (1,327), Maria Jose Rodriguez (1,277) and Rocio Restrepo (1,256), who held on for the bronze medal with 3,860, four pins ahead of their own teammates.

The win marked the third consecutive trios title, and fourth overall, for O’Keefe in PABCON competition. In Cali, Colombia, in 2016, she teamed with Pluhowsky and Josie Barnes of Nashville, Tennessee, for the victory.

Whether she’s competing with Team USA or leading the McKendree University bowling team, O’Keefe considers all of the team members family, and there’s nothing more special than sharing such incredible moments with the people she loves.

“I didn’t bowl in college, so bowling was always individual, and bowling on the PWBA (Professional Women’s Bowling Association) Tour is individual, so these events are the No. 1 thing I love, outside of representing my country,” said O’Keefe, a 14-time Team USA member who also has a pair of trios wins at the World Bowling Championships.

“I love bowling with my friends, and being able to bowl well, win gold medals and hear our national anthem for doing something we love is amazing. I feel I really thrive in this environment, and it makes me want to keep doing it.”

The one-two finish for Team USA came a day after the group became the first women’s team in tournament history to win all three doubles medals in a single year.

O’Keefe and Richard were the doubles gold medalists, Brummett and Parkin earned silver and Kuhlkin and Pluhowsky took the bronze medal. Pluhowsky also earned the bronze medal in singles Tuesday.

The teammates now are excited to have the momentum heading into Friday’s team event.

All competitors will return to Sebelen Bowling Center for six games of traditional five-player team competition, beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern.

The field this week features 51 competitors representing nine countries – Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Colombia is the defending champion in the team event, after a nail-biting, final-frame win on its home turf in 2016. Team USA took home the silver medal. The difference was 11 pins.

Along with the team title on the line, the all-events medalists also will be determined Friday based on the week’s 24 games – six games in singles, doubles, trios and team. The top 16 players in the all-events standings will advance to Saturday’s Masters match play.

Pluhowsky, Team USA’s lone left-hander this week, is second in the all-events standings through 18 games with a 4,153 total and in position for a chance to defend the Masters title she won in Cali in 2016.

Brazil’s Stephanie Martins, this week’s singles winner, leads the all-events race with 4,246, and Colombian left-hander Anggie Ramirez Perea is third with 4,059.

All six Team USA women are in the top 16 after three days of competition. Parkin is fourth with 4,024, Brummett is seventh (3,922), O’Keefe is eighth (3,908), Kuhlkin is 11th (3,867) and Richard is 12th (3,854). Puerto Rico’s Pamela Perez is in the 16th position after 18 games with a 3,765 total, a 209.17 average.

“Our goal today was just to have fun, and if we did that, we’d make better shots,” said Pluhowsky, who has been on Team USA since 2001. “Now, we’re going into the team event, and it seems that the more players we add to our team, the stronger we get. Everyone’s got a really good look, so if they play the same, we should be good to go.”

The 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships is being contested on the 36-foot World Bowling Stockholm oil pattern. For more information, or to follow the scores from the PABCON Women’s Championships, click here.

Photos courtesy of Matt Cannizzaro, USBC.

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2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – Trios Results

Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Sept. 27, 2018)

2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – All Events after 18/24 games

Top 16 players will advance to Saturday’s Masters match play

Colombia repeats in Team event at 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships

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Entering the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women’s Championships, Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo felt like she hadn’t pulled her weight in recent international events and owed her team a much better performance.

The 30-year-old right-hander delivered in a big way Friday at Sebelen Bowling Center when she tossed a final-frame strike to lock up a second consecutive team gold medal for Colombia in PABCON Championships competition.

Fearured photo from left: Anggie Ramirez Perea, Maria Jose Rodriguez, Clara Juliana Guerrero, Laura Plazas, Juliana Franco and Rocio Restrepo.

Anything less than eight on her first offering would’ve handed the gold medal to Team USA (pictured left), which had just erased 104-pin deficit and put all the pressure on the Colombians to deliver in the 10th frame.

Restrepo added a second strike and got nine on her fill ball to give Colombia a 6,447 total, just 21 pins ahead of Team USA (6,426). Puerto Rico also had a strong final game and leapfrogged Canada to claim the bronze medal with a 6,118 total.

“I didn’t bowl as good in recent events as I should have, so I figured this was the time to redeem myself,” Restrepo said.

“They took care of me in so many situations in the last year, that this was my time. I definitely was nervous in that moment, but I’ve been in that position a lot this year on the PWBA (Professional Women’s Bowling Association) Tour, and this wasn’t any different. I was just focusing on making a good shot.”

Left-hander Anggie Ramirez Perea, the singles silver medalist this week, led the effort for Colombia in the team event with a 1,381 six-game total. She was followed by Maria Jose Rodriguez (1,355), Restrepo (1,339), Clara Guerrero (1,209) and Laura Plazas (1,163).

Though Team USA got out to a better start Friday, Colombia took the lead after the second game and led by more than 140 pins after Game 4.

The late rally by the United States was reminiscent of the 2016 PABCON Adult Championships, where Colombia again needed some final-frame heroics after letting a 135-pin lead disappear in just nine frames.

The 11-pin victory on their home turf in Cali, Colombia, in 2016 gave the Colombian women their first team gold medal in PABCON competition, and this year’s win served as validation.

“This really was reassurance for us from last time when we won it at home,” Restrepo said. “When we were at home, people saw us as the favorite, but this is validation for us because we were able to come through again. It’s very special and feels amazing.”

Overall, the Team USA women have won the PABCON team event 15 of the 19 times a five-player event was offered for the women, falling short in 1964, 1985, 2016 and 2018.

While Friday’s team loss was disappointing, it did not overshadow the incredible success Team USA had overall, including becoming the first women’s team in history to win all three doubles medals, followed by a claiming the gold and silver medals in trios.

“I’m extremely proud of how the girls performed, especially with being down more than 140 pins with two games to go,” Team USA head coach Rod Ross said.

“They were courageous and fought hard and worked for every pin they could to make it close. Yes, there was some disappointment, but it’s also a learning experience and something we’ll use to get better. Both teams were sharp coming in because of their time on the PWBA Tour, and it really was two heavyweights going to battle, right down to the last frame.”

Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, led the way for Team USA in the team event Friday with a 1,351 total and was joined by Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan (1,339), Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio (1,275), Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois (1,264), Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York (643), and Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana (554).

The field this week featured 51 competitors representing nine countries – Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Along with the team title on the line, the all-events medalists also were determined Friday based on the week’s 24 games – six games in singles, doubles, trios and team.

This week’s singles champion, Stephanie Martins (left) of Brazil, was able to ride the momentum of that record-setting performance and hold on for the all-events gold medal with a 5,453 total, a 227.21 average.

Colombia’s Anggie Ramirez Perea settled for the silver medal with 5,440, and Shannon Pluhowsky, also a left-hander, held on for the bronze with 5,428.

The top 16 players in the all-events standings will advance to Saturday’s Masters match play, which will get underway at 10 a.m. Eastern. All six Team USA women finished above the cutline. They will be joined by five Colombians, four Canadians and Brazil’s Stephanie Martins.

The 2018 PABCON Women’s Championships is being contested on the 36-foot World Bowling Stockholm oil pattern. For more information, or to follow the scores from the PABCON Women’s Championships, click here.

Photos courtesy of Matt Cannizzaro, USBC.

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2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – Team Results

Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Sept. 27, 2018)

2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – All Events after 24 games (final)

Top 16 players advance to Saturday’s Masters match play


Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo wins Masters at 2018 Pabcon Women’s Championships

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Less than 24 hours after throwing the strike that sealed the team gold medal for her country at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women’s Championships, Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo again delivered under pressure to claim the gold medal in the tournament-ending Masters event.

The individual win Saturday at Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, her first PABCON Masters title, despite being on the Colombian national team more than half her life, came at the expense of her teammate, Maria Jose Rodriguez. And, along with the hardware, the meeting also offered Restrepo a chance at some friendly redemption.

Earlier in September, the two met in the opening round of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Championship, where Rodriguez was the victor and went on to win the tournament for the second major title of her career.

This time, Restrepo (featured photo) delivered two strikes in her final frame to cap a 2-0 victory in the best-of-three match, 222-198 and 229-216.

Both victories this week helped show Restrepo that her constant hard work, training and a new mental outlook are paying off.

“I struggled in those situations in the past, and I lost a lot,” Restrepo said. “I didn’t know why I put so much pressure on myself or why I treated that shot any different than the ones that got me to that point. I would think of something physical or let my mind go somewhere else. Now, I take it with a smile and throw the shots I know I can. I’m not afraid of losing, and I have nothing to prove. I just want to go out there and have fun.”

On the way to the meeting with Rodriguez, Restrepo dispatched of a trio of Team USA members – Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana (2-1), left-hander Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio (2-0), and Liz Kuhlkin (pictured right) of Schenectady, New York (2-1).

Restrepo started the day slowly, shooting 201 and 194 to begin her match with Brummett, but the 30-year-old Colombian then averaged more than 249 over her final eight games to find her way back to the top of the medal stand.

In her semifinal match against Kuhlkin, Restrepo found herself down 1-0 after a 256-255 opening game. She rallied with games of 300 and 248 for an 803 series, and there wasn’t much Kuhlkin could do as she finished with 268 and 187.

Rodriguez started the single-elimination match-play portion of the tournament with a 2-1 win against another one of her teammates, Clara Guerrero. She then topped Canada’s Isabelle Rioux (2-1) and Team USA’s Jordan Richard (2-0) to reach the gold-medal match.

Kuhlkin and Richard both earned bronze medals for reaching the Masters semifinals.

Richard (pictured left with Maria Jose Rodriguez, right) also had a perfect game during the Masters event, while Puerto Rico’s Paulina Torres rolled the first one of the week Wednesday during doubles.

Now that the PWBA Tour season has concluded and there’s limited international competition on the horizon for the ladies, there will be some time to reflect and recover. And, Restrepo can smile when she looks back on a year that included injury and illness but also her fourth career PWBA Tour title and a successful week at the PABCON Women’s Championships.

Restrepo said she doesn’t talk about it too much, but many of the things she endured this year, both on and off the lanes, made her ask a lot of questions. However, the answers were simple.

“I do this because I love this sport so much,” Restrepo said. “I just love being in those moments and pressure situations now. Before, I would shy away and not want to be in those situations, but I had to step back and ask myself why. It’s what I prepare for, so I kind of changed my attitude. I now feel better mentally, and I think my physical game has gotten better, too.”

Despite the early departure from the match-play bracket Saturday, Team USA’s Richard also will leave the Dominican Republic with some fond memories of her debut with the adult version of Team USA.

Her run at the PABCON Women’s Championships included a gold medal in doubles with Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, a trios gold medal with O’Keefe and Pluhowsky and a silver medal in team. Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, was the final member of the six-player Team USA contingent.

All six bowlers from the United States, and all 14 PWBA members in the field, were among the 16 bowlers who advanced to the Masters event based on their 24-game all-events totals this week.

Overall, the United States earned the most medals with 10, followed by Colombia (six), Brazil (two) and Puerto Rico (one).

“It was a great week, and today was just more of a special bonus,” said Richard, a 22-year-old right-hander who earned two medals at the 2016 World Youth Championships as a member of Junior Team USA.

“Of course, I wanted to bowl well, and I did, but I can’t let the loss today define the week. We bowled well as a team, and I’m going to hold the memories I made close to my heart because it’s my first trip and first medals with the adult team.”

The field this week featured 51 competitors representing nine countries – Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the United States.

The event featured singles, doubles, trios, team and masters competition. Medals also were awarded to the top three all-events performers based on their 24-game totals.

For more information on Team USA, click here. For more information on the PABCON Women’s Championships, click here.

Photos courtesy of Matt Cannizzaro, USBC.

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2018 PABCON Women’s Championships – Match Play Masters

Sebelen Bowling Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Sept. 29, 2018)

Round 1 (Best-of-three single-elimination)
(Winner advances, loser is eliminated)
(1) Stephanie Martins, Brazil, def. (16) Mykaela Mitchell, Canada, 2-0
(232-231, 192-157)
(8) Jordan Richard, United States, def. (9) Shannon O’Keefe, United States, 2-1
(225-246, 206-184, 246-189)
(13) Isabelle Rioux, Canada, def. (4) Missy Parkin, United States, 2-1
(194-188, 183-218, 267-243)
(5) Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, def. (12) Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 2-1
(179-200, 235-177, 246-226)

(15) Miranda Panas, Canada, def. (2) Anggie Ramirez Perea, Colombia, 2-1
(226-248, 214-191, 268-246)
(7) Liz Kuhlkin, United States, def. (10) Felicia Wong, Canada, 2-0
(240-196, 268-212)
(3) Shannon Pluhowsky, United States, def. (14) Laura Plazas, Colombia, 2-0
(224-175, 231-191)
(6) Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, def. (11) Sydney Brummett, United States, 2-1
(201-191, 194-254, 237-235)

Round 2
(Winner advances, loser is eliminated)
Richard def. Martins, 2-0 (226-204, 300-215)
Rodriguez def. Rioux, 2-1 (198-226, 213-181, 217-177)
Kuhlkin def. Panas, 2-0 (237-187, 257-227)
Restrepo def. Pluhowsky, 2-0 (259-257, 244-195)

Semifinals
(Winner advances to finals, losers earn bronze medals)
Rodriguez def. Richard, 2-0 (221-184, 207-166)
Restrepo def. Kuhlkin, 2-1 (255-256, 300-268, 248-187)

Finals
(Winner earns gold medal, loser earns silver medal)
Restrepo def. Rodriguez, 2-0 (222-198, 229-216).

300 games (2) – Jordan Richard, Rocio Restrepo.

Opening Ceremony kicks off 2018 PABCON Champion of the Champions event

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The 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of the Champions event kicked off with the opening ceremony Monday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fifth edition of the tournament, first contested in 2008, will feature 11 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams, each with two players.

All competitors at the 26-lane Bowling Social Club this week will bowl eight games of singles Tuesday and eight games of doubles Wednesday. Based on their 16-game pinfall totals, the top eight women and top eight men will advance to Thursday’s Masters match play.

Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in each event.

The Team USA representatives at the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions are Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, Matt Russo of Millstone Township, New Jersey, and Matt Farber of Plainview, New York (pictured, r-l).

The environment at the bowling center Monday night was very festive and social, as the name would imply, as competitors, coaches, friends, family and bowling fans celebrated the official start of the tournament.

The opening ceremony included the traditional march of teams, reading of the oaths for players (pictured is Brazil’s Marcelo Suartz) and officials and best wishes from PABCON and local dignitaries.

The women’s field this week will include competitors from Aruba, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and the United States.

On the men’s side will be Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Curacao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, United States and Uruguay.

Competition officially starts Tuesday at 8 a.m. Eastern with eight games of singles. The women will start the day, and the men will take the lanes at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. The lane condition this week will be the 44-foot World Bowling London oil pattern.

The PABCON Champion of Champions last was held in 2016 in Puebla, Mexico. Rocio Restrepo of Colombia and Francois Lavoie of Canada won the masters titles, while Colombia swept the singles titles and the United States claimed both doubles titles.

The 2018 tournament also will serve as a chance for some of the teams to qualify for the 2019 Pan American Games, which will be held next summer in Lima, Peru.

All countries have designated two PABCON or other regional events, such as the Central American Games or Caribbean Games, as their qualifying attempts, and the United States chose the PABCON Championships (the men’s edition will be held in early 2019) and the PABCON Champion of Champions event.

Men’s and women’s teams each must qualify separately, and the top five eligible women’s teams and top five eligible men’s teams in Brazil will advance. Total combined pinfall for the team’s two players will determine who moves on.

The Team USA women claimed one of the two spots up for grabs at the recent PABCON Women’s Championships in the Dominican Republic.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games (July 26-Aug. 11) will bring together approximately 6,700 athletes and feature 39 sports and 62 disciplines. The Pan Am Games are the second largest multi-sport event, gathering the 41 National Olympic Committees that make up PanamSports.

For more information, or to follow the scores from the PABCON Champion of Champions, click here.

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Team USA ready for 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions event in Brazil





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