Adler, Kearney, Joan Romeo elected to PWBA Hall of Fame

ARLINGTON, Texas - Kim Adler, Kim Kearney and Joan Romeo have been elected to the Professional Women's Bowling Association Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 induction class.

Adler and Kearney were inducted by the PWBA Hall of Fame Committee in the Performance category, while Romeo was selected through Meritorious Service/Builder.

The 2022 PWBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place in May in Addison, Illinois, in conjunction with the United States Bowling Congress Queens.

The 2022 USBC Queens is scheduled to take place May 18-24, and more information about the ceremony will be available at a later date. Registration for the 2022 Queens is open and available at BOWL.com/Queens.

Kim AdlerAdler, 54, of Cocoa Beach, Florida, collected 15 PWBA Tour titles from 1993 through 2002, including three major championships.

The 1991 PWBA Rookie of the Year captured her first major at the 1996 Hammer Players Championship, and she followed with additional major wins at the 1997 Sam's Town Invitational and 1999 U.S. Women's Open.

Adler consistently found her way to the winner's circle on tour, capturing two titles in each season from 1995 through 2000.

She was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance in 2016.

Kim KearneyKearney, 56, of Greensboro, North Carolina, is a 10-time PWBA Tour titlist and three-time major champion.

She was named the 1989 PWBA Rookie of the Year and won her first title in 1990. Her first major victory came at the 2001 U.S. Women's Open, and she collected a second green jacket at the 2008 event. She also is the 2002 Queens champion.

Kearney has turned her attention to coaching in recent years and is in her second stint as part of the Team USA coaching program. She also is the head women's bowling coach at North Carolina A&T State University.

The three-time Robby Sportsmanship Award winner was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance in 2010.

Joan RomeoRomeo, 89, of Las Vegas, has served countless roles in the bowling industry to help grow the sport and been recognized for her dedication through numerous awards, but her work on behalf of professional women's bowling has left a lasting legacy.

She diligently worked to secure sponsorships and promote events throughout the years, and her fundraising efforts helped to create an exhibit to recognize professional women's bowling at the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, part of the International Bowling Campus in Arlington.

In addition to her dedication to professional women's bowling, Romeo's work within the industry included supporting the International Bowling Media Association, World Bowling (now International Bowling Federation), International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, California Bowling Writers and the Team USA program.

Romeo now joins her daughter, Robin, in both the PWBA and USBC Halls of Fame.

Joan Romeo was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2016, while Robin Romeo was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance in 1995 and PWBA Hall of Fame for Performance in 1996.

They will join Doris Coburn and Cindy Coburn-Carroll as the only mother-and-daughter duos to be inducted into both halls of fame.

Along with Adler, Kearney and Romeo, the three members of the 2020 class also will be inducted into the PWBA Hall of Fame during the ceremony in May. The 2020 ceremony was canceled due to COVID-19, and the PWBA Hall of Fame Committee deferred the 2021 nominations until 2022.

The 2020 class includes Pam Buckner of Reno, Nevada, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, and Australia's Carol Gianotti. All three were elected in the Performance category.

The PWBA Hall of Fame Committee elected both classes based on submitted applications. The committee is comprised of PWBA Hall of Fame members, board members of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of American and USBC and bowling media members.

Through 2019, there are 38 members of the PWBA Hall of Fame - 21 in Performance, 10 in Ambassador and seven in Meritorious Service/Builder.

The PWBA Hall of Fame was created in 1995 and returned in 2019 after a 16-year hiatus.