Oden climbs ladder for first PWBA win at 2026 PWBA Wichita Regional
August 31, 2026
Final Standings
WICHITA, Kan. – Aleesha Oden of Wichita, Kansas, climbed the ladder and earned her first Professional Women’s Bowling Association Regional Tour title Sunday at the 2026 PWBA Wichita Regional at Let’s Roll Seneca in Wichita, Kansas, defeating Ashley Rucker of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 229-225, in the title match.
“I don’t even know how it feels yet,” said Oden, who bowls at Wichita State. “It means a lot. I mean, being in Wichita, winning in Wichita, it’s pretty surreal. Wichita has been a pretty special place for me for the last few years, so getting my first win here, I think I’ll hold that forever.”
The left-handed Oden qualified as the No. 3 seed after an eight-game qualifying round with 1,856 pins and faced No. 4 seed Madison Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, to open the stepladder finals. Oden put the pressure on Hanrahan early with the first five strikes, while Hanrahan was unable to keep pace. Hanrahan closed with 211 to Oden’s 268 and finished fourth, earning $750.
Oden then faced No. 2 seed Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana, also seeking her first PWBA Regional Tour title. The two competitors kept things close throughout the match and it came down to the final frame to determine who would advance to the title match.
Brummett, who finished the match first, was working on a turkey heading into the 10th frame and two more strikes would clinch the match for her. She struck the first shot but went high with the second, leaving the 3-6-10, which she converted to close with 236. Oden stepped up needing two strikes of her own and did exactly that, finishing with 246 to advance against Rucker. Brummett earned $1,050 for her third-place finish.
The left-handed Rucker, who averaged more than 241 in qualifying, didn’t lose any momentum from waiting and started fast with the first four strikes while Oden alternated between strikes and spares in the same timeframe. Oden earned her first double of the game in the fifth and sixth frames while Rucker spared twice.
The seventh frame saw momentum shift after Rucker missed a 10 pin and Oden added two more strikes, putting Oden in position to shut out Rucker. After a ninth-frame spare, Oden struck in the 10th to seal the victory, earning $2,800, her first PWBA Regional title and an automatic berth into the season-ending PWBA Regional Showdown in December. Rucker closed with 225, falling just short of her second regional title and earning $1,350 for her runner-up finish.
Throughout the stepladder, Oden focused on controlling what she could rather than worrying about who she was facing.
“To be honest, I feel like everyone’s a great player,” Oden said. “I don’t pay attention too much to the opponents just because I feel like bowling isn’t really a defensive sport. So really focusing on me and what I can do, because if I can control myself really well, I’ll make great shots.”
With a home crowd behind her throughout the stepladder, Oden said the support from family and teammates made the victory even more meaningful.
“It’s awesome,” Oden said. “I feel like it goes underestimated sometimes, how when your family’s always around, getting to support you, and your teammates are so close to you, getting to watch you. So it really means a lot, because they don’t always get to travel to everything.”
The victory also gives Oden a confidence boost heading into her final year at Wichita State.
“I think I’ll use it as a confidence booster,” Oden said. “I deserve to play with the best in the collegiate world, and I’m a really good player. I feel like this shows that I can do hard things, and I can just throw a lot of good shots online, and they fall, and I can see it really well.”
Oden now has an automatic berth into the PWBA Regional Showdown in Florida in December, though her class schedule could determine whether she is able to compete.
“The big thing will be finals in school. I’ll have to look at it and make sure the dates are OK,” Oden said.
The next stop on the PWBA Regional Tour will be the Twin Cities Regional at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan, Minnesota, September 13. For more information on that event and the PWBA Regional Tour, click HERE.
WICHITA, Kan. – Aleesha Oden of Wichita, Kansas, climbed the ladder and earned her first Professional Women’s Bowling Association Regional Tour title Sunday at the 2026 PWBA Wichita Regional at Let’s Roll Seneca in Wichita, Kansas, defeating Ashley Rucker of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 229-225, in the title match.
“I don’t even know how it feels yet,” said Oden, who bowls at Wichita State. “It means a lot. I mean, being in Wichita, winning in Wichita, it’s pretty surreal. Wichita has been a pretty special place for me for the last few years, so getting my first win here, I think I’ll hold that forever.”
The left-handed Oden qualified as the No. 3 seed after an eight-game qualifying round with 1,856 pins and faced No. 4 seed Madison Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, to open the stepladder finals. Oden put the pressure on Hanrahan early with the first five strikes, while Hanrahan was unable to keep pace. Hanrahan closed with 211 to Oden’s 268 and finished fourth, earning $750.
Oden then faced No. 2 seed Sydney Brummett of Fort Wayne, Indiana, also seeking her first PWBA Regional Tour title. The two competitors kept things close throughout the match and it came down to the final frame to determine who would advance to the title match.
Brummett, who finished the match first, was working on a turkey heading into the 10th frame and two more strikes would clinch the match for her. She struck the first shot but went high with the second, leaving the 3-6-10, which she converted to close with 236. Oden stepped up needing two strikes of her own and did exactly that, finishing with 246 to advance against Rucker. Brummett earned $1,050 for her third-place finish.
The left-handed Rucker, who averaged more than 241 in qualifying, didn’t lose any momentum from waiting and started fast with the first four strikes while Oden alternated between strikes and spares in the same timeframe. Oden earned her first double of the game in the fifth and sixth frames while Rucker spared twice.
The seventh frame saw momentum shift after Rucker missed a 10 pin and Oden added two more strikes, putting Oden in position to shut out Rucker. After a ninth-frame spare, Oden struck in the 10th to seal the victory, earning $2,800, her first PWBA Regional title and an automatic berth into the season-ending PWBA Regional Showdown in December. Rucker closed with 225, falling just short of her second regional title and earning $1,350 for her runner-up finish.
Throughout the stepladder, Oden focused on controlling what she could rather than worrying about who she was facing.
“To be honest, I feel like everyone’s a great player,” Oden said. “I don’t pay attention too much to the opponents just because I feel like bowling isn’t really a defensive sport. So really focusing on me and what I can do, because if I can control myself really well, I’ll make great shots.”
With a home crowd behind her throughout the stepladder, Oden said the support from family and teammates made the victory even more meaningful.
“It’s awesome,” Oden said. “I feel like it goes underestimated sometimes, how when your family’s always around, getting to support you, and your teammates are so close to you, getting to watch you. So it really means a lot, because they don’t always get to travel to everything.”
The victory also gives Oden a confidence boost heading into her final year at Wichita State.
“I think I’ll use it as a confidence booster,” Oden said. “I deserve to play with the best in the collegiate world, and I’m a really good player. I feel like this shows that I can do hard things, and I can just throw a lot of good shots online, and they fall, and I can see it really well.”
Oden now has an automatic berth into the PWBA Regional Showdown in Florida in December, though her class schedule could determine whether she is able to compete.
“The big thing will be finals in school. I’ll have to look at it and make sure the dates are OK,” Oden said.
The next stop on the PWBA Regional Tour will be the Twin Cities Regional at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan, Minnesota, September 13. For more information on that event and the PWBA Regional Tour, click HERE.