Pluhowsky wins roll-off, joins rest of Team USA women in singles Round of 32 at IBF World Cup
January 08, 2025
Twenty-five time Team USA member Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio,
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, has faced her share of pressure-packed situations on the lanes. That’s what comes with being a 25-time Team USA member and two-time major champion on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour.
The 42-year-old left-hander faced another on Wednesday when she was forced into a four-player roll-off to determine whether or not she would advance to the Women’s Singles Round of 32 at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
During her first six matches on Wednesday, Pluhowsky recorded a high game of 199 and an average of just under 183, but just as one would expect from a legend with more than 50 medals in international competition, the Team USA veteran dug deep and saved her best for when she needed it most, winning the roll-off with a score of 232 to punch her ticket to the next round.
Macao’s Tong Hui fired a 222 to secure the second and final advancing spot out of the Women’s Singles Group C roll-off. China’s Yu Hong Zhang and Australia’s Bec Whiting were left on the outside looking in after putting up scores of 213 and 188, respectively.
Once she was off the lanes, Pluhowsky was very straightforward when discussing her tumultuous path to the Round of 32.
“Yesterday, I bowled pretty well, and today I bowled not very well,” Pluhowsky said. “I missed too many spares today. When you leave multiple pins, they become a lot harder to make. Thankfully, I bowled better, physically, during that last game than I had the entire time, so I’m just going to try to build on that going forward.”
Thankfully for Pluhowsky, she won’t have to move forward alone as all three of her Team USA teammates advanced in Women’s Singles as well.
Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, recorded another strong performance on Wednesday, going 4-1-1 on the day and averaging just over 205 thanks to high games of 246, 232 and 214. That effort allowed Russo to finish with a two-day, 13-match record of 10-2-1 and an average of 203.7, which landed her in second place in Women’s Singles Group A.
Malaysia’s Siti Safiyah won the group with a record of 12-1.
Russo credited much of her qualifying-round success to a strong physical game and a bit of good fortune.
“A lot of it came down to shot execution, and I felt like I made a lot of really good shots during most of my matches,” Russo said. “Also, I didn’t get into much trouble; I nine-spared a lot, and I was pretty grateful for that.
“The transition was definitely different on Day 2 than Day 1, but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly.”
Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, has figured out that winning matches is the name of the game at the World Cup, so the defending Women’s Singles gold medalist did more of that during Round 2.
After coming in with a 5-2 mark during the opening round on Tuesday, Coté used four games over 200 (234, 222, 212 and 201) to come in with a 1,254 total (a 209 average) and a record of 5-1 on Wednesday.
That gave Coté a two-day record of 10-3, which tied her with Australian Samantha Clifton for the best mark in Women’s Singles Group B.
For Coté, Wednesday’s Round 2 success was heavily influenced by what she observed during Round 1.
“Honestly, today, I just took what I learned yesterday,” Coté said. “I stayed a little bit further right, played straighter and kept my angles more in front of me. I was pretty happy with the way that I bowled today because I was very consistent. Going forward, I just need to keep filling frames and hope the pins continue to fall our way.”
More than enough pins fell for Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio, on Wednesday, and that allowed the 20-year-old right-hander to join Coté, Russo and Pluhowsky in the Women’s Singles Round of 32.
Martin was very consistent during her six-match set in Round 2, keeping all of her games between 180 and 208 en route to a 4-2 record on the day.
That mark allowed Martin to end qualifying with a two-day record of 8-5, which was good enough for a tie with Australia’s Emily Hart for third place in Women’s Singles Group D.
Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, the 2024 PWBA Player of the Year and defending U.S Women’s Open champion, finished atop Group D with a record of 11-2. Sweden’s Victoria Johansson was second at 8-3-2.
Martin is the youngest member of the Team USA contingent in Hong Kong, and this will mark her first time advancing to the Round of 32 in a world-level event as a member of the adult team.
Nevertheless, Martin isn’t just happy to be here; she is looking to continue bowling better and better with each passing round.
“I really want to build on what I’ve learned the last few days,” Martin said. “I’ve kind of had some struggles figuring things out, but I think we have a good game plan heading into it. Now, I’m looking to repeat shots, and I’m looking forward to getting into a part of the lane I’m more comfortable in.”
Martin and the rest of the Team USA ladies will have a day off to rest and prepare before the next round because with women’s singles qualifying completed, Thursday’s World Cup action will be solely dedicated to determining the Men’s Singles Round of 32.
Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio, and Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, took their first steps toward advancing into that group as each man rolled his first six-match qualifying set on Wednesday.
Via authored the day’s strongest performance among American men, using games of 225, 206, 206, 223, 245 and 211 to come in with an average of 219.3 and post a record of 5-1, which placed him into a tie with Costa Rica’s Mateo Gordienko atop the Men’s Singles Group B2 standings.
Hanrahan only broke 200 once (250) and mustered an average of 190.7 during Round 1; nevertheless, his 4-2 record left him in a tie with Malaysia’s Ahmad Muaz for fourth place in Men’s Singles Group D1. If Hanrahan can stay in fourth or better after the conclusion of the second round on Thursday, he’ll advance to the Round of 32.
Ivan Malig of the Philippines, Australia’s Jordan Dinham and Hong Kong’s Keith Mark finished Round 1 tied for the Group D1 lead with matching records of 5-1.
Via and Hanrahan will be joined on the lanes on Thursday by teammates Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois, and Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri.
Prather, the reigning World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, went 5-1 during opening-round action on Tuesday and ended the day tied with Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong atop the standings in Men’s Singles Group A1.
Russo posted a 6-0 record during Round 1 and will enter Thursday’s final six-match qualifying block in sole possession of first place atop Men’s Singles Group C1.
Team USA Head Coach Bryan O’Keefe didn’t know what to expect out of the World Cup’s 47-foot oil pattern, so there was a bit of a learning curve during the first two days of competition; nevertheless, he’s liked what he’s seen out of his athletes and is optimistic about what the days to come have in store for Team USA.
“We knew we were bowling on a really long pattern, but we were a little bit unsure of how the lanes were going to play,” O’Keefe said. “We’re realizing pretty quickly that the scoring pace, for the most part, is going to be low, so controlling the pocket as best we can and making spares is going to be a top priority. We were fortunate enough to win some matches and have all the ladies move through, which was the first step. Now, from here, we just try to control what we can control and hope that it’s enough.”
Singles qualifying will wrap up with Round 2 in the men’s competition on Thursday, after which the top four bowlers in each men’s group will advance to the Round of 32.
The singles quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for both men and women will be contested on Friday with medal ceremonies to follow; thereafter, the focus will shift to team competition, which will run from Jan. 11-14.
CLICK HERE for more information on Team USA.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, has faced her share of pressure-packed situations on the lanes. That’s what comes with being a 25-time Team USA member and two-time major champion on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour.
The 42-year-old left-hander faced another on Wednesday when she was forced into a four-player roll-off to determine whether or not she would advance to the Women’s Singles Round of 32 at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
During her first six matches on Wednesday, Pluhowsky recorded a high game of 199 and an average of just under 183, but just as one would expect from a legend with more than 50 medals in international competition, the Team USA veteran dug deep and saved her best for when she needed it most, winning the roll-off with a score of 232 to punch her ticket to the next round.
Macao’s Tong Hui fired a 222 to secure the second and final advancing spot out of the Women’s Singles Group C roll-off. China’s Yu Hong Zhang and Australia’s Bec Whiting were left on the outside looking in after putting up scores of 213 and 188, respectively.
Once she was off the lanes, Pluhowsky was very straightforward when discussing her tumultuous path to the Round of 32.
“Yesterday, I bowled pretty well, and today I bowled not very well,” Pluhowsky said. “I missed too many spares today. When you leave multiple pins, they become a lot harder to make. Thankfully, I bowled better, physically, during that last game than I had the entire time, so I’m just going to try to build on that going forward.”
Thankfully for Pluhowsky, she won’t have to move forward alone as all three of her Team USA teammates advanced in Women’s Singles as well.
Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, recorded another strong performance on Wednesday, going 4-1-1 on the day and averaging just over 205 thanks to high games of 246, 232 and 214. That effort allowed Russo to finish with a two-day, 13-match record of 10-2-1 and an average of 203.7, which landed her in second place in Women’s Singles Group A.
Malaysia’s Siti Safiyah won the group with a record of 12-1.
Russo credited much of her qualifying-round success to a strong physical game and a bit of good fortune.
“A lot of it came down to shot execution, and I felt like I made a lot of really good shots during most of my matches,” Russo said. “Also, I didn’t get into much trouble; I nine-spared a lot, and I was pretty grateful for that.
“The transition was definitely different on Day 2 than Day 1, but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly.”
Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, has figured out that winning matches is the name of the game at the World Cup, so the defending Women’s Singles gold medalist did more of that during Round 2.
After coming in with a 5-2 mark during the opening round on Tuesday, Coté used four games over 200 (234, 222, 212 and 201) to come in with a 1,254 total (a 209 average) and a record of 5-1 on Wednesday.
That gave Coté a two-day record of 10-3, which tied her with Australian Samantha Clifton for the best mark in Women’s Singles Group B.
For Coté, Wednesday’s Round 2 success was heavily influenced by what she observed during Round 1.
“Honestly, today, I just took what I learned yesterday,” Coté said. “I stayed a little bit further right, played straighter and kept my angles more in front of me. I was pretty happy with the way that I bowled today because I was very consistent. Going forward, I just need to keep filling frames and hope the pins continue to fall our way.”
More than enough pins fell for Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio, on Wednesday, and that allowed the 20-year-old right-hander to join Coté, Russo and Pluhowsky in the Women’s Singles Round of 32.
Martin was very consistent during her six-match set in Round 2, keeping all of her games between 180 and 208 en route to a 4-2 record on the day.
That mark allowed Martin to end qualifying with a two-day record of 8-5, which was good enough for a tie with Australia’s Emily Hart for third place in Women’s Singles Group D.
Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, the 2024 PWBA Player of the Year and defending U.S Women’s Open champion, finished atop Group D with a record of 11-2. Sweden’s Victoria Johansson was second at 8-3-2.
Martin is the youngest member of the Team USA contingent in Hong Kong, and this will mark her first time advancing to the Round of 32 in a world-level event as a member of the adult team.
Nevertheless, Martin isn’t just happy to be here; she is looking to continue bowling better and better with each passing round.
“I really want to build on what I’ve learned the last few days,” Martin said. “I’ve kind of had some struggles figuring things out, but I think we have a good game plan heading into it. Now, I’m looking to repeat shots, and I’m looking forward to getting into a part of the lane I’m more comfortable in.”
Martin and the rest of the Team USA ladies will have a day off to rest and prepare before the next round because with women’s singles qualifying completed, Thursday’s World Cup action will be solely dedicated to determining the Men’s Singles Round of 32.
Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio, and Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, took their first steps toward advancing into that group as each man rolled his first six-match qualifying set on Wednesday.
Via authored the day’s strongest performance among American men, using games of 225, 206, 206, 223, 245 and 211 to come in with an average of 219.3 and post a record of 5-1, which placed him into a tie with Costa Rica’s Mateo Gordienko atop the Men’s Singles Group B2 standings.
Hanrahan only broke 200 once (250) and mustered an average of 190.7 during Round 1; nevertheless, his 4-2 record left him in a tie with Malaysia’s Ahmad Muaz for fourth place in Men’s Singles Group D1. If Hanrahan can stay in fourth or better after the conclusion of the second round on Thursday, he’ll advance to the Round of 32.
Ivan Malig of the Philippines, Australia’s Jordan Dinham and Hong Kong’s Keith Mark finished Round 1 tied for the Group D1 lead with matching records of 5-1.
Via and Hanrahan will be joined on the lanes on Thursday by teammates Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois, and Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri.
Prather, the reigning World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, went 5-1 during opening-round action on Tuesday and ended the day tied with Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong atop the standings in Men’s Singles Group A1.
Russo posted a 6-0 record during Round 1 and will enter Thursday’s final six-match qualifying block in sole possession of first place atop Men’s Singles Group C1.
Team USA Head Coach Bryan O’Keefe didn’t know what to expect out of the World Cup’s 47-foot oil pattern, so there was a bit of a learning curve during the first two days of competition; nevertheless, he’s liked what he’s seen out of his athletes and is optimistic about what the days to come have in store for Team USA.
“We knew we were bowling on a really long pattern, but we were a little bit unsure of how the lanes were going to play,” O’Keefe said. “We’re realizing pretty quickly that the scoring pace, for the most part, is going to be low, so controlling the pocket as best we can and making spares is going to be a top priority. We were fortunate enough to win some matches and have all the ladies move through, which was the first step. Now, from here, we just try to control what we can control and hope that it’s enough.”
Singles qualifying will wrap up with Round 2 in the men’s competition on Thursday, after which the top four bowlers in each men’s group will advance to the Round of 32.
The singles quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for both men and women will be contested on Friday with medal ceremonies to follow; thereafter, the focus will shift to team competition, which will run from Jan. 11-14.
CLICK HERE for more information on Team USA.