Team USA bowlers fare well during opening day of singles qualifying at 2025 IBF World Cup
January 07, 2025
Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, led the Team USA men on Tuesday with a 6-0 record and an average of 213.7.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA sent six bowlers to the lanes during Tuesday’s opening round of singles qualifying at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
All six performed well enough to land in the top four in their respective groups and remain in prime position to advance with one more block of singles qualifying matches to go before the first cuts are made.
Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, authored the day’s best record among the Team USA ladies, coming in with a 6-1 mark thanks to a seven-game total of 1,416 (a 202.3 average) that included four games of 200 or better (227, 223, 213 and 205).
That effort allowed Russo to finish Day 1 tied with Malaysia’s Siti Safiyah for the lead in Women’s Singles Group A1. Safiyah also authored a 6-1 record on Tuesday while notching a seven-game score of 1,520 (a 217.1 average).
Australia’s Samantha Clifton went 6-1 and recorded a seven-game pinfall of 1,445 (a 206.4 average) to grab the first-round lead in Women’s Singles Group B1, but four ladies finished right on her heels with matching Round 1 marks of 5-2.
That quartet included Team USA’s Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona – the defending World Cup Women’s Singles champion – who grinded her way to a 1,339 total (a 191.3 average) on Tuesday thanks to three games over the 200 mark (213, 204 and 202).
Twenty-four-year Team USA veteran Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, represented the red, white and blue proudly in Women’s Singles Group C1 during Round 1, firing games of 223, 201, 194, 188, 215, 220 and 210 to come in with a 5-2 record and lead all American ladies on the day with a seven-game score of 1,451 (a 207.3 average).
That mark was enough to put Pluhowsky into a five-way tie for the group lead with Germany’s Birgit Noreiks (5-2 – 1,502 – 214.6); Malaysia’s Natasha Roslan (5-2 – 1,465 – 209.3); Singapore’s Bernice Lim (5-2 – 1,432 – 204.6) and Sweden’s Jenny Wegner (5-2 – 1,350 – 192.9).
Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio, authored the second-highest average of the day among Team USA women, yet she was forced to settle with the group’s lowest Day 1 finish.
Martin was solid throughout the opening block, recording scores of 233, 230, 188, 178, 183, 195 and 210 for a seven-game total of 1,417 (a 202.4 average); nevertheless, that mark only led to a 4-3 record in the highly competitive Women’s Singles Group D1, landing Martin in a tie for fourth place.
Sweden’s Victoria Johansson led the pack with an opening-round record of 5-1-1 (1,488 – 212.6). Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, the 2024 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year and 2024 U.S. Women’s Open champion, ended Tuesday’s round in second place at 5-2 (1,457 – 208.1).
In men’s action, only two of Team USA’s four athletes competed on Tuesday with Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois, and Matthew Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, bowling their opening rounds while Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, and Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio, played the roll of spectator/supporter in advance of their first rounds of action on Wednesday.
Russo fired games of 213, 212, 178, 162, 279 and 238 en route to a 1,282 total (a 213.7 average), a 6-0 record and sole possession of first place atop Men’s Singles Group C1.
Those marks not only gave Russo bragging rights over wife Lauren, whose Round 1 exploits were detailed above, but also over Prather.
However, that isn’t to say that Prather performed poorly. On the contrary, he found plenty of success of his own on Tuesday.
Prather, the reigning World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, also ended the opening round in first place, using high games of 235, 233 and 207 to post a 5-1 record and an 1,190 total (a 198.3 average) to end Tuesday’s action tied with Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong atop the standings in Men’s Singles Group A1.
Singles qualifying will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, after which the top eight bowlers in each women’s group will advance to the quarterfinals as will the top four bowlers in each men’s group.
The singles quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all 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.
For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA sent six bowlers to the lanes during Tuesday’s opening round of singles qualifying at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
All six performed well enough to land in the top four in their respective groups and remain in prime position to advance with one more block of singles qualifying matches to go before the first cuts are made.
Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, authored the day’s best record among the Team USA ladies, coming in with a 6-1 mark thanks to a seven-game total of 1,416 (a 202.3 average) that included four games of 200 or better (227, 223, 213 and 205).
That effort allowed Russo to finish Day 1 tied with Malaysia’s Siti Safiyah for the lead in Women’s Singles Group A1. Safiyah also authored a 6-1 record on Tuesday while notching a seven-game score of 1,520 (a 217.1 average).
Australia’s Samantha Clifton went 6-1 and recorded a seven-game pinfall of 1,445 (a 206.4 average) to grab the first-round lead in Women’s Singles Group B1, but four ladies finished right on her heels with matching Round 1 marks of 5-2.
That quartet included Team USA’s Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona – the defending World Cup Women’s Singles champion – who grinded her way to a 1,339 total (a 191.3 average) on Tuesday thanks to three games over the 200 mark (213, 204 and 202).
Twenty-four-year Team USA veteran Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, represented the red, white and blue proudly in Women’s Singles Group C1 during Round 1, firing games of 223, 201, 194, 188, 215, 220 and 210 to come in with a 5-2 record and lead all American ladies on the day with a seven-game score of 1,451 (a 207.3 average).
That mark was enough to put Pluhowsky into a five-way tie for the group lead with Germany’s Birgit Noreiks (5-2 – 1,502 – 214.6); Malaysia’s Natasha Roslan (5-2 – 1,465 – 209.3); Singapore’s Bernice Lim (5-2 – 1,432 – 204.6) and Sweden’s Jenny Wegner (5-2 – 1,350 – 192.9).
Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio, authored the second-highest average of the day among Team USA women, yet she was forced to settle with the group’s lowest Day 1 finish.
Martin was solid throughout the opening block, recording scores of 233, 230, 188, 178, 183, 195 and 210 for a seven-game total of 1,417 (a 202.4 average); nevertheless, that mark only led to a 4-3 record in the highly competitive Women’s Singles Group D1, landing Martin in a tie for fourth place.
Sweden’s Victoria Johansson led the pack with an opening-round record of 5-1-1 (1,488 – 212.6). Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane, the 2024 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year and 2024 U.S. Women’s Open champion, ended Tuesday’s round in second place at 5-2 (1,457 – 208.1).
In men’s action, only two of Team USA’s four athletes competed on Tuesday with Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois, and Matthew Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, bowling their opening rounds while Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, and Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio, played the roll of spectator/supporter in advance of their first rounds of action on Wednesday.
Russo fired games of 213, 212, 178, 162, 279 and 238 en route to a 1,282 total (a 213.7 average), a 6-0 record and sole possession of first place atop Men’s Singles Group C1.
Those marks not only gave Russo bragging rights over wife Lauren, whose Round 1 exploits were detailed above, but also over Prather.
However, that isn’t to say that Prather performed poorly. On the contrary, he found plenty of success of his own on Tuesday.
Prather, the reigning World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, also ended the opening round in first place, using high games of 235, 233 and 207 to post a 5-1 record and an 1,190 total (a 198.3 average) to end Tuesday’s action tied with Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong atop the standings in Men’s Singles Group A1.
Singles qualifying will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, after which the top eight bowlers in each women’s group will advance to the quarterfinals as will the top four bowlers in each men’s group.
The singles quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all 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.
For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.