Team USA's Hanrahan wins bronze in Men's Singles at 2025 IBF World Cup
January 10, 2025
Team USA bowler Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas (third from left) smiles atop the podium after winning a bronze Medal in Men's Singles at the 2025 IBF World Cup in Hong Kong.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA bowler Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, went 3-1 during bracket match-play competition on Friday to win a bronze medal in Men’s Singles at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
The 29-year-old two-handed lefty began his march to the podium with relative ease, defeating Singapore’s Jomond Chia by a score of 2-0 (225-169; 204-183) in the Round of 32 before sweeping India’s Ramachandraiah Kishan by the same margin (201-185; 222-185) one match later in the Round of 16.
However, things got significantly more dramatic during Hanrahan’s quarterfinal match against Denmark’s Dan Agerbo-Ostergaard.
The American struck early and often during the opening game, carding his highest score of the day during a 275-201 victory that gave him a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three contest.
Hanrahan followed it up with 244 during Game 2, but so did Agerbo-Ostergaard, which meant that the game would be decided by a ninth- and 10th-frame roll-off.
The Danish bowler won the roll-off by a score of 40-29 to square up the match and force the duo into a Game 3 battle with a semifinal berth and medal on the line.
Neither bowler was able to muster the same firepower during the deciding game that was on display during the two that preceded it, but, in the end, Hanrahan was able to grind out a 180-176 victory to survive and advance.
The victory moved the American into the semifinals and guaranteed him a medal; the only question was what color would it be?
Hanrahan was obviously hoping for gold, but it wasn’t meant to be as he ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Malaysia’s Rafiq Ismail.
Ismail was relentless during the semifinal bout, striking from start to finish en route to a 2-0 win (257-235; 253-191) that moved him into the gold-medal match and forced Hanrahan to settle for bronze.
The gold medal would go to China’s Jian Chao Du, who defeated Ismail in the final match by a score of 2-1 (222-223; 226-166; 235-193).
Although he would have liked to have reached the top step on the podium, Hanrahan was far from upset with Friday’s performance.
“I shot pretty similar scores in that last match than I had during my previous matches, but sometimes the guy on the other side of the ball return has a much better look than you do. That’s bowling; it is what it is,” Hanrahan said. “Honestly, after how things went for me during the first day of qualifying, I just feel blessed to have a medal.”
Hanrahan has certainly been making the most of his opportunities to win medals thus far during his Team USA career.
The left-hander was named to the team for the first time in 2024, and he got his first chance to compete at the PANAM Bowling Elite Championships in Reno, Nevada, back in August.
Not wanting to let the opportunity go to waste, Hanrahan responded by collecting four gold medals (singles, doubles, team and all-events) and one silver (trios) during his debut performance representing the red, white and blue.
Friday’s World Cup Men’s Singles medal will be the first bronze in Hanrahan’s international trophy case, and he’ll be more than happy to have it; however, he’s hoping to add even more hardware by the time the final shots are thrown at this year’s tournament in Hong Kong.
“I’m happy with the way singles went, but, luckily, tomorrow I get to bowl with the whole squad,” Hanrahan said. “I’ll take our chances with all of our guys for sure.”
The guys to whom Hanrahan was referring were teammates Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois; Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri; and Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio.
All three were in action alongside Hanrahan on Friday during the Men’s Singles bracket match-play competition; unfortunately, none were able to make it to the medal stand to join their teammate.
Prather, the defending World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, came the closest.
He defeated Tak Man Lee of Macao 2-0 (289-224; 246-180) during the opening round before besting Costa Rica’s Mateo Gordienko by the same margin (236-197; 259-170) in the Round of 16.
That’s where Prather’s run would end, however, as he was swept in the quarterfinals by Singapore’s Jaris Goh by scores of 233-213 and 236-201. Goh went on to claim the other Men’s Singles bronze medal.
The day was much shorter for the other two American men as Russo and Via were both dispatched during the Round of 32.
Russo fell to Australian Bernie Grueso Jr. (1-2 - 200-190; 188-219; 191-233) while Via was defeated by Hussain Al Suwaidi of United Arab Emirates (0-2 - 163-172; 160-219).
Men’s Singles competition wasn’t the only action that took place at the World Cup on Friday, however; the final rounds of the women’s individual event were contested today as well.
Team USA’s hopes for Women’s Singles medals were pinned to four very impressive athletes, Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona; Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio; Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri.
Coté entered Friday’s action hoping to complete the arduous task of successfully defending the Women’s Singles title she captured at the 2022 World Cup in Queensland, Australia, while Pluhowsky hoped to add another piece of hardware to a trophy case that already contains more than 50 international medals.
Sadly, neither of those plans worked out, nor did any formulated by Martin or Russo.
Coté made a solid run early on, winning matches over Macao’s Tong Hui (2-0 - 212-211; 236-153) and Sweden’s Anna Andersson (2-0 – 258-186; 253-216); however, the defending champion would be eliminated (0-2 - 197-252; 201-218) one round later by eventual silver medalist Birgit Noreiks of Germany.
Martin and Russo both had their days ended by eventual Women’s Singles champion Natasha Roslan of Malaysia.
Russo fell to Roslan by a score of 0-2 (184-218; 182-209) in the Round of 16 after defeating China’s Lan Xu by that same margin (2-0 – 196-195; 226-224) during the first round.
Martin, on the other hand, got past Peru’s Maria Belleza (2-0 – 233-168; 223-177) and China’s Li Yan Yang (2-0 – 191-186; 201-189) before being bested by Roslan (0-2 – 161-215; 177-217) in the quarterfinals.
Pluhowsky fell to Australian Samantha Clifton (0-2 – 184-201; 199-200) in the opening round.
Friday’s Women’s Singles bronze medals went to Sweden’s Nora Johansson and Singapore’s Daphne Tan.
With singles competition now completed in both the men’s and women’s divisions, the focus now shifts to team competition, which will start on Saturday and wrap up Tuesday evening.
CLICK HERE for more information on Team USA.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA bowler Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas, went 3-1 during bracket match-play competition on Friday to win a bronze medal in Men’s Singles at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup, which is being contested at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
The 29-year-old two-handed lefty began his march to the podium with relative ease, defeating Singapore’s Jomond Chia by a score of 2-0 (225-169; 204-183) in the Round of 32 before sweeping India’s Ramachandraiah Kishan by the same margin (201-185; 222-185) one match later in the Round of 16.
However, things got significantly more dramatic during Hanrahan’s quarterfinal match against Denmark’s Dan Agerbo-Ostergaard.
The American struck early and often during the opening game, carding his highest score of the day during a 275-201 victory that gave him a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three contest.
Hanrahan followed it up with 244 during Game 2, but so did Agerbo-Ostergaard, which meant that the game would be decided by a ninth- and 10th-frame roll-off.
The Danish bowler won the roll-off by a score of 40-29 to square up the match and force the duo into a Game 3 battle with a semifinal berth and medal on the line.
Neither bowler was able to muster the same firepower during the deciding game that was on display during the two that preceded it, but, in the end, Hanrahan was able to grind out a 180-176 victory to survive and advance.
The victory moved the American into the semifinals and guaranteed him a medal; the only question was what color would it be?
Hanrahan was obviously hoping for gold, but it wasn’t meant to be as he ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Malaysia’s Rafiq Ismail.
Ismail was relentless during the semifinal bout, striking from start to finish en route to a 2-0 win (257-235; 253-191) that moved him into the gold-medal match and forced Hanrahan to settle for bronze.
The gold medal would go to China’s Jian Chao Du, who defeated Ismail in the final match by a score of 2-1 (222-223; 226-166; 235-193).
Although he would have liked to have reached the top step on the podium, Hanrahan was far from upset with Friday’s performance.
“I shot pretty similar scores in that last match than I had during my previous matches, but sometimes the guy on the other side of the ball return has a much better look than you do. That’s bowling; it is what it is,” Hanrahan said. “Honestly, after how things went for me during the first day of qualifying, I just feel blessed to have a medal.”
Hanrahan has certainly been making the most of his opportunities to win medals thus far during his Team USA career.
The left-hander was named to the team for the first time in 2024, and he got his first chance to compete at the PANAM Bowling Elite Championships in Reno, Nevada, back in August.
Not wanting to let the opportunity go to waste, Hanrahan responded by collecting four gold medals (singles, doubles, team and all-events) and one silver (trios) during his debut performance representing the red, white and blue.
Friday’s World Cup Men’s Singles medal will be the first bronze in Hanrahan’s international trophy case, and he’ll be more than happy to have it; however, he’s hoping to add even more hardware by the time the final shots are thrown at this year’s tournament in Hong Kong.
“I’m happy with the way singles went, but, luckily, tomorrow I get to bowl with the whole squad,” Hanrahan said. “I’ll take our chances with all of our guys for sure.”
The guys to whom Hanrahan was referring were teammates Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois; Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri; and Chris Via of Blacklick, Ohio.
All three were in action alongside Hanrahan on Friday during the Men’s Singles bracket match-play competition; unfortunately, none were able to make it to the medal stand to join their teammate.
Prather, the defending World Cup Men’s Singles bronze medalist, came the closest.
He defeated Tak Man Lee of Macao 2-0 (289-224; 246-180) during the opening round before besting Costa Rica’s Mateo Gordienko by the same margin (236-197; 259-170) in the Round of 16.
That’s where Prather’s run would end, however, as he was swept in the quarterfinals by Singapore’s Jaris Goh by scores of 233-213 and 236-201. Goh went on to claim the other Men’s Singles bronze medal.
The day was much shorter for the other two American men as Russo and Via were both dispatched during the Round of 32.
Russo fell to Australian Bernie Grueso Jr. (1-2 - 200-190; 188-219; 191-233) while Via was defeated by Hussain Al Suwaidi of United Arab Emirates (0-2 - 163-172; 160-219).
Men’s Singles competition wasn’t the only action that took place at the World Cup on Friday, however; the final rounds of the women’s individual event were contested today as well.
Team USA’s hopes for Women’s Singles medals were pinned to four very impressive athletes, Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona; Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio; Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri.
Coté entered Friday’s action hoping to complete the arduous task of successfully defending the Women’s Singles title she captured at the 2022 World Cup in Queensland, Australia, while Pluhowsky hoped to add another piece of hardware to a trophy case that already contains more than 50 international medals.
Sadly, neither of those plans worked out, nor did any formulated by Martin or Russo.
Coté made a solid run early on, winning matches over Macao’s Tong Hui (2-0 - 212-211; 236-153) and Sweden’s Anna Andersson (2-0 – 258-186; 253-216); however, the defending champion would be eliminated (0-2 - 197-252; 201-218) one round later by eventual silver medalist Birgit Noreiks of Germany.
Martin and Russo both had their days ended by eventual Women’s Singles champion Natasha Roslan of Malaysia.
Russo fell to Roslan by a score of 0-2 (184-218; 182-209) in the Round of 16 after defeating China’s Lan Xu by that same margin (2-0 – 196-195; 226-224) during the first round.
Martin, on the other hand, got past Peru’s Maria Belleza (2-0 – 233-168; 223-177) and China’s Li Yan Yang (2-0 – 191-186; 201-189) before being bested by Roslan (0-2 – 161-215; 177-217) in the quarterfinals.
Pluhowsky fell to Australian Samantha Clifton (0-2 – 184-201; 199-200) in the opening round.
Friday’s Women’s Singles bronze medals went to Sweden’s Nora Johansson and Singapore’s Daphne Tan.
With singles competition now completed in both the men’s and women’s divisions, the focus now shifts to team competition, which will start on Saturday and wrap up Tuesday evening.
CLICK HERE for more information on Team USA.