Team USA set to compete at 2025 IBF World Cup and Para World Championships in Hong Kong
January 03, 2025
ARLINGTON, Texas – Roughly three months after they were chosen by the National Selection Committee, 14 outstanding athletes are set to represent the United States on the lanes as competition begins at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Cup and Para Bowling World Championships, which will be contested from Jan. 5-14 and Jan. 17-24, respectively, at Top Bowl, Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Team USA’s World Cup rosters will feature Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona; Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio; Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, on the women’s side and Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas; Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois; Matthew Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, and Christopher Via of Blacklick, Ohio, for the men.
The 2025 IBF World Cup will kick off 18 days of bowling action in Hong Kong as athletes from 28 federations vie for medals in both individual and team competition.
The event’s practice sessions will take place on Sunday and Monday before tournament play officially begins with four straight days of singles action in both the men’s and women’s divisions from Jan. 7-10.
After the individual medals have been awarded, focus will shift to team competition, which will run each day from Jan. 11-14.
The Team USA men will be looking to successfully defend their title and bring home the Men’s Team gold medal in Hong Kong just as they did during the 2022 IBF World Cup in Queensland, Australia.
The American women, meanwhile, will be hoping to work their way back onto the podium after finishing fourth as a team in 2022.
Two members of the Team USA contingent also will have the opportunity to medal in singles for the second straight World Cup as Coté will head to Hong Kong as the reigning Women’s Singles gold medalist while Prather was the last bowler to collect the Men’s Singles bronze.
Both players would certainly love to return to the podium in China, but, win or lose, they are just happy for the opportunity to don the red, white and blue on the world stage yet again.
“To be able to represent Team USA at the World Cup is a dream come true…again,” Coté said. “This is the highest level of competition Team USA is a part of, so to be one of the athletes fortunate enough to represent and compete is truly an honor.”
Prather’s sentiments were largely the same.
“I am incredibly excited and proud to be representing Team USA in the World Cup,” Prather said. “I am also kind of nervous, but I think that’s more of going somewhere new for the first time.”
Thankfully for Prather, while Hong Kong will be a new destination, he’ll have no shortage of familiar faces to look upon while competing there.
“Competing with Chris (Via), Packy (Hanrahan) and Matt (Russo) is going to be incredibly easy because I’ve roomed with all of them on tour at one point or another,” Prather said. “We already know how to communicate with each other and have that trust among each other, which is vital.”
Another thing the male quartet already has is a unique plan for how they’ll celebrate if they manage to finish atop the podium yet again.
“We will be eating a chocolate-covered bug if we win Men’s Team gold,” Prather said.
Coté didn’t divulge whether or not the Team USA ladies had similar plans in place should they secure the top spot in Hong Kong; nevertheless, the veteran international competitor is confident the squad has more than enough talent to do just that.
“This group of ladies is very different from the squad in 2022,” Coté said. “Not only do we have age gaps, but we also have players competing on the world stage for the first time as members of the adult team.
“Regardless of those differences, we all have the same goal in mind, and that’s to win the Women’s Team gold. If we stick to our plan, communicate, be there for one another and just have fun while competing, I think we’ll do just fine.”
But no matter how the standings shake out, Coté is confident she’ll enjoy the experience simply because of who she gets to share it with.
“I’m super excited because I get to compete alongside one of my closest friends in Lauren Russo, my childhood idol and big sister growing up in Shannon Pluhowsky and the future of this team in Jillian Martin.”
Once the final balls have been thrown at the World Cup on Jan. 14, there will be a two-day break in the action before competition resumes at Top Bowl with athletes from 12 federations battling for medals at the 2025 Para Bowling World Championships.
Debra Freed of Framingham, Massachusetts; George Holscher of Chesapeake, Virginia; Eddy Hutchens of Franktown, Colorado; Gina Jenkins of Bedford, Texas; David Nelson, Jr. of Gretna, Nebraska, and Emma “Toodie” Perry of Bakersfield, California, will be Para Team USA’s squad in Hong Kong.
Competition will take place across seven different classifications at the Para Bowling World Championships with Para Team USA athletes participating in the TPB8 and TPB9 events.
Bowlers from all classifications will have their official practice sessions on Jan. 17 with competition in the TPB1, TPB2, TPB3 and TPB4 events following from Jan. 18-22.
The six American athletes will hit the lanes on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 when the TPB8 and TPB9 events are held.
Freed, Hutchens and Perry will hope to find the same level of success in Hong Kong as they enjoyed during the 2021 Para Bowling World Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during which they helped Para Team USA secure 14 medals.
For more information on Team USA, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for more information on Para Team USA.
Team USA’s World Cup rosters will feature Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona; Jillian Martin of Stow, Ohio; Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, on the women’s side and Packy Hanrahan of Wichita, Kansas; Kristopher Prather of Romeoville, Illinois; Matthew Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, and Christopher Via of Blacklick, Ohio, for the men.
The 2025 IBF World Cup will kick off 18 days of bowling action in Hong Kong as athletes from 28 federations vie for medals in both individual and team competition.
The event’s practice sessions will take place on Sunday and Monday before tournament play officially begins with four straight days of singles action in both the men’s and women’s divisions from Jan. 7-10.
After the individual medals have been awarded, focus will shift to team competition, which will run each day from Jan. 11-14.
The Team USA men will be looking to successfully defend their title and bring home the Men’s Team gold medal in Hong Kong just as they did during the 2022 IBF World Cup in Queensland, Australia.
The American women, meanwhile, will be hoping to work their way back onto the podium after finishing fourth as a team in 2022.
Two members of the Team USA contingent also will have the opportunity to medal in singles for the second straight World Cup as Coté will head to Hong Kong as the reigning Women’s Singles gold medalist while Prather was the last bowler to collect the Men’s Singles bronze.
Both players would certainly love to return to the podium in China, but, win or lose, they are just happy for the opportunity to don the red, white and blue on the world stage yet again.
“To be able to represent Team USA at the World Cup is a dream come true…again,” Coté said. “This is the highest level of competition Team USA is a part of, so to be one of the athletes fortunate enough to represent and compete is truly an honor.”
Prather’s sentiments were largely the same.
“I am incredibly excited and proud to be representing Team USA in the World Cup,” Prather said. “I am also kind of nervous, but I think that’s more of going somewhere new for the first time.”
Thankfully for Prather, while Hong Kong will be a new destination, he’ll have no shortage of familiar faces to look upon while competing there.
“Competing with Chris (Via), Packy (Hanrahan) and Matt (Russo) is going to be incredibly easy because I’ve roomed with all of them on tour at one point or another,” Prather said. “We already know how to communicate with each other and have that trust among each other, which is vital.”
Another thing the male quartet already has is a unique plan for how they’ll celebrate if they manage to finish atop the podium yet again.
“We will be eating a chocolate-covered bug if we win Men’s Team gold,” Prather said.
Coté didn’t divulge whether or not the Team USA ladies had similar plans in place should they secure the top spot in Hong Kong; nevertheless, the veteran international competitor is confident the squad has more than enough talent to do just that.
“This group of ladies is very different from the squad in 2022,” Coté said. “Not only do we have age gaps, but we also have players competing on the world stage for the first time as members of the adult team.
“Regardless of those differences, we all have the same goal in mind, and that’s to win the Women’s Team gold. If we stick to our plan, communicate, be there for one another and just have fun while competing, I think we’ll do just fine.”
But no matter how the standings shake out, Coté is confident she’ll enjoy the experience simply because of who she gets to share it with.
“I’m super excited because I get to compete alongside one of my closest friends in Lauren Russo, my childhood idol and big sister growing up in Shannon Pluhowsky and the future of this team in Jillian Martin.”
Once the final balls have been thrown at the World Cup on Jan. 14, there will be a two-day break in the action before competition resumes at Top Bowl with athletes from 12 federations battling for medals at the 2025 Para Bowling World Championships.
Debra Freed of Framingham, Massachusetts; George Holscher of Chesapeake, Virginia; Eddy Hutchens of Franktown, Colorado; Gina Jenkins of Bedford, Texas; David Nelson, Jr. of Gretna, Nebraska, and Emma “Toodie” Perry of Bakersfield, California, will be Para Team USA’s squad in Hong Kong.
Competition will take place across seven different classifications at the Para Bowling World Championships with Para Team USA athletes participating in the TPB8 and TPB9 events.
Bowlers from all classifications will have their official practice sessions on Jan. 17 with competition in the TPB1, TPB2, TPB3 and TPB4 events following from Jan. 18-22.
The six American athletes will hit the lanes on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 when the TPB8 and TPB9 events are held.
Freed, Hutchens and Perry will hope to find the same level of success in Hong Kong as they enjoyed during the 2021 Para Bowling World Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during which they helped Para Team USA secure 14 medals.
For more information on Team USA, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for more information on Para Team USA.