CBS SPORTS NETWORK TO TELEVISE 17 BOWLING EVENTS, FEATURING PWBA, COLLEGIATE AND YOUTH, IN 2020

ARLINGTON, Texas – Live coverage of a Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour event finals that will 

take place at the Hammer Junior Gold Championships is one of the many highlights of the 17 bowling shows CBS Sports Network will televise in 2020.

The live finals of the PWBA Las Vegas Open, scheduled as part of the Junior Gold Opening Ceremony at The Orleans Arena, is set for July 12 at 9 p.m. (Eastern). Located in The Orleans Hotel and Casino, the arena will seat approximately 9,000 spectators for the show. The 1995 U.S. Open set the attendance record for a bowling event at 7,212.

CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of seven PWBA stepladder finals in 2020, including all majors, plus four shows from the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships, the finals of all four divisions of the Junior Gold Championships, and the two title matches at the USA Bowling National Championships.

Las Vegas also will host the stepladder finals of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens, on Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. (Eastern) at the South Point Bowling Plaza. It is the first of the four PWBA majors that will be televised live. Dasha Kovalova of Ukraine won her first career PWBA Tour title and major championship at last year’s event.

The U.S. Women’s Open stepladder finals are June 30 (8 p.m. Eastern) at USA Bowl in Dallas, the PWBA Players Championship finals are Aug. 23 (5 p.m. Eastern) at Seminole Lanes in Seminole, Florida, while the PWBA Tour Championship will be announced at a later date.

The finals of college bowling’s major events, the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships that will be held at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex in Wyoming, Michigan, to kick off the action. The ISC women’s finals will air Tuesday, April 21, at 8 p.m. (Eastern), and the ISC men’s singles will be televised April 28 at 11 p.m. (Eastern).

The ITC women’s title match will be televised May 5 at 8 p.m. (Eastern) and the men’s final will air May 12 at 11 p.m. (Eastern).

Six TV shows will be taped for broadcast when the Junior Gold Championships and USA Bowling National Championships are held in Las Vegas in July.

The boys and girls finals in each of the four divisions of the Junior Gold Championships will air on four consecutive Tuesdays starting July 21 with the 12-and-under finals, followed by the U15 (July 28), U17 (Aug. 4) and U20 (Aug. 11) divisions. All finals will air at 8 p.m. (Eastern).

The U15 title match of the USA Bowling National Championships will air Aug. 18, and the U12 final will be on CBS Sports Network on Aug. 25, with both starting at 8 p.m. (Eastern).

The 2020 CBS Sports Network bowling schedule (all times Eastern):

• Tue., April 21, Intercollegiate Singles Championships (women), Wyoming, Mich., 8 p.m.
• Tue., April 28, Intercollegiate Singles Championships (men), Wyoming, Mich., 11 p.m.
• Tue., May 5, Intercollegiate Team Championships (women), Wyoming, Mich., 8 p.m.
• Tue., May 12, Intercollegiate Team Championships (men), Wyoming, Mich., 11 p.m.
• *Tue., May 19, USBC Queens, Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• *Tue., June 30, U.S. Women's Open, Dallas, 8 p.m.
• *Sun., July 12, PWBA Las Vegas Open, Las Vegas, 9 p.m.
• Tue., July 21, Junior Gold Championships (Under 12), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• Tue., July 28, Junior Gold Championships (Under 15), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• Tue., Aug. 4, Junior Gold Championships (Under 17), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• *Sat., Aug. 8, PWBA Greater Columbus Open, Columbus, Ohio, 7:30 p.m.
• Tue., Aug. 11, Junior Gold Championships (Under 20), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• *Sat., Aug. 15, PWBA Tennessee Open, Clarksville, Tenn., 5 p.m.
• Tue., Aug. 18, USA Bowling National Championships (Under 15), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• *Sun., Aug. 23, PWBA Players Championship, Seminole, Fla., 5 p.m.
• Tue., Aug. 25, USA Bowling National Championships (Under 12), Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
• *TBA, PWBA Tour Championship, TBA

    *televised live

CBS Sports Network will re-air many of the events, so check local listings. Visit CBSSportsNetwork.com for listings and channel information.

Visit BOWL.com/Collegiate to learn more about the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships.

For information on the Junior Gold Championships and USA Bowling National Championships, visit BOWL.com/Youth.

Go to PWBA.com for information on the PWBA Tour, including news, player bios, and more.

The PWBA Tour, Junior Gold Championships and USA Bowling National Championships are collaboratively funded by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and USBC.

O'KEEFE CAPS CAREER YEAR AS NOVEMBER BOWLER OF THE MONTH

Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Illinois, has been named the November 2018 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the International Bowling Media Association.

 O'Keefe topped Sin Li Jane, Malaysia, 238-236, for the women's title at the 54th QubicaAMF World Cup in Las Vegas.    

           

After finishing the eighteen-game qualifying round in third place averaging 208, O'Keefe spent the twenty-four-game match play in the top ten, defeating Daphne Tan, Singapore, to secure fourth place going into the championship round.

 

The semifinals began as the fourth-seeded O'Keefe stunned top-seeded Nadia Pramanik, Indonesia, 247-202. The third-seeded Sin ousted second-seeded Maria Jose Rodriguez, Columbia, 207-166, in the other semifinal, setting up the final match with O'Keefe.

 

The win comes at the end of an amazing year for the head coach for the highly-ranked McKendree University women's bowling team. O'Keefe won two titles out of seven championship round appearances, including the USBC Queens tiara, en route to 2018 PWBA Player of the Year.

 

Others obtaining votes this month were Sam Cooley, Australia, winner of the men's 54th QuibicaAMF World Cup, Tim Foy, Jr., winner of the PBA East Region Bowlers Discount Pro Shop Open presented by Track, and Dick Allen and Walter Ray Williams, Jr., winners of the PBA/PBA50 Southern Region Decker Appraisal Services Harrisonburg Baker Doubles Honoring Guppy Troup.

LIZ JOHNSON STRIKES AGAIN AT NATIONWIDE PWBA COLUMBUS OPEN

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Reigning three-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Liz Johnson showed she’s ready for the final events of the PWBA Tour season by making a title-winning run at the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open on Saturday.

Johnson rolled 23 strikes over three matches at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl to snag her 24th professional title. In the title match against top seed Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, Johnson flirted with a perfect game, connecting on her first nine shots before a 10 pin ended the run in a 278-202 victory.

Johnson started Saturday’s final round of qualifying with a 289 game, leaving a 10 pin on her second shot in the final frame.

“You couldn’t ask for a better day,” Johnson said. “I’ve had some troubles on Friday nights and Saturday mornings, (the lanes) seem to get a little tighter as the week goes on. I just made a couple of little changes, tweaked a little bit with my release.”

“I tried to keep it simple, stay with that game plan. For the most part, I stayed out of trouble, had a couple of big games, got to the show and then made some good shots.”

Pluhowsky remains without a PWBA title, having lost as the No. 1 seed for the third time. Her other two losses as the top seed came in 2016. Early in Saturday’s match, she left a 9 pin on a solid shot followed by an open frame despite a good shot on the spare attempt.

“A couple of hits here and there and the game’s different,” Pluhowsky said. “That’s what it takes to win. You have to get those hits, but you have to throw it there first. That’s why she’s the greatest one out here. She gets it done.”

Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo provided a tough test for Johnson in the semifinal. In a tight match throughout, Restrepo struck twice in the final frame to force Johnson to have to match her.

Johnson obliged in a 224-215 victory, though her second shot in the 10th did make for a little drama.

“I got away with it,” Johnson said of the light hit. “The second shot got away from me a little bit, and I caught a break, fortunately.”

Johnson started her run against Colombian native Clara Guerrero, striking on seven of her first eight shots. Guerrero, meanwhile, could not put together consecutive strikes as Johnson won, 234-205.

Guerrero did string together strikes in the opening match. She struck on four of her first five shots to build a 19-pin lead against rookie Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan, who was making her third consecutive television show.

While Guerrero left the 3-6-7-10 in the ninth frame, she had built a big enough lead and took a 210-198 victory.

The PWBA Tour heads to the Dallas area next week for the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship at Plano Super Bowl, and Johnson is ready.

“I feel good,” Johnson said. “This is a great confidence booster going into Dallas.”

The Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open was the third and final elite-field event on the 2018 PWBA Tour. The top 24 bowlers on the PWBA points list after the U.S. Women's Open qualified for the elite events with the remainder of the 32-player field at each event completed through a pre-tournament qualifier.

Competitors bowled 16 qualifying games on Friday before the field was cut to the top 12. Six additional games on Saturday morning determined the five players for the stepladder finals.

Visit PWBA.com for more information on the PWBA Tour.

NATIONWIDE PWBA COLUMBUS OPEN
At Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio
Saturday’s Final Results

1. Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 736 (3 games), $10,000
2. Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 202 (1 game), $5,000
3. Rocio Restrepo, Ibagué, Colombia, 215 (1 game), $3,500
4. Clara Guerrero, Armenia, Colombia, 415 (2 games), $3,000
5. Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., 198 (1 game), $2,500

Stepladder results
Match 1 – Guerrero def. Richard, 210-198
Match 2 – Johnson def. Guerrero, 234-205
Semifinal – Johnson def. Restrepo, 224-215
Championship – Johnson def. Pluhowsky, 278-202

PAJAK ROLLS A PAIR OF 299 GAMES TO TAKE PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN LEAD

SEMINOLE, Fla. – Getting away from the game during the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour’s recent break has seemingly done wonders for Daria Pajak’s game.

In Friday’s second qualifying round of the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater

Open, the Pila, Poland native averaged 245, including a pair of 299 games over a three-game span. Now, after first having to go through the pre-tournament qualifier just to make the field, she will lead 12 bowlers into Saturday morning’s final qualifying block.

The top five players in total pinfall after Saturday morning’s six games at Seminole Lanes will advance to the stepladder finals, which will be televised live at 6 p.m. (Eastern) on CBS Sports Network.

“I feel great, I’m speechless,” Pajak said. “I lined up very well, matched up, where I had a couple of boards down the lane where I could miss, and I just never let it go. When I saw the ball was doing something different, I was trying to get a better feel at the bottom, and it worked. I could miss quite a bit.”

Pajak said the PWBA’s break in July was just what she needed, that she “needed to clear my head.” She has performed better each day this week.

She averaged 226 over eight games to lead Thursday’s qualifying event and then had a great start on Friday, with a 1,885 total (235 average) during the eight-game morning block. It was not comparable to the afternoon block, however.

After starting with games of 223 and 236, Pajak had a 299, 274, 299 again and a 266 game – a ridiculous 284.5 average over the four games.

So, the only disappointing part was missing a 300 game twice, right?

“No, not at all,” Pajak said. “I would love to have a 300 game. It’s great, a cute accomplishment, but 299, 274, and then 299 feels just as good.”

Pajak’s collegiate teammate at Webber International, Verity Crawley of England, also made a big move on Friday afternoon, starting in 15th place and moving up to fourth.

Crawley started the second round with an 814 set that included a 290 and 300 game.

“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” Crawley said. “I felt like my shot-making was really good, which was more important than anything.”

Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open champion, led the opening round with a 2,014 pinfall total, ahead of Kelly Kulick (1,850) of Union, New Jersey, and Pajak.

“It’s funny, because I didn’t practice yesterday, so I came into today kind of rusty, I guess you could say,” said Kuhlkin, who had the event’s first perfect game in the opening round. “It was a very pleasant surprise to bowl the way I did today.”

The Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open is the first of three elite-field events that will take place in August. Following the U.S. Women’s Open, the top 24 players on the PWBA points list earned their way into the elite-field events with the remainder of the 32-player field determined through a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ).

Colombian players delayed
Three players who qualified for the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, based on being in the top 24 in points after the U.S. Women’s Open, were not available at the start of the event on Friday morning.

Clara Guerrero, Maria Jose Rodriguez, and Rocio Restrepo were delayed because of travel issues after competing for their native Colombia in the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games, a multi-sports event, in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Rule 6 of the PWBA rules addresses late arrivals, stating “any competitor who is late for the official start time for the first round of qualifying may be disqualified. Any competitor who is late for the starting time for any subsequent round of qualifying must enter play in the current frame and game in which her group is then bowling, and she will receive no score for frames and/or games missed.”

The players notified the tournament manager they were en route to the event, so they were not disqualified and arrived just before the start of the second round. The three bowlers will receive points based on their finishes.

Sandra Gongora, who also competed in the games in Colombia, withdrew from the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open earlier in the week.

PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN
(At Seminole Lanes, Seminole,  Fla.)
FRIDAY’S QUALIFYING (After 16 games)
     1, Daria Pajak, Poland, 3,920. 2, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3,833. 3, Jordan Richard, Tipton, Mich., 3,761. 4, Verity Crawley, England, 3,687. 5, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,653. 6, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,618.
      7, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,594. 8, Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., 3,577. 9, Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 3,549. 10, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,525. 11, Birgit Poppler, Germany, 3,523. 12, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,512.

Did not advance
      13, (TIE) Bryanna Cote, Red Rock, Ariz., and Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, and Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3,479, $1,200. 16, Sydney Brummett, Wichita, Kan., 3,475, $1,200. 17, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,449, $1,200. 18, Giselle Poss, Nashville, Tenn., 3,382, $1,200.
      19, Taylor Bulthuis (n), Coral Springs, Fla., 3,373, $1,200. 20, Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 3,352, $1,200. 21, Josie Barnes, Nashville, Tenn., 3,347, $1,200. 22, Jen Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 3,344, $1,200. 23, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3,273, $1,200. 24, Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., 3,250, $1,200.
      25, Katie Thornton (n), Savannah, Ga., 3,225, $1,200. 26, Pamela Alvarez, Mexico, 3,217, $1,200. 27, Summer Jasmin, Beckley, W. Va., 3,172, $1,200. 28, Samantha Infantino (n), Wellington, Fla., 3,083, $1,200. 29, Janelle Irwin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3,045, $1,200. 30, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,778, $1,200.
      31, Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, 1,739, $1,200. 32, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 1,718, $1,200.
     n-non-member