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O'Keefe, O'Neill Win Second Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Title
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Sunday, 8.2.2015 |
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Bill O'Neill (second from left) and Shannon O'Keefe (second from right) are presented their trophies by tournament founder Donna Conners (R) and Storm's Hank Boomershine (L) (Photo Courtesy PBA LLC)
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HOUSTON, Texas � Shannon O�Keefe of O�Fallon, Ill., and Bill O�Neill of Langhorne, Pa., won their first seven of eight matches Sunday to run away with the 16th annual PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament title at Palace Lanes, repeating their title-winner performance of 2013.
O�Keefe, an 11-time Team USA member and currently head women�s bowling coach at McKendree University, earned her first Professional Women�s Bowling Association title while O�Neill picked up his seventh Professional Bowlers Association title and second of the 2015 season. The winning pair also split the $15,000 first prize.
O�Keefe and O�Neill came into the eight-game match play final round in seventh place, but won their first 7 matches and earned 210 match play bonus pins, charging into the lead after four other teams each held the lead for one game earlier in the match play finals. With a 160-pin lead going into the final game, O�Keefe and O�Neill finally lost a match to runners-up Lynda and Chris Barnes, but they still won comfortably, 8,782-8,707 pins.
�We were fortunate to win our first two matches because we didn�t bowl that well, but we both made ball changes in game three and from that point on, we really bowled well,� O�Neill said. �The scores were a lot lower than I thought, but the conditions just got really flat and made it hard for the women. Fortunately I bowled with one of the women who can get inside and hook the ball. When she found it, she got her confidence back and really bowled well.�
It was O�Keefe�s third Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles title. She also won the 2012 title with her husband, Bryan.
�I finally got the monkey off my back and I couldn�t be happier to win my first PWBA title, thanks to Bill,� O�Keefe said. �PWBA went away and for the past decade, I�ve bowled with Team USA and that has kept me going. I�m way too competitive to not want to bowl.�
�Bryan was coaching Team USA at the Tournament of Americas in 2013, and it conflicts with this tournament, so I asked Bill if he�d like to bowl and we won,� O�Keefe said. �This year I asked him early and got him locked up.�
�I was just very fortunate that Bryan doesn�t bowl that much anymore and let me bowl with his wife,� O�Neill said.
The tournament, which also serves as a fund-raiser in support of The Rose, a Houston-based organization that helps women who can�t afford breast care treatment or mammograms, and the Huntsman Group, a cancer research based in Utah, raised more than $74,000 for its charities. Over its 16-year history, the tournament has raised more than $725,000 to fight breast cancer.
PBA-PWBA XTRA FRAME STRIKING AGAINST BREAST CANCER MIXED DOUBLES
Palace Lanes, Houston, Texas
Final Match Play Standings (after 20 games, including match play bonus pins) 1, Shannon O'Keefe, O'Fallon, Ill./Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 7-1, 8,782, $15,000. 2, Lynda/Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5-3, 8,707, $8,000. 3, Anita Arnett, Richmond, Texas/Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 5-3, 8,532, $5,000. 4, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio/Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 3-5, 8,458, $4,000. 5, Diana Zavjalova/David Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3-5, 8,407, $3,000. 6, Verity Crawley, England/Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3-5, 8,352, $2,500. 7, Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla./E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2-6, 8,337, $2,200. 8, Jackie Carbonetto, Blauvelt, N.Y./Matt Gasn, Laurel, Md., 4-4, 8,311, $2,000.
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Upcoming events in
and around Western New York |
Bowler's Choice Pro Shop Fall Open |
Transit Lanes, Williamsville, NY
October 16, 2016 |
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