Pluhowsky takes USBC Open All Events Lead

By Matt Cannizzaro and Emil Williams Jr.
USBC Communications

RENO, Nev. - Team USA member Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix has enjoyed many successes at the National Bowling Stadium, so it's no surprise to see her name atop the leaderboard at the 2010 USBC Open Championships.

The 27-year-old left-hander took a step toward adding another piece of hardware to her trophy case when she moved into the Regular All-Events lead with a 2,083 total Sunday night.

Pluhowsky opened with a 642 series in team, and caught fire during doubles and singles. She posted games of 279, 193 and 268 for a 740 doubles series and kept the momentum going in singles, rolling games of 239, 268 and 194 for 701. Matt Smith of Altoona, Iowa, and George Kontos of Joliet, Ill., previously shared the all-events lead with 2,073.

In all, Pluhowsky cracked the top 10 in four events this weekend. She helped Capri Lanes of Dayton, Ohio, into seventh place in Regular Team with a 3,073 total and teamed up with Megan Kelly of Huber Heights, Ohio, for a 1,361 doubles total, which is eighth overall. Together, Pluhowsky and Kelly helped Capri Lanes into ninth place in Team All-Events with 9,171.

"It's exciting," said Pluhowsky, who made her sixth consecutive Open Championships appearance. "I have been bowling pretty well the last three months, so to be able to continue that here was a great thing."

Pluhowsky didn't know the all-events number during her doubles set, but decided to inquire about it right before singles began. When she found out, she was focused and determined.

"I am not even sure what made me ask," said Pluhowsky, whose previous high all-events total was 1,958 at the 2007 event, also in Reno. "From there, it was about making good shots, and if it happened, it happened. If not, I still would have walked out happy because this is my best tournament to date."

Pluhowsky's success at the Stadium dates back to her days as a youth bowler when she claimed the last of her three consecutive wins at the USBC Junior Gold Championships in 2001. That same year, she won the first of two consecutive USBC Team USA Trials titles at the NBS, before adding a third straight win in Las Vegas. Her most recent victory at the Stadium came at the 2006 USBC Queens.

"Some people try to say the left is better here," said Pluhowsky, who is the general manager at Capri Lanes. "I just match up here, and my ball reaction is good here. I always try to take advantage when I am here and do the best I can."

Outside of the Stadium, the former University of Nebraska standout owns three collegiate national championships, three Professional Bowlers Association Women's Series titles, two QubicaAMF World Cup titles and dozens of medals in international competition.

While Pluhowsky was making her all-events run Sunday, Dayton's Mandy Wilson was a few lanes away making a run of her own.

The right-hander started the day with a shot at the Regular Doubles lead, too, but a missed 2-8 spare in her final frame left her and Douglas Stone of Troy, Ohio, two pins shy of Terry Hall of Rocklin, Calif., and Andrew Udahl of Elk Grove, Calif., who lead with 1,421.

Wilson was 14 pins off Pluhowsky's all-events pace heading into her ninth and final game, but finished with 184 and a 2,059 all-events total, which is fourth overall. She had 727 in doubles, 699 in singles and 633 in team.

"My mindset in doubles is don't let my partner down, fill frames and make spares," said Wilson, who is a member of the Ohio USBC Hall of Fame. "I am happy about my finish, but unfortunately, I missed a couple makeable spares that hurt my doubles and all-events chances."