HOUSTON, Texas – Just when you think the world’s premier mixed doubles bowling tournament can’t possibly get any better, it does. As a capacity field of 160 teams representing Professional Bowlers Association, Professional Women’s Bowling Association, World Bowling and intercollegiate champions from around the world prepare to shoe-up for the 19th annual PBA-PWBA Storm Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Championship – affectionately called “The Luci” in memory of the reason it exists – the only question that matters is, which duet will find the magical elixir this year.

The “SABC Mixed,” which will be live streamed from first ball to last by PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling, began in 1999 when Donna Conners launched a tribute bowling tournament to honor the memory of her late friend, breast cancer victim Luci Bonneau. In the ensuing years, it has generated in excess of $800,000 to benefit breast cancer research and assistance to breast cancer victims.

And as a sporting event, it has accomplished all of Conners’ wildest dreams.

Now based at Houston’s Copperfield Bowl, it has become a magnet for the world’s best bowlers, men and women. Australia, China, Colombia, England, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Venezuela plus the U.S. are represented. There are PBA and PWBA Hall of Famers and Players of the Year in the field, along with a handful of “senior” players along with a group just emerging from their teenage years.

The defending champions are Germany’s Birgit Poppler and PBA Tour champion Jason Sterner (at left) of Rockledge, Fla., who had never bowled together until quirky circumstances matched them up at the last minute in 2017. Beyond that, players named Shannon seem to shine in this event. PWBA Tour star Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Ill., has won the event four times – three with PBA star Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., and once with her husband, Bryan. Another Shannon also is a four-time winner. Lefty Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, and partner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., won the event in 2007, ’08, ’10 and ’11.

The tournament will involve four 40-team squads bowling seven games Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28, at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT, to arrive at the top 40 teams that will advance to Sunday’s five-game semifinal round at 8:30 a.m. After a total of 12 team/24 individual games, the top eight teams will bowl an eight-game round-robin match play round to complete the event. Total pinfall for 20 team/40 individual games, including match play bonus pins, will determine the winners. PBA and/or PWBA Tour title(s) will be awarded if the respective player is a member. The tournament, a part of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule, also is a World Bowling Tour points event. 

For a complete roster and pairings for the qualifying rounds, click here.

Friday and Saturday evenings are reserved for grassroots league bowlers who will participate for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes in an exceptional pro-am event. A new feature for this year’s event will be a “Beauties vs. Beasts” team event Thursday at 4 p.m., pitting last year’s top women qualifiers vs. last year’s top men in a five-game Baker format clash.

All of the activities are aimed at raising money for 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.

For the third year in a row, bowling fans around the world will be able to follow the event from start to finish, live on PBA’s Xtra Frame on FloBowling online video-streaming service. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit FloBowling.com.

For those who would like to support Conners’ efforts, but can’t attend the event, visit http://www.strikingagainstbreastcancer.org/ to make a contribution online.

PBA/PWBA STORM STRIKING AGAINST BREAST CANCER MIXED DOUBLES SCHEDULE 

Copperfield Bowl, Houston, Texas, July 26-29 (all times are Central Daylight Time)

(A part of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule)

Thursday, July 26 

9 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Open practice sessions 

4 p.m. – Beauties vs. Beasts five-game Baker team match

Friday, July 27 

8 a.m. – A Squad, 7 qualifying games 

2 p.m. - B Squad, 7 qualifying games 

8 p.m. - Pro-am squad

Saturday, July 28 

8 a.m. - C Squad, 7 qualifying games 

2 p.m. - D Squad, 7 qualifying games 

Top 40 teams after 7 games advance to semifinal round 

8 p.m. - Pro-am squad

Sunday, July 29 

8:30 a.m. - Top 40 teams, 5-game semifinal round 

Top 8 teams after 12 team/24 individual games advance to round-robin match play finals 

12:30 - Top 8 teams, 8 games round robin match play (total pinfall for 20 team/40 individual games, including match play bonus pins, will determine the champions)

HISTORY OF STRIKING AGAINST BREAST CANCER  (LUCI BONNEAU MEMORIAL) MIXED DOUBLES WINNERS 

2000 - Donna Conners/Mark Scroggins 

2001 - Amy Dillon/Chris Barnes 

2002 - Diandra (Hyman) Asbaty/Dino Castillo 

2003 - Genie Franklin/Wes Malott 

2004 - Krystal Scott/Russ Wilson 

2005 - Rachel Perez/Paul Fleming 

2006 - Carolyn Dorin-Ballard/Marc Laracuente 

2007 - Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones 

2008 - Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones 

2009 - Carolyn Dorin-Ballard/Parker Bohn III 

2010 - Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones 

2011 - Shannon Pluhowsky/Tommy Jones 

2012 - Shannon O’Keefe/Bryan O’Keefe 

2013 - Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill 

2014 - Missy Parkin/Scott Norton 

2015 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill 

2016 – Shannon O’Keefe/Bill O’Neill 

2017 – Birgit Poppler/Jason Sterner

Written by Jerry Schneider

Release provided courtesy of the PBA