July 25, 2024 Nolan Hughes

After a six-week hiatus, the 2024 PBA Tour is back in action. 

The Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Tournament will be the first of three remaining title events this season, followed by the PBA/PBA50/PWBA Jonesboro Trios next week and the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters at the end of August.

The tournament is often called “The Luci,” in honor of Luci Bonneau, a long-time PWBA Tour player and close friend of SABC founder Donna Conners. Since the first event in 2000, the X Out Breast Cancer Foundation has raised well over one million dollars.

 

Defending champions Danielle McEwan and Anthony Simonsen

The weather may be a bit cooler than expected in Houston — no high temperatures in the triple digits feels like a win for everyone — but the race for the season’s top awards are hotter than ever.

EJ Tackett, who won three of four Lucis from 2018 to 2022, led the tour in points this season and leads in earnings and average. However, the two-time Player of the Year is tied with Marshall Kent, David “Boog” Krol, Anthony Simonsen and Kyle Troup with two titles this season.

Simonsen, who won last year’s Luci with Danielle McEwan, also won the season’s most recent title event. He defeated Kent to win the PBA Tour Finals in June — a rematch of April’s PBA Tournament of Champions finale, which was won by Kent.

Troup has a no-so-secret weapon with his partner Liz Johnson, who is perhaps the hottest bowler on the planet.

This month alone, Johnson made the Bud Moore PBA50 Players Championship finals, won the PBA50 Rick's Pro Shop Open (becoming the first woman to win a PBA50 Regional Tour title) and unofficially won the Women’s Classic division of the PBA LBC National Championships for the second consecutive year.

The season’s top rookies, Alec Keplinger and Nate Purches, will look to make a statement this weekend.

Purches leads all rookies in most statistics and will partner with the PWBA Tour’s top player this season in Li Jane Sin. Keplinger will compete with fellow Wichita State graduate Juliana Botero.

This year’s Luci festivities begin with a practice session on Thursday, before the top five men and women from last year’s qualifying compete in the Beauties vs. Beasts match. Five mixed doubles teams will bowl five baker games as part of the annual pre-tournament exhibition.

  • EJ Tackett and Verity Crawley
  • Tommy Jones and Dasha Kovalova
  • Austin Boulds and Stephanie Zavala
  • Matt Kuba and +Bryanna Coté
  • Dom Barrett and Carlene Beyer

Qualifying for the main event takes place across four squads. A- and B-squad compete on Friday, followed by C- and D-squad on Saturday. Each team will bowl seven games of qualifying on a 42-foot oil pattern.

The top fourth of the field will advance to Sunday morning’s semifinals, an additional five-game block. Then the top eight teams will bowl round-robin match play on Sunday afternoon with the highest scoring team after match play claiming the title. First place is guaranteed $25,000.

The full tournament roster, including squad pairings, is available here.

Scores will be updated following each squad here.

All rounds of the tournament will be livestreamed on BowlTV.

Tournament Schedule

Copperfield Bowl | Houston, Texas

All times listed in Eastern

Thursday, July 25
5 p.m. — Beauties vs. Beasts baker match

Friday, July 26
9 a.m. — A-squad qualifying (seven games)
3 p.m. — B-squad qualifying (seven games)
9 p.m. — Pro-Am

Saturday, July 27
9 a.m. — C-squad qualifying (seven games)
3 p.m. — D-squad qualifying (seven games)
Top-fourth of field advances
9 p.m. — Pro-Am

Sunday, July 28
9 a.m. — Semifinals (four games)
Top 12 teams advance to round robin match play
12:30 p.m. — Match Play Round 1 (six games, round robin)
4:30 p.m. — Match Play Round 1 (six games, round robin)
Highest total pinfall wins

More information on the Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament is available here.

Past Champions

2023 — Anthony Simonsen and Danielle McEwan 
2022 — EJ Tackett and Diandra Asbaty
2021 — EJ Tackett and Danielle McEwan
2019 — Kyle Sherman and Amanda Greene
2018 — EJ Tackett and Liz Johnson
2017 — Jason Sterner and Birgit Poppler
2016 — Bill O'Neill and Shannon O'Keefe
2015 — Bill O'Neill and Shannon O'Keefe
2014 — Scott Norton and Missy Parkin
2013 — Bill O'Neill and Shannon O'Keefe
2012 — Bryan O'Keefe and Shannon O'Keefe
2011 — Tommy Jones and Shannon Pluhowsky
2010 — Tommy Jones and Shannon Pluhowsky
2009 — Parker Bohn III and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
2008 — Tommy Jones and Shannon Pluhowsky
2007 — Tommy Jones and Shannon Pluhowsky
2006 — Marc Laracuente and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
2005 — Paul Fleming and Rachel Perez
2004 — Russell Wilson and Kristal Scott
2003 — Wes Malott and Genie Franklin
2002 — Dino Castillo and Diandra Hyman
2001 — Chris Barnes and Amy Dillon
2000 — Mark Scroggins and Donna Conners