Pluhowsky Earns Top Seed at PWBA Tour Championship

Former Husker Shannon Pluhowsky earned the top seed for Tuesday’s Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Championship following a strong performance in Monday’s match play.

The stepladder finals are Tuesday at 6 p.m. (central) and broadcast live on CBS Sports Network. The winner will take home the $50,000 top prize and third major of the 2022 season.

Pluhowsky, bidding to become the first bowler to win the PWBA Tour Championship in consecutive years, averaged a 257.3 in eight games Monday, including her first 300 game as a professional. She jumped from fifth to first during the final day of match play, as total pinfall for 24 games, including bonus pins for each victory in match play, determined the five finalists.

Pluhowsky, who celebrated her 40th birthday Monday, totaled 6,036 pins through 24 games and is 224 pins ahead of Maria José Rodriguez (5,812). The other competitors for Tuesday’s stepladder finals are Stephanie Zavala (5,767), Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois (5,679) and Jordan Richard (5,666).

Pluhowsky will look to become the second former Husker to win a PWBA major this year, joining Erin McCarthy, who won the U.S. Women’s Open last month. She will be looking to win her third major title of her career.

One of the most decorated bowlers in Husker history, Pluhowsky was a three-time NTCA Bowler of the Year Awards (2001, 2004, 2005) and led Nebraska to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004 and 2005. She also served as an assistant coach on the Huskers’ 2021 national championship team.