Welcome to the Shannon Pluhowsky Invitational -- Team USA Trials, Day 3
Shannon Pluhowsky's third top-three finish in as many days at Team USA Trials has given her a commanding lead in the overall standings.
Team USA Trials has evolved into the Shannon Pluhowsky Invitational after three days of competition. Ironically, the 39-year-old lefty has yet to lead a block, but a pair of second place finishes and a third place yields her just seven points on the week. This tournament is not exactly designed to be profitable for competitors, but she has already more than doubled her $350 entry fee.
Pluhowsky leads the next closest competitor, fellow Nebraska alum Julia Bond, by 16 points in the overall standings. Of course, the perilous nature of the tournament’s format implies that Pluhowsky’s advantage is anything but safe.
The other Shannon — 17-time Team USA member, Shannon O’Keefe — led Day 3’s competition on a 41-foot, 22.5-mL oil pattern. I could fill several months’ worth of newsletter content by bulleting items off her résumé one at a time; in that ridiculous (but feasible) scenario, her 299 in Game 3, contributing to the highest block of any competitor this week, would probably be listed by like week six or seven.
One of O’Keefe’s former players at McKendree, Breanna Clemmer, entered the day second in the overall standings. Clemmer salvaged a potentially catastrophic day with a 269 in Game 6, but still dropped to 20th overall with 89 points.
With a 14th place performance today at +97, Anna Callan continued the dominance of the University of Nebraska program. The freshman Cornhusker sits in eighth place overall, third in the US Amateur division, and first among youth participants.
Meanwhile, Paige Peters climbed into auto-bid territory for Junior Team USA with a fourth place finish at +173.
Day 3 Women’s Leaders
1. Shannon O’Keefe (P) — +246
T-2. Shannon Pluhowsky (P) — +198
T-2. Julia Bond (P) — +198
4. Paige Peters (Y) — +173
5. Hope Gramly (AM) — +147
Overall Leaders
1. Shannon Pluhowsky (P) — 7 pts.
2. Julia Bond (P) — 23 pts.
3. Ashley Rucker (AM) — 37 pts.
4. Hope Gramly (AM) — 40 pts.
5. Bryanna Coté (P) — 44 pts.
Overall Youth Leaders
1. Anna Callan (8th overall) — 54 pts.
2. Mabel Cummins (10th) — 60 pts.
3. Alyssa Ballard (T-13th) — 72 pts.
4. Paige Peters (16th) — 81 pts.
5. Maranda Pattison (17th) — 83 pts.
6. Brooke Roberts (19th) — 85 pts.
7. Ashtyn Woods (22nd) — 100 pts.
8. Danielle Jedlicki (24th) — 102 pts.
9. Caroline Thesier (27th) — 110 pts.
10. Annalise O’Bryant (30th) — 114 pts.
*Bolded players have already earned spots on Junior Team USA.
It will be a quick turnaround for the women as they return to Gold Coast Bowling Center at 8 a.m. local time (11 a.m. EST). A 45-foot, almost 29-mL oil pattern, the longest of the week, awaits.
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