COMBINED STANDINGS

HOUSTON- After two squads of qualifying at the Professional Bowlers Association/Professional Women’s Bowling Association Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Tournament in Houston, Alec Keplinger of Coldwater, Michigan, and Juliana Botero of Colombia led the pack with a combined total of 3,205 at Copperfield Bowl.

Keplinger took advantage of a great look on the lanes to get to a seven-game total of 1,721, with Botero contributing 1,484 to the Wichita State University alumni’s ascent to the top of the standings. This is their third year bowling the tournament together and the chemistry they have built over the years helped keep their swings loose as they look to improve upon their finish in the 2023 edition of the event.

“We made a run at match play two years ago and missed the cut last year,” said Keplinger. “Definitely nice to have someone striking when you are and loosen the swing up a bit.”

Botero agreed.

“I had so much fun. He did all the work,” she said with a laugh. “We never were lost at any point and having good ball reaction is something you want to have.”

The duo made the cut in 2022 and made a run at match play, ultimately falling short of the top eight, and are in a better spot now to succeed at that goal.

There was also a little extra motivation for them, as earlier in the day, Alec’s girlfriend and her partner, Hope Gramly of Aubrey, Texas, and Kris Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, started the day in with a combined total of 3,128. Prather had a seven-game total of 1,571 and Gramly knocked down 1,557 pins of her own to hold fourth place with two squads remaining.

“All she (Botero) kept saying was, average 270, average 270. I did all I could and said we’re going to beat them (Gramly and Prather). The plan was to beat them, and we did that plus more to be in a good position for tomorrow,” said Keplinger.

“If our plan works, I think we’re going to be good, but we’ll see,” said Botero.

Erin McCarthy of Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Andrew Anderson of Holly, Michigan, are second with a combined total of 3,160, with Karsyn Lukosius of Jackson, New Jersey, and Sean Riccardi of St. Petersburg, Florida, third with 3,142. Gramly and Prather are fourth while Crystal Elliott of Palm Bay, Florida, and Canada’s Francois Lavoie round out the top five with 3,046.

Defending champions Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, and Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas are in good position to make a run at repeating, holding sixth place with 3,039. Giselle Poss of Montgomery, Illinois, and Kendle Miles of Brigham City, Utah (2,999); Sarah Klassen of Canada and Andrew Hall of Westborough, Massachusetts (2,991); Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, North Carolina (2,987); and Julia Bond of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Canada’s Mitch Hupé (2,973) close out the top 10, respectively.

Simonsen also had the day’s first 300 in Game 1 of B Squad, with Bradley Martin-Franz of Blue Springs, Missouri, adding his own perfect game in Game 2.

Two more qualifying squads will run Saturday in Houston at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern before all scores are combined and the top 40 return Sunday for the semifinals. All squads of qualifying, semifinals and finals will be live streamed on BowlTV.