Simonsen, McEwan Eye Three-peat; Tackett Pursues PBA History in Houston

The best of the PBA and PWBA Tours are set to convene in Houston for the 2025 Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament.

The tournament is more commonly called “The Luci” in honor of Luci Bonneau, a long-time PWBA Tour player and close friend of SABC founder Donna Conners. 

This year marks the event’s 25th anniversary. Since the first event in 2000, the X Out Breast Cancer Foundation has raised more than one million dollars in the fight against breast cancer.

Anthony Simonsen and Danielle McEwan enter as two-time defending champions. Moreover, McEwan has won three of the past four Lucis; she captured the 2021 title with EJ Tackett.

The teammates are two-for-two bowling together in the Luci, but have an extensive history competing together for Team USA and internationally.

Tackett won three of four Luci events from 2018-2022, each with a different partner. He will be competing for the fourth consecutive year with Diandra Asbaty. They won the 2022 event together.

With the Luci being the final PBA Tour event of the season in which pinfall counts for a player’s season average, Tackett has PBA history on the line this weekend.

Tackett, averaging 229.43 across his 370 games this season, is on the precipice of breaking Jason Belmonte’s 2017 record of 229.39 (in 380 games).

The below table outlines the pinfall Tackett must reach in each round of the event to surpass Belmonte’s record. The last column refers to Tackett's minimum final season average if he reaches the pinfall in the third column.

FORMAT

All players will bowl seven games of qualifying on the 41-foot oil pattern in this official PBA Tour title event. After all four squads compete, the top 1:4 of the field will advance to Sunday's semifinals.

Teams will bowl four more games Sunday morning with the top 12 teams advancing to round-robin match play. The team with the highest pinfall after match play wins. There is no stepladder finals.

Across all rounds, players will bowl singles games with combined scores comprising the team total. There are no baker doubles games.

All rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV.

More information on the event is available on the Striking Against Breast Cancer website and Facebook page.

2025 Event Schedule

Copperfield Bowl | Houston, TX

All times Central

Thursday, July 24
9 a.m. — A/B-squad practice session
1 p.m. — C/D-squad practice session
4 p.m. — Beauties vs. Beasts match

Friday, July 25
8 a.m. — A-squad qualifying (seven games)
2 p.m. — B-squad qualifying (seven games)
8 p.m. — Pro-Am

Saturday, July 26
8 a.m. — C-squad qualifying (seven games)
2 p.m. — D-squad qualifying (seven games)
8 p.m. — Pro-Am

Sunday, July 27
8 a.m. — Semifinals (four games)
11:30 a.m. — Finals (first six games of round-robin match play)
3 p.m. — Finals (last six games of round-robin match play)

Past Champions

2024 — Anthony Simonsen and Danielle McEwan
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