August 2, 2026 Nolan Hughes

The PBA’s youth movement continued in the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, the penultimate title event of the 2026 PBA Tour powered by Go Bowling.

Spencer Robarge and Annalise OBryant prevailed in the tournament commonly known as “The Luci,” named in honor of Luci Bonneau, a long-time PWBA Tour player and close friend of SABC founder Donna Conners.

Robarge, a rookie, earned his second career PBA Tour title. OBryant, a rising senior at Jacksonville State University, earned her first career PWBA Tour title.

 

Robarge and OBryant led by 52 pins heading into the 12-game finals, which was the round-robin match play format. The duo increased their lead to 154 pins after six games posting a 5-1 record.

A ferocious trio of teams led by a southpaw caught fire during the second six-game block and pushed Robarge and OBryant to the brink.

Graham Fach and Breanna Clemmer erased a 111-pin deficit in a single game (Game 10 of 12), while the team of Deo Benard and Rocio Restrepo-Hostetler also surpassed Robarge and OBryant.

Matt and Lauren Russo, who trailed the leaders by 227 pins with six games to go, also entered the position round with a viable chance at the title, trialing then-leaders Fach and Clemmer by just 56 pins.

What could have been a rout by Robarge and OBryant suddenly turned into a thrilling position round.

Fach and Clemmer entered the final game of the tournament with the lead, but never got comfortable and drifted out of contention.

The Russos came out firing and put themselves in strong position to steal the title, but a pair of splits in Matt's final two frames derailed their momentum.

After OBryant doubled in her 10th frame, the title came down to the 10th frames of 22-year-old Benard and 23-year-old Robarge.

Robarge struck on his first shot, then paused in shock as Benard left the 2-4-7-8 spare. Benard failed to convert the spare, opening the door for Robarge to clinch the title with a strike.

The rookie seized the opportunity and propelled his partner into the winner's circle.

 

Robarge became the second rookie this season to win multiple titles. Robarge also won the Pilgrim’s PBA Ohio Classic in April, while Alex Horton won the PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA Shark Championship.

With four rookies claiming titles, Brandon Bonta (PBA Players Championship) and Austin Grammar (Surfside PBA New York Classic), this marks the winningest rookie class in PBA Tour history.

Robarge’s winning ways began earlier this year at Copperfield Bowl. He won the PBA Copperfield Bowl Challenge, a PBA Regional Tour event, on March 22. Two weeks later, he won the Ohio Classic on the national tour.

The Wichita State product later added two more PBA Regional Tour titles and now a second national tour title, which is a lot of trophies for a rookie who said he didn’t know if he belonged on the professional circuit at the start of the season.

“I guess I do (belong). You know, the jury is still out,” Robarge said. “It's crazy. I wasn't planning on bowling in Sweden, but now I have to think about it a little bit because I still think (Rookie of the Year) is one of (Bonta or Horton). But I also didn't think that we were going to win this, so maybe I can get lucky out there. It is the Lucky Larsen.”

The collegiate star OBryant is accustomed to winning. She owns two U15 Junior Gold titles, is a two-time and current member of Team USA and a former six-time member of Junior Team USA.

With Jacksonville State, OBryant has won two of the last three NCAA titles and the last two ITC titles. This season, the juggernaut won 103-10 during the NCAA regular season.

She will head into her senior year looking to claim a fifth team national title with a professional title already under her belt.

“It's very surreal because I did not know when it would come,” OBryant said. “The road we took to get here will be one for the books and one to always remember. It was a roller coaster, but it was all worth it.”

Final Standings
  1. Spencer Robarge and Annalise OBryant, $25,000
  2. Deo Benard and Rocio Restrepo, $12,500
  3. Graham Fach and Breanna Clemmer, $10,500
  4. Matt Russo and Lauren Russo, $8,000
  5. Marshall Kent and Diana Zavjalova, $6,250
  6. Mitch Hupé and Julia Bond, $5,750
  7. Stu Williams and Josie Barnes, $5,250
  8. Richie Teece and Liz Kuhlkin, $5,000
  9. Chris Via and Shannon Pluhowsky, $4,750
  10. Jake Peters and Stefanie Johnson, $4,500
  11. Anthony Simonsen and Danielle Urbano, $4,250
  12. Alec Keplinger and Hope Gramly, $4,000

Complete standings are available here.