Stepladder Finals Set at 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open

Jul 12, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas

PWBA

Article hero image

Stepladder finalists | Picture credit: pwba.com

Stepladder Finals Set at 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open

Jul 12, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas

Stepladder finalists | Picture credit: pwba.com

PWBA

After four rounds of qualifying at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, the field at the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open has been cut to the top five players who will advance to Sunday’s televised stepladder finals at the Resch Center.

best bolwing balls review article banner

Kayla Smith of Rockford, Illinois, will make her first stepladder finals appearance as she claimed the No. 1 seed after an outstanding final round, averaging over 265 across six games.

Her block of 1,593 was the second-highest six-game series on the PWBA Tour since its relaunch in 2015, just two pins shy of Breanna Clemmer’s 1,595 at the 2022 St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open.

Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, who led the standings through all previous rounds, will enter as the No. 2 seed. She’s seeking her second title of the year after winning the 2025 USBC Queens.

Verity Crawley of England took the No. 3 position, returning to the PWBA stepladder finals for the first time since 2023.

Nora Johansson impressed with a massive climb from 27th to 2nd in Round 3 and held her ground on Friday to lock in the No. 4 seed for the televised finals. This marks her first career appearance in a PWBA televised final.

Rocio Restrepo of Colombia rounds out the top five.

Live CBS Sports Network broadcast of the PWBA Anniversary Open begins Sunday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Similar Articles

see more
Article thumbnail image

Josie Barnes Wins 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open in Historic Finals Setting

Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, claimed the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open title after winning two matches during Sunday night’s stepladder finals at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The finals took place as part of the Junior Gold Championships Opening Ceremony, drawing over 6,500 spectators into the arena. It marked one of the most attended and visually striking finals in recent PWBA history. Barnes, seeded second, first faced Verity Crawley of England in the semifinals. Crawley had advanced with a 212–193 win over Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo in Match 2. Barnes kept a clean game and used Crawley’s mid-game opens to take control, winning 214–194 to earn a spot in the title match. In the championship match, Barnes met Kayla Smith of Rockford, Illinois. Smith had secured the No. 1 seed after a strong final qualifying round but struggled with carry in the final. Barnes built momentum early with five consecutive strikes and held the lead to close out the match 236–191. The win marks her second title of the 2025 season and sixth overall on the PWBA Tour. second title of the 2025 season second title of the 2025 season The stepladder finals opened with Sweden’s Nora Johansson making her PWBA finals debut. Johansson, the first two-handed player to reach a PWBA stepladder final, led early against Restrepo but closed with back-to-back splits, losing 209–215. All matches were contested at the Resch Center on a specially built lane installation. The event was aired live on CBS Sports Network. PWBA Anniversary Open Stepladder Finals - Match Results Match 1: Rocio Restrepo def. Nora Johansson, 215 - 209Match 2: Verity Crawley def. Rocio Restrepo, 212 - 193Semifinal: Josie Barnes def. Verity Crawley, 214 - 194Final: Josie Barnes def. Kayla Smith, 236 - 191 Match 1: Rocio Restrepo def. Nora Johansson, 215 - 209 Match 1: Match 2: Verity Crawley def. Rocio Restrepo, 212 - 193 Match 2: Semifinal: Josie Barnes def. Verity Crawley, 214 - 194 Semifinal: Final: Josie Barnes def. Kayla Smith, 236 - 191 Final:

PWBA

Article thumbnail image

Stepladder Finals Set at 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open

After four rounds of qualifying at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, the field at the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open has been cut to the top five players who will advance to Sunday’s televised stepladder finals at the Resch Center. Kayla Smith of Rockford, Illinois, will make her first stepladder finals appearance as she claimed the No. 1 seed after an outstanding final round, averaging over 265 across six games. Her block of 1,593 was the second-highest six-game series on the PWBA Tour since its relaunch in 2015, just two pins shy of Breanna Clemmer’s 1,595 at the 2022 St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open. Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, who led the standings through all previous rounds, will enter as the No. 2 seed. She’s seeking her second title of the year after winning the 2025 USBC Queens. who led the standings through all previous rounds who led the standings through all previous rounds Verity Crawley of England took the No. 3 position, returning to the PWBA stepladder finals for the first time since 2023. Nora Johansson impressed with a massive climb from 27th to 2nd in Round 3 and held her ground on Friday to lock in the No. 4 seed for the televised finals. This marks her first career appearance in a PWBA televised final. Rocio Restrepo of Colombia rounds out the top five. Full results Full results Live CBS Sports Network broadcast of the PWBA Anniversary Open begins Sunday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Eastern.

PWBA

Article thumbnail image

Barnes Leads, Johansson Jumps to 2nd at PWBA Anniversary Open

On Wednesday, 97 bowlers started their journey for the sixth title of the 2025 PWBA Tour season. Now, just 12 players remain at the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open following Thursday’s third round of qualifying at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley. Josie Barnes retained her lead after three rounds with a 1,359 block and 18-game total of 4,180. Josie Barnes retained her lead Josie Barnes retained her lead But the biggest move of the day came from Sweden’s Nora Johansson, who climbed from 27th to second. Johansson scored 255, 290, 242, 243, 221, and 246 for a massive 1,497, which was the best 6-game block of the round. After taking a short break back home in Sweden following the U.S. Women’s Open, two-hander returned recharged for the Green Bay stop. “I think going home was like a battery charger,” she said to PWBA representatives after the qualifying round 3. “I went home empty and came back full again, feeling like I can bowl the best after being with friends and family." Nora's lead after Round 3 is razor-thin, so she’ll need an even stronger performance on Friday. Rocio Restrepo of Colombia is just one pin behind in third at 4,147, followed closely by Lindsay Boomershine with 4,143 and Jillian Martin with 4,092, making it an incredibly tight race. Anna Andersson, who rolled the first 300 of the competition and cracked the top 10 after Round 2, finished her run in 21st place with a total of 3,998. Anna Andersson Anna Andersson England’s Verity Crawley also advanced to the top 12. The right-hander delivered a 1,335 block, including a much-needed 268 in Game 6, for an 18-game total of 4,074 to finish in 11th place. Full results after qualifying round 3 Full results after qualifying round 3 All 12 remaining players return Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern for the final six-game qualifying block. With only 108 pins separating first and 12th place, the battle for a spot in the finals is wide open. The top five will then advance to the televised stepladder finals, airing live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern. All qualifying rounds are streamed live on BowlTV.

PWBA

Article thumbnail image

Barnes Leads PWBA Anniversary Open; Andersson Rolls 300, Currently 9th

The 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open got off to a strong start at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with two qualifying rounds completed on Wednesday. Now, only 32 players remain in the field heading into Thursday's action. 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open Josie Barnes sits at the top of the standings with a 12-game total of 2,821, averaging 235. Barnes is chasing her second title of the season after winning the USBC Queens In May. after winning the USBC Queens In May. after winning the USBC Queens In May. Close behind is Kayla Verstraete, with 2,786. Rounding out the top five are Lauren Russo (2,764), Canada’s Jade Côté (2,762), and Bailey Delrose (2,753). Jillian Martin, the 2024 USBC Queens champion, is in sixth place with 2,750. England’s Verity Crawley (2,739), Olivia Farwell (2,737), Sweden’s Anna Andersson (2,727), and Kayla Pashina (2,715) complete the top 10. Anna Andersson rolled the first 300 of the competition, followed by Alexis Runk and Jordan Snodgrass. The three perfect games at the PWBA Anniversary Open bring the season total to 20 - setting a new record for 300s in a single season since the tour’s relaunch in 2015. Anna Andersson Anna Andersson Latvia's Diana Zavjalova (2,666) is in the 20th place, Poland's Daria Pająk (2,657) in 23rd, and Sweden's Nora Johansson (2,651) in the 27th, all three being in the cut after 12 games played. Season's leader in points, Sinapore's New Hui Fen, finished in 42nd with 2,590. All 32 remaining players will return today at 11 a.m. Eastern for the third round of qualifying. After that, the field will be cut to the top 12 for the final qualifying round on Friday. The top five will then move on to the televised stepladder finals, which will air live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern. All qualifying rounds are streamed live on BowlTV.

PWBA