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Jodi Woessner, 38, has been one of the area s elite bowlers male or female for decades. But she has never competed full time on the PBA Tour.
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Local bowler to vie in PBA women's tour

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Local bowler to vie in PBA women's tour

Oregon bowler Jodi Woessner capped an incredible eight-month hot streak by earning the opportunity to compete on the professional bowlers association women s tour this season.

Woessner qualified to be a member of the PBA Women s Series with her performance at the U.S. Women s Open last week in Romeoville, Ill. She also will appear on national television next month.

Competing against 188 of the country s top female bowlers, Woessner made the cut to the final 16. She then won a head-to-head match to reach the Round of 8 before losing to Shalin Zulkifl i of Malaysia on Aug. 5.

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The final matches were taped and will be televised by ESPN in September. Woessner s matches will be televised Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.

It was grueling, Woessner said. I bowled about 15 games per day. But I really worked hard at getting in shape. It paid off tremendously. I didn t have any issues with being tired physically. But I was definitely tired mentally.

Woessner finished among the top 12 players who advanced to compete in the PBA Women s Series. The tour features seven events and will be conducted alongside the Denny s PBA Tour stops this season.

Woessner, 38, has been one of the area s elite bowlers male or female for decades. But she has never competed full time on the PBA Tour.

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I competed in regional stops here and there, she said. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I could not let it pass.

The first Series stop is on Oct. 29 in Omaha, Neb. Woessner will compete against 15 other women for a grand prize of $10,000 at each tour stop.

Rob Huss, executive secretary of the Greater Toledo USBC Association, said he believes it is the highest finish at the U.S. Women s Open by any area female bowler.

I would highly doubt any other local gal ever finished that high, Huss said.

Huss said Woessner is really tearing things up right now.

She takes on all comers. She is bowling as well as any of the men right now, Huss said.

Woessner, who is a member of the Ohio Women s Bowling Association Hall of Fame, has earned about $20,000 at tournaments this year.

I ve had a tremendous year and it s not over yet, she said.

On July 13, Woessner beat out 97 male and female bowlers, including PBA veterans, at a PBA regional tournament in Cincinnati.

In the championship match at the PBA Central Region Toyota Open, Woessner defeated PBA star Jason Couch 279-257 to win the $3,000 first-place prize.

That was the ultimate, Woessner said. To look at the field and to say I beat all those guys that is No. 1. I ve done a lot of things in my bowling career, but that has to be right up there.

The field included Liz Johnson, considered by many to be the top female bowler in the country, and PBA veterans Dave D Entremont and Brian Kretzer.

Local standouts Dave Patchen (Oregon) and Emilio Mora, Jr., (Defiance) also finished in the top 10.

There were 15 really strong touring pros there, Woessner said.

Woessner defeated four male competitors in the stepladder finals.

After winning the first three matches, my adrenaline was rushing. When I realized I had [defeated Couch] in the ninth frame I was just sitting there in shock, Woessner said.

Woessner carried that momentum into the U.S. Open last week. She had never finished higher than 24th at the event.

After the second day, Woessner had moved into sixth place. She said she had to tread water and barely made the cut to the final 16 on the fourth day. She shot games of 233 and 227 to make the cut.

I saw the scoreboard and I knew what I needed to do, Woessner said. I guess that kicked me in the butt.

Woessner said she was not nervous during the taped match play. She said she appeared on ESPN in 1995 during a doubles tournament.

I did have some butterflies. The audience was right down the left side of the lane, Woessner said. I had to wear a microphone. But the lights weren t as hot as I had remembered.

Woessner defeated her first opponent, third-seeded Kristal Wilson, of Lawrence, Kan., by a score of 246-192.

The crowd was right on top of me, but I just concentrated on bowling, she said.

But her opponent in the next match was a veteran of the Asian tour, which is televised, and opened with five straight strikes.

I shot an okay game. I had a 194, Woessner said.

Woessner said she likely will have to videotape the airing of her performance. She said she will be bowling in a tournament when it is scheduled to be televised.

Huss said that is exactly why Woessner has just been going to town lately.

Everything that s available she s pretty much won. That s where she is at right now, Huss said. Anyone bowling that well from our local association gives us a good word, too.

In March, Woessner won the Rhodman singles regional tournament in Detroit. Her scores included a 300 game and she qualified for the Rhodman national tournament in Reno. Woessner also won the national event.

She also won two events at the Ohio USBC Women s Bowling Association Championship Tournament which was held at Interstate Lanes in Rossford and Southwyck Lanes in South Toledo. Woessner won the singles and all events categories.

The Oregon resident also finished among the top eight at another PBA regional in Sterling Heights, Mich.

Her biggest paycheck, $8,000, came at the end of 2007 when she won a title at the Hoinke Classic Tournament, a prestigious event held in Cincinnati.

The past six months have been great, she said. I just focused on getting in better shape and bowling as much as I could. I changed some things and I just worked harder.

Woessner, who works full time as a data analyst at Owens Corning, said the PBA Women s Series events are not consecutive.

It s not seven straight weeks and they re working with me on my schedule at my real job, Woessner said.

Woessner said she hopes to pick up sponsors from two bowling equipment producers, Storm and Roto-Grip balls.

I know darn well I can t win every tournament, Woessner said. But would I like to? Absolutely.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com

First Published August 18, 2008, 6:11 p.m.

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Jodi Woessner, 38, has been one of the area s elite bowlers male or female for decades. But she has never competed full time on the PBA Tour.  (NOT BLADE PHOTO)
Oregon's Jodi Woessner bowls at the U.S. Women's Open in Romeoville, Ill. The U.S. Open is one of two major professional women's bowling tournaments.
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