Bowling: Pluhowsky and Via return to action with Team USA
· Yahoo Sports
Jul. 23—The top of the standings is always the goal for Shannon Pluhowsky, but the top of the podium is unforgettable when she is wearing the red, white and blue.
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"When you're wearing USA across your back it's very special because so few people get to do that," Pluhowsky said. "Even now when I hear the National Anthem, my mind will wander back to that moment on top of the podium when it played."
The Dayton area bowler will get another chance to hear the anthem as she was recently selected by the United States Bowling Congress National Selection Committee to compete for Team USA at the 2026 International Bowling Federation World Cup, from Oct. 12-21 at Max Munich Bowling in Germany. It will be Pluhowsky's 26th year competing with Team USA.
"I was 18 when I first traveled internationally with the team," she said. "I was a freshman at Nebraska and basically moved into the dorms and left for Japan."
Four women and four men will represent the United States as Pluhowsky, now 43, will be joined by fellow Ohioan Jillian Martin, Illinois resident Gianna Brandolino and Jordan Snodgrass, of Michigan.
The men's team also has Miami Valley ties as Chris Via, of Springfield, will compete with Andrew Anderson of Michigan, Texas native Ryan Barnes and Packy Hanrahan of Kansas. The eight Team USA bowlers have collected nearly 140 combined medals — Pluhowsky has tallied 50 medals in Team USA competition including four golds in Hong Kong in 2011 alone.
Via, 34, will be making his eighth Team USA appearance.
"When you are competing for your country, you feel like you have a little more to give," he said.
The men's team also has a bit of unfinished business after a ninth-place finish at the 2025 International Bowling Federation World Championships in Hong Kong in December. The women's team won the team title and were the overall women's federation champions.
"We want to be the best in the world, so leaving empty handed was definitely disappointing," Via said. "But I think that will help us moving forward and we can learn from it."
Junior Team USA: Mission accomplished for 2026 Bellefontaine High School graduate Gracie Hood.
The incoming Mount Mercy University bowler — who finished as runner-up at the U.S. High School Bowling National Championship — recently qualified for Junior Team USA at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships. Six boys and six girls — including the top four U18 male and female bowlers after 26 games of qualifying — were named to the team. Hood was in second place after qualifying.
She expressed her aspirations just weeks earlier after wrapping up the national high school event.
"I want to make Team USA," Hood said at the time. "That's my goal."
She did just that.