A highly-recognizable name in the world of professional bowling, Shannon O'Keefe was named the head coach of the McKendree University women's bowling program in June 2014.
The 2021-22 season was another national championship campaign for the Bearcats as under O'Keefe's guidance, the Bearcats posted an impressive 92-27 record and captured tournament victories at four regular season events - the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic hosted by Mount St. Mary's, the Mid-Winter Invitational hosted by Arkansas State University, the Columbia 300 Saints Invitational hosted by Maryville University and the Columbia 300 Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University. In fact,. the Bearcats finished in the top five of all nine tournaments the team entered in 2021-22. In the postseason, the Bearcats captured its second consecutive GLVC Championship and also won the Erie NCAA Regional and captured the school's second-ever NCAA National Championship after posting a 4-0 win over Stephen. F. Austin in the championship match of the 2022 NCAA Championship Tournament. The championships were held in Columbus, Ohio and the championship match was broadcast live on ESPNU. The team finished the season ranked No. 1 in the final NTCA Coaches Poll.
Individually, McKendree continued to haul in more postseason hardware in 2021-22. Senior Hope Gramly repeated as the NTCA Division II Player of the Year and also repeated as the GLVC Player of the Year. Along with Gramly, juniors Rebecca Hagerman and Maranda Pattison were also named NTCA All-American selections and All-GLVC selections. Hagerman was honored with the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the NCAA National Championship finals. O'Keefe also earned her seventh straight NTCA Division II Coach of the Year honor.
During the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season, the Bearcats continued their string of successes as the team captured four regular season tournament titles as they won the Bearcat Hammer Open, the Columbia 300 Saints Invitational hosted by Maryville University, the Prairie View A&M Invitational and the Columbia 300 Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University. In fact, the Bearcarts finished in the Top 5 of all six tournaments the team entered in 2020-21. In the postseason, the Bearcats won the inaugural GLVC Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships where they captured a regional championship to advance to the Final Four, where they fell one match short of the finals to Arkansas State.
Individually, Gramly was named the inaugural GLVC Player of the Year and Isabel Allen was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year, while four Bearcats - Gramly, Allen, Pattison and Britaney Myers - were all named First-Team All-GLVC selections and Isabella Correa Sarmiento was a Second-Team All-GLVC selection. Gramly was a First-Team NTCA All-Region selection, while Pattison earned Second-Team NTCA All-Region honors and Allen and Myers were Honorable Mention NTCA All-Region selections. The NTCA also named Gramly was the Division II/III Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American, while Allen was named to the All-Freshman Team, an Honorable Mention All-American and was selected the Division II/III Rookie of the Year. Pattison earned Third-Team NTCA All-American honors and O'Keefe captured her sixth straight Division II/III Coach of the Year accolade.
It was another stellar season for McKendree under O'Keefe's guidance in 2019-20. The Bearcats registered tournament victories in three events -- the Columbia 300 Saints Invitational hosted by Maryville University, the Prairie View A&M Invitational and the Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University. In fact, the Bearcats finished in the top five of all nine tournaments the team entered in 2019-20. McKendree had a dual match record of 93-18 in the shortened season and earned the No. 1 spot in the final National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-Division and Division II/III rankings. It marks the second time in program history that McKendree finished the year atop the NTCA All-Division poll, while it was the fourth straight year the Bearcats led the way in the last Division II/III rating of the season.
Individually McKendree reaped more post-season hardware in 2019-20. Senior Breanna Clemmer became the first bowler to win NTCA Division II/III Player of the Year accolades all four years of her career. Clemmer was joined by senior teammate Taylor Bailey as NTCA first-team All-America selections, while sophomore Hope Gramly received NTCA honorable mention All-America accolades. Clemmer also became the first winner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year award as the league sponsored bowling for the first time in 2019-20. In all, four Bearcats collected first-team All-GLVC mention: Clemmer, Bailey, Gramly and senior Isabella Correa Sarmiento.
O'Keefe added to her impressive honors list in 2019-20 as well. She was named NTCA Division II/III Coach of the Year, becoming the first person to win the honor five consecutive years. She was also selected as the inaugural winner of GLVC Coach of the Year accolades.
In 2018-19, McKendree produced a dual record of 83-36 and won three regular-season events -- the Track Kat Klash hosted by Sam Houston State University, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Warhawk Invitational and the Big Red Invitational at the University of Nebraska. The Bearcats rolled to top five finishes in each of the nine tournaments they entered. In the post-season, McKendree claimed its second straight MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship. Those efforts added up to give the Bearcats their fourth consecutive bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship, where they finished fifth in the nation. The team regrouped a week later to place second at the 2019 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships.
Breanna Clemmer turned in a season to remember in 2018-19 as well. She grabbed her third NTCA Division II/III Player of the Year award and was one of four Bearcats to receive NTCA All-America accolades. Clemmer a first-team selection, was joined by second-team All-America Taylor Bailey and Lauren Pate along with Hope Gramly, who was a third-team choice. Gramly also became the third McKendree bowler in four years to receive NTCA Rookie of the Year honors.
Clemmer qualifed for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships, where she rolled into the national semifinals. The No. 14 seed in a 24-bowler field, Clemmer won four single-elimination matches to reach the title game, where she stormed to a 32-pin victory to become the first bowler in McKendree history to claim the Intercollegiate Singles Championship crown.
In all, six McKendree bowlers earned MIAA post-season honors in 2018-19. Clemmer headlined a list of four first-team selections for the Bearcats, which included Bailey, Gramly and Pate. Ashley Dunn and Shannon Grimm rounded out the list by receiving honorable mention All-MIAA accolades.
O'Keefe earned more accolades during 2018-19 as well. She was named the NTCA Division II/III Coach of the Year for the fourth time in a row, and was also chosen as the MIAA Coach of the Year for the third time.
The 2017-18 was another memorable one for the McKendree women's bowling program. The Bearcats entered the season as the defending NCAA champions and did not disappoint by winning four regular-season tournaments. McKendree reeled off three consecutive victories to start the second half the season, taking top honors at the Mid-Winter Inviational hosted by Arkansas State University, the Kutztown University Invitational and the Prairie View A&M Invitational. The Bearcats later added the Music City Classic at Vanderbilt before heading into post-season play.
The Bearcats then posted a 3-1 record in winning their first MIAA Tournament championship, defeating the University of Central Missouri 4-2 in the best-of-seven Baker-format final. The victory helped propel McKendree back into the field for the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship for the third time in as many years. The Bearcats had a chance to defend their national championship close to home at Tropicana Lanes in St. Louis.
McKendree opened their NCAA run with a win over Saint Francis University before holding off Arkansas State to reach the national semifinals. There, a familiar foe awaited in Nebraska. The Bearcats collected a sweep over the Huskers to reach the NCAA title match for the second straight year. Facing off against Vanderblit on national television, McKendree battled its way to a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Baker match before the Commodores won the final two games to win the 2018 NCAA championship.
Sophomore Breanna Clemmer and junior Lauren Pate were recognized for their play during the week by earning All-Tournament honors following the NCAA Championship. The Bearcats went on to finish their season a week later with a second place effort at the Intercollegiate Team Championships.
Clemmer led the list of McKendree post-season honorees with her second straight NTCA Division II/III Player of the Year award. Senior Sarah Wille capped her McKendree career with NTCA second-team All-America accolades, while sophomore Taylor Bailey and senior Jessica Mellott grabbed NTCA third-team honors. Junior Lauren Pate rounded out the list of national award winners with NTCA honorable mention laurels.
Wille captured 2017-18 MIAA Bowler of the Year honors and was joined by Mellott, Clemmer and Bailey on the league's first-team All-MIAA list. Pate was named to the All-MIAA second-team squad for the season.
O'Keefe earned her third straight NTCA Division II/III Coach of the Year award while picking up MIAA Coach of the Year honors for the second straight year. O'Keefe was recognized for leading McKendree to a 94-26 dual record in 2017-18 and tournament top five finishes in each of the nine regular-season tournaments the team entered.
The 2016-17 season proved to be a breakthrough one for the McKendree women's bowling program. The Bearcats opened the year by winning the Crusader Classic hosted by Valparaiso University. That turned out to be the first of three in-season tournament victories for the team -- which included the Warhawk Invitational at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the Music City Classic at Vanderbilt University -- setting the stage for a memorable post-season for the Bearcats.
After placing second in the inaugural MIAA Tournament, McKendree received its second straight bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling National Championship, which was staged in Baton Rouge, La. The Bearcats earned the No. 2 at-large berth in the eight-team field, but quickly parlayed that into the No. 1 overall seed after the qualifying rounds. McKendree won its first six matches in head-to-head play in preliminary play and finished with a 6-1 record against the remainder of the field.
Three more victories in match play left McKendree with the lone undefeated record in the bracket and earned the Bearcats a spot in the 2017 NCAA title match against the University of Nebraska. Bowling in front of the live national television audience did not faze the team as McKendree registered a four-game sweep of the Huskers in the finals. Freshman Breanna Clemmer threw two strikes in the 10th frame of game four to shut the door on Nebraska and give McKendree its first-ever NCAA championship in any sport.
Just under a week later, McKendree began competition in the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships at the same facility in Baton Rouge. After claiming the No. 4 seed in the 24-team field after qualifying, the Bearcats battled their way into the championship match against Webber International University. McKendree built a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five match before the Warriors rallied to force a fifth and deciding game. The Bearcats forged a slight lead late in game five thanks to key marks from Jessica Mellott and Taylor Bailey before Clemmer threw a strike to open the 10th frame and put the pressure on Webber International. The Warriors needed a double to win, but a seven-count on the first ball enabled McKendree to collect its second national championship in as many weeks.
The win at the ITC completed a rare double for McKendree. The Bearcats became just the second program to win the NCAA and ITC championships in the same year. The University of Maryland-Eastern Shore was the first to accomplish the feat in 2011.
Clemmer and Bailey capped their stellar freshman seasons by earned All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Championships. Clemmer swept the NTCA Division II/III Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in 2016-17. Clemmer was joined by Lauren Pate as a second-team NTCA All-America choice, while Sarah Wille earned honorable mention NTCA All-America mention.
O'Keefe nabbed her second NTCA Division II/III Coach of the Year award in as many years. In addition to leading McKendree to a pair of national championships in 2016-17, O'Keefe helped the Bearcats to an 87-24 dual match record and top five efforts in each of the eight tournaments the team entered during the regular season.
McKendree began to make a name for itself during the 2015-16 season. The Bearcats exploded for four in-season tournament victories. In early November McKendree captured the Crusader Classic at Valparaiso University. The team then opened the second half of the season with tournament wins at Arkansas State's Mid-Winter Invitational and Kutztown University's KU Invitational before wrapping up the regular season with a triumph at the University of Central Missouri Invitational.
For the first time in program history, McKendree qualified for a spot in the field at the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship. The Bearcats did not disappoint in their first trip to the national stage. McKendree came up just one victory short of an appearance in the national finals, falling to the University of Nebraska in the final game of a best-of-seven Baker match. The effort earned McKendree its first NCAA trophy for its Final Four finish.
A week later, the Bearcats closed the season with a third place showing at the USBA Intercollegiate Team Championships. McKendree was making its 12th consecutive appearance in the ITC field.
Freshman Lauren Pate burst onto the scene in a big way as she was hamed the 2015-16 NTCA Division II/III Rookie of the Year, while senior Samantha Hagerman wrapped up her stellar four-year career in being named as an honorable mention All-America choice by the NTCA.
For leading McKendree to a 63-42 match record and a pair of third-place national finishes, O'Keefe was named the NTCA Division II/III Coach of the Year
Providing strong leadership and teaching skills was one of the many highlights in a whirlwind 2014-15 for O'Keefe. In her rookie season at the helm of the Bearcats' squad, O'Keefe helped lead McKendree to nine top-five finishes during the year, including three against NCAA-only competition. The Bearcats were ranked in the top 10 of the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, the rating used by the NCAA, and finished third in the final Division II/Division III poll conducted by the same organization. After narrowly missing out on the school's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament, McKendree rebounding by winning the xBowling Intercollegiate Sectional Qualifier to collect its 11th consecutive appearance in the xBowling Intercollegiate Team Championships held in Wichita, Kan.
At the national tournament, the Bearcats battled to the No. 3 seed after the qualifying rounds and closed the year with a fifth-place showing at the event. Senior Jodi Gawlik closed out a stellar four-year career at McKendree by earning NTCA Third-Team All-America honors for the second straight year.
When she is not coaching the McKendree program, O'Keefe has built quite a career at a member of the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA). O'Keefe has won 15 career titles, including three majors. She has won the PWBA Tour Championship twice (2017 and 2019), which are sandwiched around a 2018 victory at the USBC Queens.
O'Keefe is the two-time reigning PWBA Player of the Year. After first winning the award in 2018, she had a breakout season in 2019. That season, O'Keefe won five titles and cashed in all 13 of the tour's events. She averaged 215.63 for the 2019 season.
Along with her success on the lanes on the PWBA Tour, O'Keefe has qualified as a member of Team USA every year since 2005. She has been an integral member of Team USA during her 16-year run. Most recently while representing her country, O'Keefe earned a gold medal in doubles at the 2019 Pan American Games along with a silver medal in singles and two bronze medals in team and all-events competition at the 2019 World Bowling Women's Championship. She was also a 2018 Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup champion. That same year, O'Keefe collected two gold medals and a silver at the PABCON Women's Championship.
Since joining Team USA, O'Keefe has earned 43 medals during international competition. That includes 25 gold medals, 11 silver medals and seven bronze medals.
O’Keefe’s athletic ability has not been limited to the bowling lanes. She was a first-team All-NCAA West Region performer at the Division II level as a freshman softball player at Portland State University. An outfielder, O’Keefe batted .410 with a team-high 18 stolen bases along with 15 outfield assists. A four-time All-Conference honoree in softball at Oregon City High School, O’Keefe was among a group of players invited to attend the USA trials for the 1996 Olympic softball team.
Along with her athletic success, O’Keefe has coached a group of young female bowlers over the last several years, known by O’Keefe as her “Chicklets”. She has also attained a Silver-level coaching status with the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Coaching Certification program and rode the GoBowling.com float at the 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2021.
Shannon O'Keefe and her husband, Bryan, reside in O'Fallon. Bryan O'Keefe serves as the director of bowling for McKendree University.
