GREEN BAY, Wis – Two members of the 2024 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame class were celebrated during their induction ceremony Wednesday evening at the Oneida Hotel and Conference Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Dede Davidson of Santa Clara, California, and Sandra Jo Shiery of Coldwater, Michigan, were elected to the PWBA Hall of Fame in the Performance category, with both in attendance Wednesday at the ceremony.
Davidson won nine PWBA Tour titles and owns three major titles, the 1991 USBC Queens, 1993 U.S. Women’s Open and 2000 Sam’s Town Invitational, as well as a USBC Women's Championship title in Scratch All-Events in 2011. The 1985 PWBA Rookie of the Year won her first title in 1988 at the Ebonite Fireball Classic and collected multiple wins during the 2000 season.
“The feeling I had (after winning) was like I want that again; I want to feel that excitement of knowing I did win a title and still be a part of this,” Davidson said.
Throughout her career, Davidson had nine other top-five finishes at major championships and was inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 2012 for Superior Performance.
At the 2000 Sam’s Town Invitational, Davidson set PWBA scoring records for eight games (2,055 pins), 16 games (3,977 pins), 24 games (5,804 pins), 32 games (7,593 pins), 40 games (9,580 pins), 48 games (11,253 pins), 56 games (13,397 pins) and 56 games with bonus pins (13,982 pins).
“The Sam’s Town Invitational was one of the biggest titles to win,” Davidson said. “My mother was there all week to see me really perform and break all those records. If I did not win that tournament, I wouldn’t be here as a Triple Crown winner.”
With everything that she accomplished, Davidson achieved every goal that she set for herself before going out on tour.
“I wanted to be the Rookie of the Year, to get to double-digits in wins, win the Triple Crown in majors and to be in the Hall of Fame. I am so blessed to be able to conquer all of those,” Davidson said.
Davidson’s counterpart going into the Hall of Fame this year had an equally illustrious career.
Before going out on the PWBA Tour, Shiery was a member of Team USA in 1987, competing in the World Tenpin Bowling Association (now International Bowling Federation) World Championship and Tournament of the Americas, winning eight total medals, five of which were gold. She also was 1987’s Bowlers Journal International Amateur Bowler of the Year and United States Olympic Committee Athlete of the Year in Bowling.
“I will never forget that feeling of standing on the podium, the pride and the accomplishment,” Shiery said.
Shiery went out on the PWBA Tour in 1989 and made an immediate impact, winning the South Bend Classic as an amateur. She ended her PWBA career as a 10-time winner, including one major at the 1997 Queens in Reno, Nevada.
“That first tournament in South Bend will always be one of my favorites because the whole family was there,” Shiery said. “You believe in yourself that you can do it, but when it does happen, it’s like ‘hey, I just did this.’”
From 1993-1997, Shiery won at least one title a year, with 1994 and 1995 being multi-title years, culminating with the Queens title. She was inducted into the Michigan State USBC Hall of Fame in 1991 and the USBC Hall of Fame in 2021.
“It didn’t totally sink in that it was as big as it what it is,” Shiery said of her Queens victory. “It’s a special one for me. I was very blessed and very lucky.”
Through 2024, there are 49 members of the PWBA Hall of Fame – 29 in Performance, 10 in Pioneer, nine in Meritorious Service/Builder and one in Ambassador.
