SOUTH GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Haley Carroll of Williamsville, New York, defeated Karsyn Lukosius of Freehold, New Jersey, 215-209, Sunday to win the 2026 Professional Women’s Bowling Association Albany Regional at Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center in South Glens Falls, New York.
Carroll qualified as the No. 2 seed and faced No. 4 Kara Mangiola in the semifinal match, which started with the two competitors firing a combined nine strikes in the first five frames, with Carroll starting with the first five strikes. The second half of the match was a different story after both bowlers opened in the sixth frame before another open by Carroll in the seventh trimmed her lead.
Mangiola had a chance to win the match in the 10th, but a weak 10-pin put her at 206, and Carroll closed with 211 to advance. Mangiola earned $850 for her third-place finish.
Carroll and Mangiola are league partners, making their semifinal matchup a familiar one despite the stakes.
“We’re friends off the lanes,” Carroll said. “We just want to beat whoever bowls against us on the lanes, but it doesn’t affect our friendship at all. It’s just really cool that I actually got to share that moment with her.”
The title match between Lukosius and Carroll was another close match as Lukosius began with the first four strikes while Carroll alternated between strikes and spares in the same period. Carroll turned it around in frames five through seven with three strikes in a row while Lukosius opened twice with a 4-9 split in the fifth frame and a 2-10 split in the seventh.
Just as Carroll was beginning to find her groove, a pocket 7-10 split in the eighth frame halted her momentum before she rebounded with a strike in the ninth. Lukosius was the first to finish the match, working off a strike in the ninth, where she had a maximum score of 223 if she could close out the final frame with three strikes to force Carroll to double.
After the first strike in the 10th, Lukosius’ next ball went a tad high and left the 4-6-8 split. She knocked down the 6-8 to finish with 209. All Carroll needed was a strike of her own and good count, and she did just that for 215, winning the $2,100 top prize, title and automatic berth into the PWBA Regional Showdown.
Lukosius was denied a sixth PWBA Regional title and earned $1,050 for her runner-up finish. It was Lukosius’ second straight runner-up finish at Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center after finishing second in the 2025 event.
Carroll, who also competed against Lukosius in college, knew she would have a difficult opponent standing between her and her first regional title.
“She’s always been a great bowler and I’ve always looked up to her,” Carroll said. “I just wanted to get an opportunity to get a go at her. Whatever happens, happens, and just hope the pins go my way. I just had to take my time, one shot at a time, and hopefully they go my way. Obviously, they did today.”
For Carroll, the victory was the culmination of years of hard work and several previous attempts at capturing a regional title. Sunday marked her second championship-round appearance on the PWBA Regional Tour.
“(Winning) just means that all this time I put in working hard really just paid off,” Carroll said. “I’ve bowled a few of these before. This was my second show and it was really nice being able to finally figure it all out.”
Bowling success runs in Carroll’s family, with her grandmother, Doris Coburn, and mother, Cindy Coburn-Carroll, both having accomplished careers on the lanes and earning their place in the PWBA Hall of Fame. Haley hopes Sunday’s victory is the beginning of a similar legacy of her own.
“I’ve always had that in the back of my mind my whole life,” Carroll said. “Whenever I go see them, I just look at all their trophies and accomplishments and stuff, and I was like, you know, I’d love to do that for myself one day. I guess this is the perfect start.”
Carroll credits her family with teaching her more than just the physical aspects of the sport, particularly when it comes to handling the pressure of competition.
“They’ve given me physical game help, but it’s more just when you get in that moment, how do you keep your cool,” Carroll said. “How you grind through a battle, fight through it and never give up, that’s pretty much all they’ve ever taught me.”
The stepladder finals began with Mangiola and Emily Brock of Orchard Park, New York. Mangiola was able to pull away in the second half of the match with 243 to advance while Brock finished with 214, earning $650 for her fourth-place finish.
The entirety of the PWBA Albany Regional was livestreamed on BowlTV and Bowling TV, a free 24/7 television channel devoted entirely to bowling. Bowling TV can be found on Prime Video, LG Channels, Xumo Play, DISH TV, Bonusview, Plex, Free Live Sports, Vizio Watch Free, the Roku App and on www.watchbowling.tv.
The PWBA Regional Tour continues October 10 with the PWBA Oklahoma Regional. For more information, click HERE.
