Bowling: Poelking South to host national collegiate tournament

It will be “home sweet home” for several of the bowlers competing in the upcoming Intercollegiate Singles and Team championships.

Poelking South will play host to the United States Bowling Congress national collegiate tournament for the first time with individual titles on the line April 16-17 and the team event held April 18-20. Sectional events wrapped up last weekend with the top 24 men and women qualifying to the ISC and the top 16 men’s and women’s teams advancing to the ITC.

Wright State University’s Leslie Campbell is among those who will bowl for a singles title as her 1,311, for six games was enough to advance in the Stratford, New Jersey sectional.

“Honestly, I had no clue I had qualified,” Campbell said. “The whole Wright State team was telling me I had and I didn’t believe them,” she said, smiling.

Stebbins graduate Sierra Kanemoto, of Wichita State, and Wayne graduate Haley Cummings, of Lindenwood, will also battle for a national singles title after qualifying from the Dallas and Addison, Illinois sectionals, respectively.

“It’s a very talented field,” Campbell said. “Of course, every time you bowl, you want to win but, no matter what, I want to try my best.”

Cummings will also compete for the team title with the defending USBC Collegiate National Champions from Lindenwood University. The Lions rolled to a first-place finish in Addison, topping second-place Robert Morris-Illinois by more than 200 pins.

The third-place women’s team at the Addison sectional was Miami Valley strong as Megan Cook, Centerville, Jessica Sacks, Butler, and Lauren Mayberry, Mechanicsburg, all compete for Duquesne.

“We made it for the first time this year and we are only in our third year as a program, so we are all very excited,” Cook said. “And I’m very excited that we’re going so close to home.”

Fairmont graduate Jessica Wolfe and Wayne graduate Angel West helped Pikeville post a second-place team finish in Stratford as the Bears easily advanced to the ITC.

Kanemoto – like Cummings – will have some company as the Wichita State women also advanced as a team after a third-place sectional finish in Dallas.

On the men’s side, Centerville alum Dylan Dobran will be in familiar territory, as he will compete with sectional champion Calumet on the same lanes he frequented with the Elks.


USBC intercollegiate Singles and Team Championships

What: Top 24 individual men and women and top 16 men’s and women’s teams compete for national collegiate titles

When: Singles – April 16-17; Team – April 18-20

Where: Poelking South, 8871 Kingsridge Drive, Miami Township

About the Author