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Bowling News USA - April 8, 2009 National Title Up For Grabs

ARLINGTON, Texas - The top 16 men's and top 16 women's collegiate bowling teams in the country will battle for national titles at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championships, presented by Storm, April 15-18 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill.

 

The 2009 men's field is headlined by defending national champion Wichita State. The Shockers are returning to the Intercollegiate Team Championships for the 24th consecutive year and the 28th time in program history - both event records. Wichita was ranked No. 1 in the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association and Bowling Writers Association of American polls throughout the regular season and will be looking to collect its ninth national title.

 

Saginaw Valley State University, which won the Intercollegiate Team Championships in 2006 and 2007, returns to the event led by two-time All-American and ITC MVP Dan MacLelland, who authored the nation's second-best individual average this season - 215.01. The Cardinals will be looking to end Wichita's bid for back-to-back titles in the same fashion that the Shockers snapped SVSU's run at three straight at last year's event.

 

The remainder of the men's field features six additional top-10 teams - Lindenwood University, Newman University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Pikeville College, Calumet College of St. Joseph and Webber International University - and seven squads that were either in the top 20 or receiving votes to be so. The only team completely outside the top 20 was North Dakota State, which is making its Intercollegiate Team Championships debut after finishing fourth at the Las Vegas Sectional.

 

The 2009 women's field is similarly loaded with talent, featuring the entire top 10 and 13 of the top 15 teams in the NCBCA and BWAA rankings.

 

The University of Central Florida enters the tournament as the nation's No. 1-ranked women's team, a post that it has held throughout the 2008-09 season. The Golden Knights have blended freshman talent and senior leadership to produce a squad that is hoping to leave this year's event in possession of the program's first national title.

 

Pikeville is the defending national champion after going undefeated during the 2008 event. The Bears lost several key members from last year's championship team but reloaded with enough talent to maintain a top-three ranking throughout the season.

 

Likewise, Wichita State comes to the Intercollegiate Team Championships with very high expectations. The Shockers, who are making their 28th-consecutive nationals appearance and 34th in program history, have several key players back from last year's runner-up team, including Sandra Gongora, who led the nation in average this year at 210.87.

 

The remaining teams in the women's field include the current National Junior College Athletic Association National Champions - Erie Community College - and the 2008 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship winners - Maryland-Eastern Shore.

 

Intercollegiate Team Championships competition begins on Thursday, April 16 when all teams bowl two 16-game sessions of Baker-style play to establish match-play seeds. At the end of those 32 games, teams in both divisions (men's and women's) will be seeded by total pinfall into double-elimination brackets.

 

Best-of-seven match play will progress until only two teams remain in each division. Those teams will advance to the best-of-three championship round, which will be nationally televised events taped for airing on CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV).

 

Visit bowl.com for news, photos and live match play updates from the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships.

 

United States Bowling Congress

The United States Bowling Congress, as the national governing body, ensures the integrity and protects the future of the sport, provides programs and services to more than 2.6 million adult and youth members and enhances the bowling experience.

 

Bowl with US

 

2009 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships

presented by Storm

(at The Cherry Bowl, Rockford, Ill.)

April 15-18

 

 

MEN'S FIELD                           

Arizona State University       

Calumet College of St. Joseph (2008-09 Storm sponsored)       

CSU-Fresno    

Lindenwood University

University of Nebraska

Newman University

North Dakota State University         

Pikeville College

Purdue University

Robert Morris College

Robert Morris University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Saginaw Valley State University      

Vincennes University

Webber International University

Wichita State University

 

WOMEN'S FIELD

Ball State University

Bellarmine University

Calumet College of St. Joseph (2008-09 Storm sponsored)

University of Central Florida

CSU-Fresno

Erie Community College

Lindenwood University

Martin Methodist University

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

McKendree University (2008-09 Storm sponsored)

Newman University

Penn State University

Pikeville College

Robert Morris College

Wichita State University

Wright State University

(courtesy of bowl.com)

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April, 2009