Five selected for USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame Class of 2026
February 11, 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas – The 2026 class for the United States Bowling Congress Collegiate Hall of Fame has been determined with five inductees set to be enshrined among collegiate bowling’s all-time greats in April.
Warren Eales of Las Vegas, P.J. Haggerty of Roseville, California, and Jazreel Tan of Singapore have earned induction for their on-lane performances as Student-Athletes. Kerm Helmer of Cheektowaga, New York, will join this year’s class in the Coach category. Steve Lawson of Mahomet, Illinois, completes the Class of 2026 for his dedication to collegiate bowling as a Contributor.
The ceremony for the 2026 USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame will take place April 15 during the Intercollegiate Team Championships Night of Champions banquet in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and will be streamed live on BowlTV.
Eales, 66, was a standout performer at Arizona State University from 1979-1982, helping the Sun Devils remain a fixture on the national scene while collecting several impressive individual accolades as well.
In 1979, the talented right-hander helped ASU to a sectional championship, a seventh-place finish at nationals and the No. 1 spot in the final men’s collegiate poll of the season.
Two years later, Eales would help the Sun Devils to both a sectional title and national championship while collecting all-tournament team honors and earning the distinction of shooting the highest individual six-game scratch block of the 1981 men’s national tournament (1,257).
The 1982 season was Eales’ last on the collegiate lanes, and he went out in style, helping ASU to a sectional championship, third place at nationals and the top spot in the final men’s poll of the season.
Those accomplishments and many more helped Eales to be named the 1982 Arizona State University Bowler of the Year.
Haggerty, 40, was a dominant force during his collegiate career at Fresno State, earning national recognition through consistent excellence on the lanes.
During his four years bowling for the Bulldogs, Haggerty collected nine individual tournament victories, 18 top-five finishes, 21 top-10 finishes and 29 top-25 efforts.
The powerful right-hander also walked away with a national title, which he won thanks to a first-place finish at the 2005 Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
Haggerty was a four-time collegiate All-American, earning second team honors as a freshman during the 2003-2004 season and then being named to the first team in 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.
That wasn’t, however, the only hardware Haggerty collected during his illustrious career as he also was named the men’s National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) and International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) Player of the Year during each of his final three collegiate seasons.
Tan, 36, established herself as one of the premier collegiate bowlers of her generation during her four years competing for the vaunted women’s program at Wichita State.
The right-hander from Singapore wasted no time making her presence felt after joining the Shockers, earning NCBCA Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman during the 2009-2010 season.
That was only the beginning though as Tan would go on to become a four-time NCBCA First Team All-American, three-time IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year (2010-2011; 2011-2012; 2012-2013) – she was the first woman to win the award three years in a row – and a two-time women’s NCBCA Most Valuable Player (2010-2011; 2011-2012).
She also collected a pair of third-place finishes at the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (2012 and 2013) and was named to the all-tournament team at the 2013 Intercollegiate Team Championships where she helped Wichita State to a third-place finish.
Helmer passed away in 2002 at the age of 59; nevertheless, the legacy he established during his 37 years as head coach of the men’s and women’s bowling programs at Erie Community College will forever be part of collegiate bowling’s rich history, which is why the legendary coach’s name can be found on the trophies presented to each year’s ITC national champions.
The 2012 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame (Meritorious Service) founded the men’s bowling team at Erie in 1975. One year later, the college would add a women’s squad as well.
Once the program was up and running, Helmer quickly helped Erie establish itself as one of collegiate bowling’s perennial powers.
Helmer’s teams finished in the top 10 in the final polls during every season from 1976 through 2002, collecting an astonishing 37 National Junior College Athletic Association titles along the way, 22 for the women and 15 for the men.
The Kats and Lady Kats also collected a pair of USBC national championships with the women winning titles in 1980 and 1982 while the men earned first-place finishes in both 1986 and 1988.
Helmer also made his mark on the world’s stage, helping coach U.S. athletes to multiple medals during international competition.
Lawson, 73, has dedicated a significant portion of his life to advancing collegiate bowling through leadership, administration and long-standing service to the sport.
He competed for the University of Illinois from 1973-1975 before moving on to serve as the program’s coach and advisor (1976-2002); nevertheless, Lawson’s contributions have extended well beyond the lanes.
Lawson was a founding member of the NCBCA – he is now a lifetime member – serving the organization as president (1988-1990), secretary (1991-2010) and treasurer (2002-2022).
He also has served as IBMA Collegiate Poll Committee Chairperson, Region 9 Collegiate Division Representative, tournament director for multiple marquee events and sectional coordinator and statistician for both the Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
The USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame was announced in November 2022, and the inaugural class of five inductees was enshrined in April of 2024.
The Class of 2024 featured Jack Connaughton of Lafayette, Indiana; Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey; and Rick Steelsmith of Wichita, Kansas, as Student-Athletes. Gordon Vadakin of Wichita, Kansas, joined the inaugural class in the Coach category while Karl Nickolai of Canton, Michigan, completed the 2024 class for his dedication to collegiate bowling as a Contributor.
The USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame Committee reviewed the applications to determine the members of the 2026 class. The committee is comprised of 14 individuals, featuring representatives appointed by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association, USBC Hall of Fame members and the International Bowling Media Association. The committee only considered collegiate achievements when reviewing applications.
CLICK HERE for more information on USBC Collegiate.
Warren Eales of Las Vegas, P.J. Haggerty of Roseville, California, and Jazreel Tan of Singapore have earned induction for their on-lane performances as Student-Athletes. Kerm Helmer of Cheektowaga, New York, will join this year’s class in the Coach category. Steve Lawson of Mahomet, Illinois, completes the Class of 2026 for his dedication to collegiate bowling as a Contributor.
The ceremony for the 2026 USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame will take place April 15 during the Intercollegiate Team Championships Night of Champions banquet in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and will be streamed live on BowlTV.
Eales, 66, was a standout performer at Arizona State University from 1979-1982, helping the Sun Devils remain a fixture on the national scene while collecting several impressive individual accolades as well.
In 1979, the talented right-hander helped ASU to a sectional championship, a seventh-place finish at nationals and the No. 1 spot in the final men’s collegiate poll of the season.
Two years later, Eales would help the Sun Devils to both a sectional title and national championship while collecting all-tournament team honors and earning the distinction of shooting the highest individual six-game scratch block of the 1981 men’s national tournament (1,257).
The 1982 season was Eales’ last on the collegiate lanes, and he went out in style, helping ASU to a sectional championship, third place at nationals and the top spot in the final men’s poll of the season.
Those accomplishments and many more helped Eales to be named the 1982 Arizona State University Bowler of the Year.
Haggerty, 40, was a dominant force during his collegiate career at Fresno State, earning national recognition through consistent excellence on the lanes.
During his four years bowling for the Bulldogs, Haggerty collected nine individual tournament victories, 18 top-five finishes, 21 top-10 finishes and 29 top-25 efforts.
The powerful right-hander also walked away with a national title, which he won thanks to a first-place finish at the 2005 Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
Haggerty was a four-time collegiate All-American, earning second team honors as a freshman during the 2003-2004 season and then being named to the first team in 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.
That wasn’t, however, the only hardware Haggerty collected during his illustrious career as he also was named the men’s National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) and International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) Player of the Year during each of his final three collegiate seasons.
Tan, 36, established herself as one of the premier collegiate bowlers of her generation during her four years competing for the vaunted women’s program at Wichita State.
The right-hander from Singapore wasted no time making her presence felt after joining the Shockers, earning NCBCA Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman during the 2009-2010 season.
That was only the beginning though as Tan would go on to become a four-time NCBCA First Team All-American, three-time IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year (2010-2011; 2011-2012; 2012-2013) – she was the first woman to win the award three years in a row – and a two-time women’s NCBCA Most Valuable Player (2010-2011; 2011-2012).
She also collected a pair of third-place finishes at the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (2012 and 2013) and was named to the all-tournament team at the 2013 Intercollegiate Team Championships where she helped Wichita State to a third-place finish.
Helmer passed away in 2002 at the age of 59; nevertheless, the legacy he established during his 37 years as head coach of the men’s and women’s bowling programs at Erie Community College will forever be part of collegiate bowling’s rich history, which is why the legendary coach’s name can be found on the trophies presented to each year’s ITC national champions.
The 2012 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame (Meritorious Service) founded the men’s bowling team at Erie in 1975. One year later, the college would add a women’s squad as well.
Once the program was up and running, Helmer quickly helped Erie establish itself as one of collegiate bowling’s perennial powers.
Helmer’s teams finished in the top 10 in the final polls during every season from 1976 through 2002, collecting an astonishing 37 National Junior College Athletic Association titles along the way, 22 for the women and 15 for the men.
The Kats and Lady Kats also collected a pair of USBC national championships with the women winning titles in 1980 and 1982 while the men earned first-place finishes in both 1986 and 1988.
Helmer also made his mark on the world’s stage, helping coach U.S. athletes to multiple medals during international competition.
Lawson, 73, has dedicated a significant portion of his life to advancing collegiate bowling through leadership, administration and long-standing service to the sport.
He competed for the University of Illinois from 1973-1975 before moving on to serve as the program’s coach and advisor (1976-2002); nevertheless, Lawson’s contributions have extended well beyond the lanes.
Lawson was a founding member of the NCBCA – he is now a lifetime member – serving the organization as president (1988-1990), secretary (1991-2010) and treasurer (2002-2022).
He also has served as IBMA Collegiate Poll Committee Chairperson, Region 9 Collegiate Division Representative, tournament director for multiple marquee events and sectional coordinator and statistician for both the Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
The USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame was announced in November 2022, and the inaugural class of five inductees was enshrined in April of 2024.
The Class of 2024 featured Jack Connaughton of Lafayette, Indiana; Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey; and Rick Steelsmith of Wichita, Kansas, as Student-Athletes. Gordon Vadakin of Wichita, Kansas, joined the inaugural class in the Coach category while Karl Nickolai of Canton, Michigan, completed the 2024 class for his dedication to collegiate bowling as a Contributor.
The USBC Collegiate Hall of Fame Committee reviewed the applications to determine the members of the 2026 class. The committee is comprised of 14 individuals, featuring representatives appointed by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association, USBC Hall of Fame members and the International Bowling Media Association. The committee only considered collegiate achievements when reviewing applications.
CLICK HERE for more information on USBC Collegiate.