Robarge, Kolberg named MVPs for 2022-2023 USBC Collegiate season

LAS VEGAS – Wichita State’s Spencer Robarge and Mount Mercy’s Megan Kolberg have been named the Most Valuable Players of the 2022-2023 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA).

The awards were presented during the Night of Champions banquet Wednesday at the South Point Hotel and Casino. The NCBCA All-America teams and several other award winners also were recognized during the ceremony.

The ceremony was broadcast live at BowlTV.com.

The Storm/International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) Collegiate Award winners also were announced at the banquet, with Robarge and Kolberg being named Bowlers of the Year.

Robarge, the 2022 NCBCA Rookie of the Year, averaged more than 227 over nine events and posted an average differential of 42.35 to lead the nation in both categories as a sophomore. He also led both categories in Tier I competition (227.72 and 39.47) to help the Shockers to the top of the team rankings for the regular season.

He collected three individual wins and had six top-five finishes during the year. During the fifth Southwest Intercollegiate Bowling Conference (SWIBC) event of the season in January, the two-hander rolled a pair of 300 games on the way to a five-game set of 1,309 (261.8 average).

Robarge was joined on the NCBCA All-America first team for the 2022-2023 season by Alex Acosta of Saint Xavier, Brandon Bohn of Mount Mercy, Bryce Oliver of Pikeville and CJ Petrin of Oklahoma Christian.

Bohn also was named the NCBCA Rookie of the Year after recording three individual wins and averaging more than 224 during the season.

Kolberg, a junior for the Mustangs, finished the regular season fifth in average (208.57) and third in average differential (33.98) over 10 events. She also finished in the top 10 in both statistics across five Tier I events.

She posted four individual wins and five top-five finishes to lead Mount Mercy to the top team ranking for the regular season.

Kolberg earned her first NCBCA All-America nomination and was joined on the first team by Kaylee Back of Oklahoma Christian, Caitlin Lucas of Baker and McKendree’s Hope Gramly and Maranda Pattison.

Back also earned NCBCA Rookie of the Year honors after leading the nation in average differential (37.77) and collecting three individual wins on the way to a 207.29 average.

The NCBCA Gordon Vadakin and Kerm Helmer Coach of the Year awards were presented to Tennessee Southern’s Bob Learn Jr. and Savannah College of Art and Design-Savannah’s Katie Thornton, respectively.

Learn earned the award for the first time in his career. The USBC Hall of Famer helped the Firehawks to the No. 2 ranking for the 2022-2023 regular season and a pair of Tier I victories.

Thornton claims the Kerm Helmer Coach of the Year after being named the Gordon Vadakin Coach of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. She helped the Bees finish the regular season ranked No. 5 overall.

The Gordon Vadakin Coach of the Year award recognizes the top coach in the men’s division, and the Kerm Helmer Coach of the Year award is given to the top coach in the women’s division.

Bobby Brown was recognized as the Gordon Teigen Meritorious Service Award winner for 2023.

Brown, the women’s head coach at Pikeville, runs several tournaments each season, has served as a region director for the NCBCA and helped to create the Collegiate Club Championships and Club Teams Bowling Coaches Association (CTBCA).

The annual award is presented to an individual for outstanding service to collegiate bowling.

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BOWLING COACHES ASSOCIATION
2022-2023 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS


MEN
First Team
– Alex Acosta, Saint Xavier; Brandon Bohn, Mount Mercy; Bryce Oliver, Pikeville; CJ Petrin, Oklahoma Christian; Spencer Robarge, Wichita State

Second Team – Brandon Bonta, Wichita State; Alec Keplinger, Wichita State; Eli Mayberry, Pikeville; Jorge Rodriguez-Rosas, McKendree; Hayden Stippich, Tennessee Southern

Honorable Mention – Noah Akiona, Newman; Drake Bazzy, Wisconsin-Whitewater; Tyler Betz, Tennessee Southern; Daniel Chin, McKendree; Devin Flowers, Northwestern Ohio; Tyrell Ingalls, SCAD-Savannah; Nick Larsen, Webber International; Dylan Mollo, Marian-Indiana; Joseph Ocello, Calumet; Julian Salinas, SCAD-Savannah

Most Valuable Player – Spencer Robarge, Wichita State

Rookie of the Year – Brandon Bohn, Mount Mercy

Gordon Vadakin Coach of the Year – Bob Learn Jr., Tennessee Southern

WOMEN
First Team
– Kaylee Back, Oklahoma Christian; Hope Gramly, McKendree; Megan Kolberg, Mount Mercy; Caitlin Lucas, Baker; Maranda Pattison, McKendree

Second Team – Isabel Allen, McKendree; Lindsay Brown, Tennessee Southern; Bailey Delrose, St. Francis-Illinois; Brianna Rogers, Pikeville; Chloe Skurzynski, Stephen F. Austin

Honorable Mention – Carlene Beyer, Stephen F. Austin; Juliana Botero, Wichita State; Karine Bouchard, Davenport; Kasey Eaton, Davenport; Madison Janack, Wichita State; Allie Leiendecker, Louisiana Tech; Lindsay Manning, Louisiana Tech; Cassidy Potter, Rochester Institute of Technology; Hailey Triske, Tennessee Southern; Haley Youker, Mercyhurst

Most Valuable Player – Megan Kolberg, Mount Mercy

Rookie of the Year – Kaylee Back, Oklahoma Christian

Kerm Helmer Coach of the Year – Katie Thornton, SCAD-Savannah

Gordon Teigen Meritorious Service Award – Bobby Brown, Meritorious Service


STORM/INTERNATIONAL BOWLING MEDIA ASSOCIATION
2022-2023 COLLEGIATE AWARDS


MEN
Bowler of the Year
– Spencer Robarge, Wichita State

Runners-Up – Alex Acosta, Saint Xavier; Bryce Oliver, Pikeville; CJ Petrin, Oklahoma Christian; Hayden Stippich, Tennessee Southern

Honorable Mention – Brandon Bohn, Mount Mercy; Brandon Bonta, Wichita State; Alec Keplinger, Wichita State

WOMEN
Bowler of the Year
– Megan Kolberg, Mount Mercy

Runners-Up – Kaylee Back, Oklahoma Christian; Hope Gramly, McKendree; Caitlin Lucas, Baker; Maranda Pattison, McKendree

Honorable Mention – Lindsay Brown, Tennessee Southern; Bailey Delrose, St. Francis-Illinois; Chloe Skurzynski, Stephen F. Austin