Top honors claimed at 2026 Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships in Green Bay
April 19, 2026
NOTE: If you do not want to know who won titles at the 2026 Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships, do not scroll down in this story.
The finals were taped for broadcast Saturday, April 18, with air dates on CBS Sports Network scheduled through April and May. The TV broadcast dates for each event is as follows:
Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Women's ISC finals
Tuesday, April 28 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern: Men's ISC finals
Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Women's ITC finals
Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Men's ITC finals
ITC QUALIFYING I ITC MEN'S BRACKET I ITC WOMEN'S BRACKET
ISC QUALIFYING I ISC MEN'S BRACKET I ISC WOMEN'S BRACKET
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jacksonville State’s women’s team and the St. Ambrose men secured team titles while St. Ambrose sophomore Tyler Close and Vanderbilt junior Dannielle Henderson earned individual championships on Saturday, the concluding day of the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The championship rounds in the men’s and women’s divisions in each event were taped for broadcast and will air in April and May on CBS Sports Network.
The ISC women’s finals will air on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern followed by the ISC men’s finals on April 28 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, the ITC women’s title match on May 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern and the ITC men’s final on May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Championship Saturday at the ITC and ISC always features intriguing storylines and pulse-pounding finishes, and that’s precisely what the capacity crowd at Ashwaubenon was treated to on Saturday.
2026 ITC men's champion - St. Ambrose
The ITC men’s championship bout wrapped up the evening’s program and saw St. Ambrose defeat Mount Mercy 3-2 in the best-of-five Baker final to give the Fighting Bees their first ITC men’s title in program history while denying the Mustangs’ bid to collect their school’s first Helmer Cup.
Scores were low for the majority of the title tilt as both teams struggled to find consistent paths to the pocket on the extremely challenging 40-foot ITC men’s oil pattern.
Mount Mercy got on the board first, using doubles in the second and third and eighth and ninth frames to take Game 1 by a score of 189-180.
Neither team would crack the 180 barrier during the second game, but St. Ambrose was able to stay clean from the fourth frame on while the Mustangs posted opens in the second, fifth, sixth and eighth, which allowed the Fighting Bees to win the game, 166-149, and square the match 1-1.
St. Ambrose held a 16-pin lead through six frames in Game 3, but that all changed when Keaten Bieri’s shot in the seventh came up shy of the 1-3 pocket, resulting in a 2-4-10 split, which he failed to convert.
Mount Mercy took advantage of the miscue as Andru Blaney struck in the ninth frame, and anchor bowler Blake Walsh posted a strike and spare in the 10th to propel the Mustangs to a 183-176 victory.
But the Fighting Bees evened things up shortly thereafter, posting a 210-175 Game 4 win, which was fueled by an opening double from Devin Richards and Bieri and a turkey on shots eight, nine and 10 courtesy of Tyler Close, Lucas Hersrud and Kendric Siders.
While the large crowd inside The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley was plenty entertained by what it witnessed during the first four games, it was nothing compared to the show St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy put on during the deciding game of Saturday night’s ITC men’s title match.
The Fighting Bees led out of the gate thanks to a double by Bieri and Close and a first-frame Mount Mercy open.
The Mustangs wasted no time closing the gap, however, as Zach Andresen, Keegan Alexander and Blaney picked their teammate up by posting strikes in the second, third and fourth, which gave Mount Mercy a one-pin lead through four frames.
The two teams would find themselves tied one frame later though, and they’d stay that way until the final three frames.
Alexander tried to follow up Andresen’s seventh-frame strike with one of his own in the eighth, but his shot went high on the head pin, leaving the 3-6, which he easily converted.
Close had no such trouble in St. Ambrose’s eighth frame, delivering a flush strike to shift the advantage in the Fighting Bees’ favor.
Mount Mercy wasn’t about to make things easy though, a fact that was made abundantly clear when Blaney delivered a no-doubt strike of his own to kick off the ninth frame.
But Hersrud would match it only moments later, hitting the 1-3 pocket and getting the 10-pin to fall late to post a clutch double and give St. Ambrose the opportunity to control its own destiny.
That’s because no matter what Walsh did in the Mount Mercy 10th frame, Siders would have an opportunity to beat it.
Still, Walsh could apply an awful lot of pressure to Siders, and he intended to do just that.
Not surprisingly, Walsh delivered a perfect pocket strike to begin the Mustangs’ final frame. If he could add another, Mount Mercy would be in the 220s, which would force Siders to double to win.
Walsh’s second shot in the 10th came in light to the 1-3 pocket though, leaving a 2-10 split, which he was unable to convert.
At that point, Mount Mercy was in the clubhouse with a final score of 213, which meant that Siders would need a mark in order to give St. Ambrose its first ITC men’s title.
With the capacity crowd silent and his teammates standing arm-in-arm in the settee are behind him, Siders stepped up and delivered a perfect pocket strike, ending the match and making the Fighting Bees national champions.
Siders would finish the final frame in style, striking on his final two balls as well to make the final score 237-213.
After the match, Siders admitted that he wasn’t 100% sure the deciding shot was good enough when it left his hand.
“I thought it was okay, but to be completely honest with you, I thought I didn’t hit it as hard as I needed to,” Siders said. “It went high flush though, so I guess it was better than I thought.”
St. Ambrose Head Coach Eric Littig wasn’t surprised that Siders came through as it’s something he’s seen his anchor bowler do a time or two before.
“I feel like I’ve seen Kendric (Siders) do that two or three hundred times over the last three years,” Littig said. “We preach patience because, on this pattern, you can’t make the ball strike; you just have to make a good shot and hope it’s close to the pocket. We came up with some incredible shots at the end, and I don’t even know what to say right now; I’m speechless.”
Once Littig was able to collect his thoughts, he reflected on what Saturday night’s victory means to him and to the St. Ambrose program.
“We’ve worked hard for this over the last 13 years,” Littig said. “A lot of building blocks and a lot of support from our university have gone into it, and that’s what’s allowed us to pull kids in from all over the country who want to come bowl for us. I couldn’t be more proud, humbled or appreciative.
“I’m so grateful to be involved in this crazy, incredible sport; it’s given me many of the highlights of my life, none of which are any bigger than tonight.”
Shortly after the conclusion of the title match, Siders was named the 2026 ITC Men’s Most Valuable Player.
Upon hearing the news, Siders expressed gratitude as well, but not for having won. His gratitude was reserved for Coach Littig.
“All my dreams are coming true because of him,” said Siders while gesturing to Littig. “It means so much knowing that all that hard work is paying off. I honestly didn’t expect to be tournament MVP; the only word I have to describe it is insane.”
It’s unlikely any member of this year’s team would disagree.
The 2026 St. Ambrose ITC men’s roster included Bieri, Close, Hersrud, Kevin Magnuson, Elias O’Hollaren, Richards, Evan White and Siders.
Joining Siders on the all-tournament team were Ayden Davis of Lawrence Tech, Spring Arbor’s Connor Rogus, Jaysen Spanbauer of Marian-Wisconsin and Mount Mercy’s Walsh, who also was the men’s division’s recipient of the Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship award.
2026 ITC women's champion - Jacksonville State
During the women’s ITC final earlier in the day, Jacksonville State was stellar, sweeping McKendree 3-0 in best-of-five Baker action to complete the first successful ITC women’s title defense since West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988.
The Gamecocks also became just the third program to win NCAA and USBC Collegiate national titles in the same season, joining Maryland Eastern Shore in 2011 and McKendree in 2017 – that McKendree team was coached by current Jacksonville State Head Coach Shannon O’Keefe and her husband Bryan, Team USA Head Coach and Jacksonville State’s Coordinator of Athletic Operations for Bowling.
The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s title contest as heavy favorites having maintained a winning percentage of greater than 91% throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Nevertheless, both squads appeared a bit uneasy during the early stages of Game 1 with Jacksonville State opening its first three frames and McKendree failing to fill three of its first four.
The early hiccups kept the two teams tied through seven frames, but Jacksonville State closed the opener spare-strike-spare-strike while the Bearcats went spare-spare-open to give the Gamecocks the victory by a final score of 164-151.
Any hope the McKendree faithful had that Jacksonville State’s scoring pace would remain low vanished quickly when the Gamecocks ripped off a five-bagger in frames four through eight of the second game to establish a 36-pin lead heading into the ninth and 10th.
The Bearcats recorded a turkey of their own during the eighth, ninth and first shot in the 10th, but it wasn’t enough to catch Jacksonville State, which finished with 227 to McKendree’s 196 to take a commanding 2-0 lead and move just one win away from securing its second national title in seven days.
It didn’t take long to realize the Gamecocks would be doing just that as Jacksonville State began Game 3 with a four-bagger before anchor bowler Gianna Brandolino’s shot in the fifth frame left a solid 8-pin.
Undaunted, Brandolino covered the spare just as teammate Melia Mitskavich did one frame later after leaving a 10-pin.
Jacksonville State would get back to striking shortly thereafter though, throwing a five-bagger on shots seven through 11 en route to a final-game score of 266.
McKendree, meanwhile, just couldn’t get any momentum going, managing just one double and three strikes overall to finish this year’s impressive ITC run with 163 for the game and second place for the tournament.
That left Jacksonville State to collect top honors and complete one of the most dominant single-season performances in collegiate bowling history.
While the Gamecocks have often made winning look easy throughout their historic run, the O’Keefe’s are quick to point out that it isn’t possible without the right people and the right mindset.
“Doing special things takes the right girls saying yes to us at the right time and leaning into the culture that we like to build,” Shannon O’Keefe said. “All of these girls could probably start on any other team in the country, yet three of them are sitting on the bench for us at all times. Multiple times this season we had First Team All-Americans sitting on the bench, but we ask them to just keep working hard and be ready when their names are called.”
And ready they were, time and time again, which is why the Gamecocks found themselves in the unique position of hoisting two national championship trophies in one week’s time.
The O’Keefe’s have watched their teams do many incredible things over the years. Still, both coaches had to admit that the run this year’s team went on was something special.
“There’s a reason why winning both titles in the same season has only happened two other times,” Bryan O’Keefe said. “It’s so hard to turn the switch from the first tournament and jump right back into it for the second one. Plus, bowling match play, as any bowler knows, can be something of a crapshoot. To go two consecutive weeks, three with NCAA regionals, without someone out-bowling us during a single match feels like we’re maneuvering around landmines.”
In addition to the on-lane demands, Shannon O’Keefe was quick to highlight the more personal toll that such a run exacts on her athletes.
“We were home for less than 24 hours after winning NCAAs before we had to start heading to ITC, and I said to Bryan, ‘what are we doing; I feel like this is so unfair,’” O’Keefe said. “Our girls had just finished arguably the best season in NCAA history, and they didn’t get any time to enjoy it or let it sink in before we came out here and threw them right back into the fire.”
But the squad once again proved it was up to the challenge, and that left their head coach beaming with pride and admiration.
“I need someone to pinch me because I almost can’t believe that just happened,” Shannon O’Keefe said. “All throughout the year we just tried to stick to our process, focus on the present and not get too far ahead. We had a bunch of kids who leaned into that and bought it, and it feels incredible.”
The group that O’Keefe was referring to included Brandolino, Erin Klemencic, Abbie Leiendecker, Keira Magsam, Mitskavich, Annalise Obryant, Kaitlyn Stull and Emma Yoder.
After the conclusion of the title match, Brandolino was named the 2026 ITC Women’s MVP.
Joining Brandolino on this year’s all-tournament team were McKendree’s Jaycie Smith, Claire Jacobson of Newman, Jenna Stretch of Louisiana Tech and Victorya White from North Carolina A&T.
The Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship award in the women’s division went to Emma Punter of Mount Mercy.
2026 ISC women's champion - Dannielle Henderson, Vanderbilt
A few hours after Jacksonville State successfully defended its ITC women’s title, Brandolino and Stull attempted to bring another national crown to sweet home Alabama as the duo joined Katarina Hagler of Pikeville and Henderson in the 2026 ISC women’s finals.
It was a former Gamecock who stole the show on Saturday afternoon, however, as Henderson, who spent her first two collegiate seasons bowling for Jacksonville State before transferring to Vanderbilt at the end of the 2025 season, went 2-0 under the TV lights to become this year’s women’s singles national champion.
The talented two-handed righty from St. Louis opened the stepladder with a 205-167 victory over Stull.
It was a two-pin match at the halfway point, but Stull, who showed her mettle by trying to bowl through lingering lower-body injuries, left a pocket 7-10 split in the sixth frame and a 2-10 in the eighth, which allowed Henderson to pull away and advance to the title match.
There, she would face Hagler, who secured the other berth in the women’s championship bout by dispatching Brandolino, 207-192, during Semifinal No. 2.
The difference in that match was a Hagler double in the sixth and seventh frames coupled with a Brandolino 4-7-10 split in the ninth. That sequence of events allowed the Pikeville right-hander to slip past the all-world freshman from Jacksonville State and earn a date with Henderson in the finals.
Henderson landed the first punch by connecting for a turkey right out of the gate, but Hagler countered by responding to a 4-6 split and open by Henderson in the fourth with a double of her own in the fourth and fifth to cut Henderson’s lead to just 12 pins at the halfway point of the match.
However, the Vanderbilt two-hander pulled herself off the canvas with a spare in the fifth frame and a pair of strikes in the sixth and seventh to widen her advantage over Hagler, who suffered her second open of the match when she failed to convert the 3-10 baby split in frame No. 7.
Henderson appeared to give Hagler an opening by chopping the 2-8 in the eighth, but a strike in the ninth and spare-eight in the 10th was enough to give Henderson a 200-175 victory and the 2026 ISC women’s title.
Winning on the big stage is certainly familiar territory for Henderson; after all, she won the inaugural U22 Queens title in 2024 and helped Jacksonville State to last year’s ITC crown in Las Vegas.
Nevertheless, according to Henderson, Saturday’s win at Ashwaubenon was something special.
“This win is up near the top of my list simply because it’s my first big TV show win all by myself,” Henderson said. “I won U22, but, obviously, there were a lot less people there, less cameras and such. As easy as the pros make it look to perform on TV, it’s not easy at all; it’s very, very difficult, but I did it.”
She did, and what’s scary is that she did so while not necessarily feeling as if she were bowling up to her full potential.
“It’s been tough recently,” Henderson said. “I was in and out of the lineup a lot during the spring semester, which I totally understand and agree with based on how I was performing. I really took that in and decided to do something about it and practice, practice, practice rather than just accepting it because you have to work out of those slumps.”
Henderson believes she can take her game to an even higher level than what she showed during the week competing in Green Bay; nevertheless, she’s encouraged by the fact that she was able to win such a prestigious event while still working to get her game back where she wants it to be.
“It feels good to know that I don’t have to be at my best at the beginning of a tournament to make a cut or possibly even a show,” Henderson said. “That’s encouraging, and it gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
2026 ISC men's champion - Tyler Close, St. Ambrose
The first trophy of the day was given out on Saturday morning, and it went to Close.
The two-handed righty from Aurora, Colorado, capped off a remarkable season by defeating Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah super freshman Landin Jordan by a final score of 200-176 to become the 2026 ISC men’s national champion.
On paper, Close may have appeared to be the underdog for Saturday’s first TV show. After all, he was the only finalist without some level of Team USA experience as Nate Trentler of Calumet, Kaeden White of Midland and Jordan all have spent time with the program at some level. In addition, Jordan and White are both former Junior Gold champions.
Once the TV lights came on at Ashwaubenon, however, résumés went out the window, and it was Close who looked like a seasoned pro from start to finish.
He began the day with a relatively easy 217-164 victory over White in Semifinal No. 1.
Close controlled the 1-3 pocket from start to finish during the opener, never knocking down fewer than nine pins on any delivery. He took down 10 his fair share of times too though, doubling in frames four and five and striking six times total to breeze into the title match.
There, he would face Jordan, who punched his ticket to the title tilt thanks to a 191-177 come-from-behind victory over Trentler in the other men’s semifinal.
Trentler led the match for the first seven frames, but a 4-6-7 split in the eighth opened the door for Jordan.
Not surprisingly, the NAIA Second Team All-American and National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) All-Rookie Team member came through, filling 29 pins during the 10th frame to go around Trentler and clinch a spot in the championship match.
Close took control of the title match early, alternating between strikes and spares for the first six frames before recording a double in the sixth and seventh.
Jordan, meanwhile, struggled early, chopping a spare in the first frame and leaving a second frame open in the sixth when he failed to convert the 4-6-7 split.
At that point, it looked like Close would cruise to victory and the ISC men’s national title.
But things got a bit more dramatic when Close suffered his first open frame of the day after leaving the 1-2-8-10 in the eighth frame.
With Jordan having posted a strike in the seventh, suddenly Close no longer determined his own fate. If Jordan could strike out in the eighth, ninth and 10th, he’d finish with a final score of 216 when the best Close could put up was 211.
That didn’t happen though as Jordan’s first shot in the eighth frame went high on the head pin, leaving the 4-7. He converted the spare and then struck in the ninth, but he had given control back to Close.
The St. Ambrose sophomore stepped up for his final two frames needing a double and eight pins to win the match with Jordan on the bench.
Close was up to the task, throwing no-doubt strikes in the ninth frame and the first ball in the 10th before a 10-pin ended his bid for a turkey. It was of little consequence though as the pin count alone was enough.
After converting the spare, Close stepped off set to share the winning moment with his loved ones and Coach Littig while Jordan finished his 10th frame to make the result official.
In the moments immediately following his singles victory, Close was at a loss for words.
“I really don’t even know what to say,” Close said. “When I realized I’d won, I felt like I stared blankly at the camera for about a minute straight without saying a word. To have everyone here watching me win, it meant a lot. I couldn’t be happier to do this in front of everybody. It’s surreal.”
According to Close, having such a great support system behind him is what helped him get comfortable and perform at his best on Saturday.
“It boosts confidence to have so many people behind you, especially when you’re in an uncomfortable environment; it really helps,” Close said. “It made me put good shots out there and really execute.”
Uncomfortable environment or not, Close executed like a seasoned veteran when he needed to most.
Despite not having the same level of TV experience as his fellow finalists, Close is no stranger to pressure situations; in fact, they’re something he embraces and enjoys.
“It’s fun to be under pressure and to have those opportunities,” Close said. “It’s all about trusting myself and my ability to put a good shot out there when I need to. I just know that when I’m under pressure, I want to put the best shot out there that I can.”
He put out several at Ashwaubenon on Saturday, and that’s why his name now will forever be included on the list of ISC men’s champions.
Teams and individuals competing at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley this week earned their spots at the ITC and ISC through four sectional qualifiers held throughout the country in March.
BowlTV.com provided live coverage of all qualifying and match-play rounds of the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships leading up to the televised finals.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Intercollegiate Team Championships. For information on the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, CLICK HERE.
The finals were taped for broadcast Saturday, April 18, with air dates on CBS Sports Network scheduled through April and May. The TV broadcast dates for each event is as follows:
Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Women's ISC finals
Tuesday, April 28 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern: Men's ISC finals
Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Women's ITC finals
Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern: Men's ITC finals
ITC QUALIFYING I ITC MEN'S BRACKET I ITC WOMEN'S BRACKET
ISC QUALIFYING I ISC MEN'S BRACKET I ISC WOMEN'S BRACKET
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jacksonville State’s women’s team and the St. Ambrose men secured team titles while St. Ambrose sophomore Tyler Close and Vanderbilt junior Dannielle Henderson earned individual championships on Saturday, the concluding day of the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The championship rounds in the men’s and women’s divisions in each event were taped for broadcast and will air in April and May on CBS Sports Network.
The ISC women’s finals will air on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern followed by the ISC men’s finals on April 28 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, the ITC women’s title match on May 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern and the ITC men’s final on May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Championship Saturday at the ITC and ISC always features intriguing storylines and pulse-pounding finishes, and that’s precisely what the capacity crowd at Ashwaubenon was treated to on Saturday.
2026 ITC men's champion - St. Ambrose
The ITC men’s championship bout wrapped up the evening’s program and saw St. Ambrose defeat Mount Mercy 3-2 in the best-of-five Baker final to give the Fighting Bees their first ITC men’s title in program history while denying the Mustangs’ bid to collect their school’s first Helmer Cup.
Scores were low for the majority of the title tilt as both teams struggled to find consistent paths to the pocket on the extremely challenging 40-foot ITC men’s oil pattern.
Mount Mercy got on the board first, using doubles in the second and third and eighth and ninth frames to take Game 1 by a score of 189-180.
Neither team would crack the 180 barrier during the second game, but St. Ambrose was able to stay clean from the fourth frame on while the Mustangs posted opens in the second, fifth, sixth and eighth, which allowed the Fighting Bees to win the game, 166-149, and square the match 1-1.
St. Ambrose held a 16-pin lead through six frames in Game 3, but that all changed when Keaten Bieri’s shot in the seventh came up shy of the 1-3 pocket, resulting in a 2-4-10 split, which he failed to convert.
Mount Mercy took advantage of the miscue as Andru Blaney struck in the ninth frame, and anchor bowler Blake Walsh posted a strike and spare in the 10th to propel the Mustangs to a 183-176 victory.
But the Fighting Bees evened things up shortly thereafter, posting a 210-175 Game 4 win, which was fueled by an opening double from Devin Richards and Bieri and a turkey on shots eight, nine and 10 courtesy of Tyler Close, Lucas Hersrud and Kendric Siders.
While the large crowd inside The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley was plenty entertained by what it witnessed during the first four games, it was nothing compared to the show St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy put on during the deciding game of Saturday night’s ITC men’s title match.
The Fighting Bees led out of the gate thanks to a double by Bieri and Close and a first-frame Mount Mercy open.
The Mustangs wasted no time closing the gap, however, as Zach Andresen, Keegan Alexander and Blaney picked their teammate up by posting strikes in the second, third and fourth, which gave Mount Mercy a one-pin lead through four frames.
The two teams would find themselves tied one frame later though, and they’d stay that way until the final three frames.
Alexander tried to follow up Andresen’s seventh-frame strike with one of his own in the eighth, but his shot went high on the head pin, leaving the 3-6, which he easily converted.
Close had no such trouble in St. Ambrose’s eighth frame, delivering a flush strike to shift the advantage in the Fighting Bees’ favor.
Mount Mercy wasn’t about to make things easy though, a fact that was made abundantly clear when Blaney delivered a no-doubt strike of his own to kick off the ninth frame.
But Hersrud would match it only moments later, hitting the 1-3 pocket and getting the 10-pin to fall late to post a clutch double and give St. Ambrose the opportunity to control its own destiny.
That’s because no matter what Walsh did in the Mount Mercy 10th frame, Siders would have an opportunity to beat it.
Still, Walsh could apply an awful lot of pressure to Siders, and he intended to do just that.
Not surprisingly, Walsh delivered a perfect pocket strike to begin the Mustangs’ final frame. If he could add another, Mount Mercy would be in the 220s, which would force Siders to double to win.
Walsh’s second shot in the 10th came in light to the 1-3 pocket though, leaving a 2-10 split, which he was unable to convert.
At that point, Mount Mercy was in the clubhouse with a final score of 213, which meant that Siders would need a mark in order to give St. Ambrose its first ITC men’s title.
With the capacity crowd silent and his teammates standing arm-in-arm in the settee are behind him, Siders stepped up and delivered a perfect pocket strike, ending the match and making the Fighting Bees national champions.
Siders would finish the final frame in style, striking on his final two balls as well to make the final score 237-213.
After the match, Siders admitted that he wasn’t 100% sure the deciding shot was good enough when it left his hand.
“I thought it was okay, but to be completely honest with you, I thought I didn’t hit it as hard as I needed to,” Siders said. “It went high flush though, so I guess it was better than I thought.”
St. Ambrose Head Coach Eric Littig wasn’t surprised that Siders came through as it’s something he’s seen his anchor bowler do a time or two before.
“I feel like I’ve seen Kendric (Siders) do that two or three hundred times over the last three years,” Littig said. “We preach patience because, on this pattern, you can’t make the ball strike; you just have to make a good shot and hope it’s close to the pocket. We came up with some incredible shots at the end, and I don’t even know what to say right now; I’m speechless.”
Once Littig was able to collect his thoughts, he reflected on what Saturday night’s victory means to him and to the St. Ambrose program.
“We’ve worked hard for this over the last 13 years,” Littig said. “A lot of building blocks and a lot of support from our university have gone into it, and that’s what’s allowed us to pull kids in from all over the country who want to come bowl for us. I couldn’t be more proud, humbled or appreciative.
“I’m so grateful to be involved in this crazy, incredible sport; it’s given me many of the highlights of my life, none of which are any bigger than tonight.”
Shortly after the conclusion of the title match, Siders was named the 2026 ITC Men’s Most Valuable Player.
Upon hearing the news, Siders expressed gratitude as well, but not for having won. His gratitude was reserved for Coach Littig.
“All my dreams are coming true because of him,” said Siders while gesturing to Littig. “It means so much knowing that all that hard work is paying off. I honestly didn’t expect to be tournament MVP; the only word I have to describe it is insane.”
It’s unlikely any member of this year’s team would disagree.
The 2026 St. Ambrose ITC men’s roster included Bieri, Close, Hersrud, Kevin Magnuson, Elias O’Hollaren, Richards, Evan White and Siders.
Joining Siders on the all-tournament team were Ayden Davis of Lawrence Tech, Spring Arbor’s Connor Rogus, Jaysen Spanbauer of Marian-Wisconsin and Mount Mercy’s Walsh, who also was the men’s division’s recipient of the Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship award.
2026 ITC women's champion - Jacksonville State
During the women’s ITC final earlier in the day, Jacksonville State was stellar, sweeping McKendree 3-0 in best-of-five Baker action to complete the first successful ITC women’s title defense since West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988.
The Gamecocks also became just the third program to win NCAA and USBC Collegiate national titles in the same season, joining Maryland Eastern Shore in 2011 and McKendree in 2017 – that McKendree team was coached by current Jacksonville State Head Coach Shannon O’Keefe and her husband Bryan, Team USA Head Coach and Jacksonville State’s Coordinator of Athletic Operations for Bowling.
The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s title contest as heavy favorites having maintained a winning percentage of greater than 91% throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Nevertheless, both squads appeared a bit uneasy during the early stages of Game 1 with Jacksonville State opening its first three frames and McKendree failing to fill three of its first four.
The early hiccups kept the two teams tied through seven frames, but Jacksonville State closed the opener spare-strike-spare-strike while the Bearcats went spare-spare-open to give the Gamecocks the victory by a final score of 164-151.
Any hope the McKendree faithful had that Jacksonville State’s scoring pace would remain low vanished quickly when the Gamecocks ripped off a five-bagger in frames four through eight of the second game to establish a 36-pin lead heading into the ninth and 10th.
The Bearcats recorded a turkey of their own during the eighth, ninth and first shot in the 10th, but it wasn’t enough to catch Jacksonville State, which finished with 227 to McKendree’s 196 to take a commanding 2-0 lead and move just one win away from securing its second national title in seven days.
It didn’t take long to realize the Gamecocks would be doing just that as Jacksonville State began Game 3 with a four-bagger before anchor bowler Gianna Brandolino’s shot in the fifth frame left a solid 8-pin.
Undaunted, Brandolino covered the spare just as teammate Melia Mitskavich did one frame later after leaving a 10-pin.
Jacksonville State would get back to striking shortly thereafter though, throwing a five-bagger on shots seven through 11 en route to a final-game score of 266.
McKendree, meanwhile, just couldn’t get any momentum going, managing just one double and three strikes overall to finish this year’s impressive ITC run with 163 for the game and second place for the tournament.
That left Jacksonville State to collect top honors and complete one of the most dominant single-season performances in collegiate bowling history.
While the Gamecocks have often made winning look easy throughout their historic run, the O’Keefe’s are quick to point out that it isn’t possible without the right people and the right mindset.
“Doing special things takes the right girls saying yes to us at the right time and leaning into the culture that we like to build,” Shannon O’Keefe said. “All of these girls could probably start on any other team in the country, yet three of them are sitting on the bench for us at all times. Multiple times this season we had First Team All-Americans sitting on the bench, but we ask them to just keep working hard and be ready when their names are called.”
And ready they were, time and time again, which is why the Gamecocks found themselves in the unique position of hoisting two national championship trophies in one week’s time.
The O’Keefe’s have watched their teams do many incredible things over the years. Still, both coaches had to admit that the run this year’s team went on was something special.
“There’s a reason why winning both titles in the same season has only happened two other times,” Bryan O’Keefe said. “It’s so hard to turn the switch from the first tournament and jump right back into it for the second one. Plus, bowling match play, as any bowler knows, can be something of a crapshoot. To go two consecutive weeks, three with NCAA regionals, without someone out-bowling us during a single match feels like we’re maneuvering around landmines.”
In addition to the on-lane demands, Shannon O’Keefe was quick to highlight the more personal toll that such a run exacts on her athletes.
“We were home for less than 24 hours after winning NCAAs before we had to start heading to ITC, and I said to Bryan, ‘what are we doing; I feel like this is so unfair,’” O’Keefe said. “Our girls had just finished arguably the best season in NCAA history, and they didn’t get any time to enjoy it or let it sink in before we came out here and threw them right back into the fire.”
But the squad once again proved it was up to the challenge, and that left their head coach beaming with pride and admiration.
“I need someone to pinch me because I almost can’t believe that just happened,” Shannon O’Keefe said. “All throughout the year we just tried to stick to our process, focus on the present and not get too far ahead. We had a bunch of kids who leaned into that and bought it, and it feels incredible.”
The group that O’Keefe was referring to included Brandolino, Erin Klemencic, Abbie Leiendecker, Keira Magsam, Mitskavich, Annalise Obryant, Kaitlyn Stull and Emma Yoder.
After the conclusion of the title match, Brandolino was named the 2026 ITC Women’s MVP.
Joining Brandolino on this year’s all-tournament team were McKendree’s Jaycie Smith, Claire Jacobson of Newman, Jenna Stretch of Louisiana Tech and Victorya White from North Carolina A&T.
The Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship award in the women’s division went to Emma Punter of Mount Mercy.
2026 ISC women's champion - Dannielle Henderson, Vanderbilt
A few hours after Jacksonville State successfully defended its ITC women’s title, Brandolino and Stull attempted to bring another national crown to sweet home Alabama as the duo joined Katarina Hagler of Pikeville and Henderson in the 2026 ISC women’s finals.
It was a former Gamecock who stole the show on Saturday afternoon, however, as Henderson, who spent her first two collegiate seasons bowling for Jacksonville State before transferring to Vanderbilt at the end of the 2025 season, went 2-0 under the TV lights to become this year’s women’s singles national champion.
The talented two-handed righty from St. Louis opened the stepladder with a 205-167 victory over Stull.
It was a two-pin match at the halfway point, but Stull, who showed her mettle by trying to bowl through lingering lower-body injuries, left a pocket 7-10 split in the sixth frame and a 2-10 in the eighth, which allowed Henderson to pull away and advance to the title match.
There, she would face Hagler, who secured the other berth in the women’s championship bout by dispatching Brandolino, 207-192, during Semifinal No. 2.
The difference in that match was a Hagler double in the sixth and seventh frames coupled with a Brandolino 4-7-10 split in the ninth. That sequence of events allowed the Pikeville right-hander to slip past the all-world freshman from Jacksonville State and earn a date with Henderson in the finals.
Henderson landed the first punch by connecting for a turkey right out of the gate, but Hagler countered by responding to a 4-6 split and open by Henderson in the fourth with a double of her own in the fourth and fifth to cut Henderson’s lead to just 12 pins at the halfway point of the match.
However, the Vanderbilt two-hander pulled herself off the canvas with a spare in the fifth frame and a pair of strikes in the sixth and seventh to widen her advantage over Hagler, who suffered her second open of the match when she failed to convert the 3-10 baby split in frame No. 7.
Henderson appeared to give Hagler an opening by chopping the 2-8 in the eighth, but a strike in the ninth and spare-eight in the 10th was enough to give Henderson a 200-175 victory and the 2026 ISC women’s title.
Winning on the big stage is certainly familiar territory for Henderson; after all, she won the inaugural U22 Queens title in 2024 and helped Jacksonville State to last year’s ITC crown in Las Vegas.
Nevertheless, according to Henderson, Saturday’s win at Ashwaubenon was something special.
“This win is up near the top of my list simply because it’s my first big TV show win all by myself,” Henderson said. “I won U22, but, obviously, there were a lot less people there, less cameras and such. As easy as the pros make it look to perform on TV, it’s not easy at all; it’s very, very difficult, but I did it.”
She did, and what’s scary is that she did so while not necessarily feeling as if she were bowling up to her full potential.
“It’s been tough recently,” Henderson said. “I was in and out of the lineup a lot during the spring semester, which I totally understand and agree with based on how I was performing. I really took that in and decided to do something about it and practice, practice, practice rather than just accepting it because you have to work out of those slumps.”
Henderson believes she can take her game to an even higher level than what she showed during the week competing in Green Bay; nevertheless, she’s encouraged by the fact that she was able to win such a prestigious event while still working to get her game back where she wants it to be.
“It feels good to know that I don’t have to be at my best at the beginning of a tournament to make a cut or possibly even a show,” Henderson said. “That’s encouraging, and it gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
2026 ISC men's champion - Tyler Close, St. Ambrose
The first trophy of the day was given out on Saturday morning, and it went to Close.
The two-handed righty from Aurora, Colorado, capped off a remarkable season by defeating Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah super freshman Landin Jordan by a final score of 200-176 to become the 2026 ISC men’s national champion.
On paper, Close may have appeared to be the underdog for Saturday’s first TV show. After all, he was the only finalist without some level of Team USA experience as Nate Trentler of Calumet, Kaeden White of Midland and Jordan all have spent time with the program at some level. In addition, Jordan and White are both former Junior Gold champions.
Once the TV lights came on at Ashwaubenon, however, résumés went out the window, and it was Close who looked like a seasoned pro from start to finish.
He began the day with a relatively easy 217-164 victory over White in Semifinal No. 1.
Close controlled the 1-3 pocket from start to finish during the opener, never knocking down fewer than nine pins on any delivery. He took down 10 his fair share of times too though, doubling in frames four and five and striking six times total to breeze into the title match.
There, he would face Jordan, who punched his ticket to the title tilt thanks to a 191-177 come-from-behind victory over Trentler in the other men’s semifinal.
Trentler led the match for the first seven frames, but a 4-6-7 split in the eighth opened the door for Jordan.
Not surprisingly, the NAIA Second Team All-American and National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) All-Rookie Team member came through, filling 29 pins during the 10th frame to go around Trentler and clinch a spot in the championship match.
Close took control of the title match early, alternating between strikes and spares for the first six frames before recording a double in the sixth and seventh.
Jordan, meanwhile, struggled early, chopping a spare in the first frame and leaving a second frame open in the sixth when he failed to convert the 4-6-7 split.
At that point, it looked like Close would cruise to victory and the ISC men’s national title.
But things got a bit more dramatic when Close suffered his first open frame of the day after leaving the 1-2-8-10 in the eighth frame.
With Jordan having posted a strike in the seventh, suddenly Close no longer determined his own fate. If Jordan could strike out in the eighth, ninth and 10th, he’d finish with a final score of 216 when the best Close could put up was 211.
That didn’t happen though as Jordan’s first shot in the eighth frame went high on the head pin, leaving the 4-7. He converted the spare and then struck in the ninth, but he had given control back to Close.
The St. Ambrose sophomore stepped up for his final two frames needing a double and eight pins to win the match with Jordan on the bench.
Close was up to the task, throwing no-doubt strikes in the ninth frame and the first ball in the 10th before a 10-pin ended his bid for a turkey. It was of little consequence though as the pin count alone was enough.
After converting the spare, Close stepped off set to share the winning moment with his loved ones and Coach Littig while Jordan finished his 10th frame to make the result official.
In the moments immediately following his singles victory, Close was at a loss for words.
“I really don’t even know what to say,” Close said. “When I realized I’d won, I felt like I stared blankly at the camera for about a minute straight without saying a word. To have everyone here watching me win, it meant a lot. I couldn’t be happier to do this in front of everybody. It’s surreal.”
According to Close, having such a great support system behind him is what helped him get comfortable and perform at his best on Saturday.
“It boosts confidence to have so many people behind you, especially when you’re in an uncomfortable environment; it really helps,” Close said. “It made me put good shots out there and really execute.”
Uncomfortable environment or not, Close executed like a seasoned veteran when he needed to most.
Despite not having the same level of TV experience as his fellow finalists, Close is no stranger to pressure situations; in fact, they’re something he embraces and enjoys.
“It’s fun to be under pressure and to have those opportunities,” Close said. “It’s all about trusting myself and my ability to put a good shot out there when I need to. I just know that when I’m under pressure, I want to put the best shot out there that I can.”
He put out several at Ashwaubenon on Saturday, and that’s why his name now will forever be included on the list of ISC men’s champions.
Teams and individuals competing at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley this week earned their spots at the ITC and ISC through four sectional qualifiers held throughout the country in March.
BowlTV.com provided live coverage of all qualifying and match-play rounds of the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships leading up to the televised finals.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Intercollegiate Team Championships. For information on the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, CLICK HERE.