USBC programs provide a road map for future success
March 10, 2016
ARLINGTON, Texas – When the USBC Collegiate sectional tournaments begin March 11, nearly 1,150 student-athletes representing 144 schools will take the first step in their quest to hoist the prestigious Kerm Helmer Cup at the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) in April.
The top 80 men’s and 64 women’s programs will compete in four sectionals (Stratford, New Jersey; Las Vegas; Addison, Illinois; and Smyrna, Tennessee) to determine the final 16 men’s and 16 women’s ITC participants and, eventually, 2016 champions. On the men’s side, Wichita State is the defending champion, while North Carolina A&T reigns for the women.
But, before a group can be crowned champions, they first must learn how to become champions, and that begins as youth bowlers.
With programs such as Junior Gold, USA Bowling, Pepsi Youth Championships and the Bowling.com Youth Open Championships available, not to mention the numerous athletes competing at the high school level, there has never been a greater time to prepare for the future than the present.
For example, the Junior Gold program continues to set membership records, exceeding the 6,000-member threshold last year for the first time. Throughout the United States, bowlers continue to compete at the high school level for state team and individual titles. Currently, 47 states offer bowling as either a club or varsity sport.
Today’s youth bowlers are more equipped with enhanced resources and programs to assist them as they learn how to compete, gain impactful knowledge and skills and earn scholarship money, so they can pursue the dream of a collegiate national title.
Winning a team title at ITC might be the ultimate prize, but there also is an opportunity for student-athletes to
compete as individuals.
The top 24 men and 16 women after six games of qualifying across the four sectional sites will advance to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISC). This event has seen increased growth during the past five seasons, with last year producing the highest number of male (705) and female (539) entries in ISC history. Michael Tang of San Jose State and Emily Eckhoff of Hastings are defending champions.
Did you know that since the inception of the ISC in 2004, only two bowlers have won an ISC, ITC and a national title on either the Professional Bowlers Association Tour or Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour? That distinction belongs to Diana Zavjalova and Elysia Current.
Zavjalova is a former standout at Webber International and helped the women’s team to the 2012 ITC title. She captured the prestigious USBC Queens title in 2013, an ISC title in 2014 and the PWBA Minnesota Open title in 2015.
Current, a two-time USBC Women’s Championships titlist, won ITC and ISC titles in 2007 with Wichita State, and won the opening event of the newly re-launched PWBA Tour, the 2015 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open.
With many ITC and ISC participants and champions moving to the professional ranks or competing in USBC Championship Tournaments, USBC Collegiate and other youth programs have become stepping stones for many talented youth. Don’t miss your chance to watch these student-athletes bowl their way into stardom.
The championship rounds of both the ITC and ISC will be televised on a tape-delay basis on the CBS Sports Network. Tune in each Tuesday starting May 10 to watch the best collegiate bowlers in the country compete for national titles.
For more information on the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships, visit BOWL.com/Collegiate.
The top 80 men’s and 64 women’s programs will compete in four sectionals (Stratford, New Jersey; Las Vegas; Addison, Illinois; and Smyrna, Tennessee) to determine the final 16 men’s and 16 women’s ITC participants and, eventually, 2016 champions. On the men’s side, Wichita State is the defending champion, while North Carolina A&T reigns for the women.
But, before a group can be crowned champions, they first must learn how to become champions, and that begins as youth bowlers.
With programs such as Junior Gold, USA Bowling, Pepsi Youth Championships and the Bowling.com Youth Open Championships available, not to mention the numerous athletes competing at the high school level, there has never been a greater time to prepare for the future than the present.
For example, the Junior Gold program continues to set membership records, exceeding the 6,000-member threshold last year for the first time. Throughout the United States, bowlers continue to compete at the high school level for state team and individual titles. Currently, 47 states offer bowling as either a club or varsity sport.
Today’s youth bowlers are more equipped with enhanced resources and programs to assist them as they learn how to compete, gain impactful knowledge and skills and earn scholarship money, so they can pursue the dream of a collegiate national title.
Winning a team title at ITC might be the ultimate prize, but there also is an opportunity for student-athletes to
compete as individuals.
The top 24 men and 16 women after six games of qualifying across the four sectional sites will advance to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISC). This event has seen increased growth during the past five seasons, with last year producing the highest number of male (705) and female (539) entries in ISC history. Michael Tang of San Jose State and Emily Eckhoff of Hastings are defending champions.
Did you know that since the inception of the ISC in 2004, only two bowlers have won an ISC, ITC and a national title on either the Professional Bowlers Association Tour or Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour? That distinction belongs to Diana Zavjalova and Elysia Current.
Zavjalova is a former standout at Webber International and helped the women’s team to the 2012 ITC title. She captured the prestigious USBC Queens title in 2013, an ISC title in 2014 and the PWBA Minnesota Open title in 2015.
Current, a two-time USBC Women’s Championships titlist, won ITC and ISC titles in 2007 with Wichita State, and won the opening event of the newly re-launched PWBA Tour, the 2015 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open.
With many ITC and ISC participants and champions moving to the professional ranks or competing in USBC Championship Tournaments, USBC Collegiate and other youth programs have become stepping stones for many talented youth. Don’t miss your chance to watch these student-athletes bowl their way into stardom.
The championship rounds of both the ITC and ISC will be televised on a tape-delay basis on the CBS Sports Network. Tune in each Tuesday starting May 10 to watch the best collegiate bowlers in the country compete for national titles.
For more information on the Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships, visit BOWL.com/Collegiate.