MAY 2015 -
3
S U R
F
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TOURNAMENTS
Champions Determined At 2015
XBowling Intercollegiate
Team Championships
By Aaron Smith
WICHITA, Kan. -
The Wichita State men and North Caro-
lina A&T women were victorious at the 2015 XBowling Inter-
collegiate Team Championships on Saturday.
In the men's final, Wichita State swept Midland in the best-
of-five title match, 3-0, to record the program's 11th Intercol-
legiate Team Championships win. On the women's side,
North Carolina A&T bested defending champion Robert
Morris-Illinois, 3-1, to raise the Kerm Helmer Cup.
CBS Sports Network will air the women's championship
match May 18 at 7 p.m. Eastern, while the men's final will be
shown May 25 at 7 p.m. ET.
The Wichita State men grinded out the opening game, 169-
129, before starting the second game with seven consecu-
tive strikes on their way to a 275-167 win. The Shockers
grabbed the early lead in game three and never looked back
despite back-to-back splits in the fourth and fifth frames,
capping the title run, 210-166.
"We bowled unbelievable this week," Wichita State junior
AJ Chapman said. "We stuck to our plan all week and just
made awesome shots to get here. It's crazy. We all came to
Wichita State for this moment. The feeling hasn't sunk in
yet."
The win in 2015 also marks the second title captured by
Wichita State at Northrock Lanes. The Shockers took home
the 2008 ITC at the 48-lane center.
"It's great for our school and community to get to share this
title," Wichita State head coach Gordon Vadakin said. "We
feel so lucky to compete in this environment. We had such a
great crowd and supportive bowling community behind us
today, and to see so many of them rooting us on was an
exhilarating feeling."
In the opening game of the women's title match, North
Carolina A&T missed two single-pin spares as they fell to
Robert Morris-Illinois, 202-201. The Aggies' spare shooting
improved in the following games as they took the momen-
tum with wins of 182-162 and 198-163.
"I told them to just be who they've been all year and that
we got that one out of the way," North Carolina A&T head
coach James Williams said. "The nerves were there the first
game, but they started making better shots and taking care
of spares from there."
In game four, Robert Morris-Illinois senior Leea Haworth
posted three strikes in the 10th frame to force North Caro-
lina A&T to mark with count to secure the title. Sophomore
MacKenzie Robinson delivered a strike in her first offering,
and sealed the program's first ITC win with a 9 count, 195-
190.
"That was amazing," Robinson said. "I was talking with
coach before stepping up and he just kept telling me to give
him 20 (pins). All of the girls were telling me to give them the
first one. I owed it to them and myself. It was the best shot I
threw all day. We get to go back with the trophy and showed
that we can deliver on a big stage."
Daria Kovalova of Wichita State and Nick Pate of Midland
were named the tournament's most valuable players.
Joining Kovalova on the women's all-tournament team was
Haworth, Emily Strombeck of North Carolina A&T, Katelyn
Simpson of Pikeville and Caitlin Hoffman of St. Francis-
Illinois.
Pate was joined on the men's all-tournament team by
Chapman, Mitch Katic of Calumet, Cristian Azcona of Lin-
denwood and Cameron Weier of Robert Morris-Illinois.
The XBowling Intercollegiate Team Championships fea-
tured the top 16 men's and top 16 women's college bowling
teams in the country vying for national titles. All 32 teams
competed in best-of-seven, double-elimination match play in
the Baker format Thursday and Friday until the field was
pared down to the finalists in both the men's and women's
divisions.
San Jose State's Michael Tang & Hastings'
Emily Eckhoff
captured individual titles at the
2015 XBowling
Intercollegiate Singles Championships
Tang defeated Notre Dame-Ohio's Meeco Walker to take
home the men's title, 259-174, while Eckhoff secured the
women's title over Nebraska's Julia Bond at Northrock
Lanes, 237-182.
Tang struggled to find the pocket on the right lane in his
semifinal match against Morehead State's Devon Miller, but
prevailed, 169-152, to advance to the title match. A ball
change and an early strike on that lane in the finals bol-
stered his confidence as he started with seven consecutive
strikes.
"It's a dream come true," said Tang, a sophomore who was
named the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association
Most Valuable Player for the 2014-15 season Wednesday. "I
wasn't making very good shots on that lane, but made the
right ball change as the lanes transitioned. When I got the
first strike on the right lane in the finals, it was a real confi-
dence booster. It's just an indescribable honor to take this
back to San Jose State."
In the other men's semifinal, Walker edged by Linden-
wood's Andre Fors to advance to the title match, 207-204.
Eckhoff put together a pair of 237 games on her way to the
title and filled every frame along the way. The sophomore
bested Webber International's Verity Crawley, 237-178, to
earn her spot in the championship match.
"Since it was my first time on TV, I tried to take really deep
breaths, keep my feet slow and not lose my composure,"
Eckhoff said. "This title really means a lot. It's only the sec-
ond year that Hastings has had a bowling program, so hope-
fully this title will help get our name out."
Bond defeated Vanderbilt's Robyn Renslow, 222-179, in
the other women's semifinal match.
Saturday's results
At Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.
MEN
Semifinals
Meeco Walker, Notre Dame-Ohio def. Andre Fors, Linden-
wood, 207-204
Michael Tang, San Jose State def. Devon Miller, Morehead
State, 169-152
Final: Tang def. Walker, 259-174
WOMEN
Semifinals
Julia Bond, Nebraska def. Robyn Renslow, Vanderbilt,
222-179
Emily Eckhoff, Hastings def. Verity Crawley, Webber Inter-
national, 237-178
