Striking Spotlight

WYOMING, Mich. – The first day of qualifying and match play at the 2021 Intercollegiate Singles Championships wrapped up Tuesday at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, with 16 student-athletes in the men’s and women’s divisions still in contention for the national singles titles.

The 2021 ISC started with 24 male and 24 female competitors who advanced from four sectional qualifiers held across the United States in April. They all bowled six qualifying games Tuesday to determine the seeding for this week’s single-elimination bracket, with the top eight players in each division receiving a first-round bye.

At the conclusion of three rounds of three-game total-pinfall matches, the four semifinalists in each division will be known and will battle for the titles on CBS Sports Network.

The finals of the ISC will be taped Saturday, with the women’s final airing May 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The men’s ISC final will air May 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Earning the top seed in the women’s division after six games Tuesday was Vanderbilt’s Mabel Cummins, who fired 259 in her final game to edge Wichita State’s Madison Janack for the top spot with a 1,270 total, a 211.66 average. Janack finished second with 1,268.

“My strategy coming into today was to control the pocket and make my spares,” said Cummins, who started the block with games of 195, 234, 210, 172 and 200. “I really tried to pay attention to what was happening on the lanes and keep an eye on the transition, which I struggled with in my fourth and fifth games. Once I realized how much the lanes were hooking and moved far enough left, I was able to finish strong. I’m going to try and focus on the same things tomorrow.”

Cummins will face Arkansas State’s Brooklyn Boudreau in the second round of match play. Boudreau bested Shalee Bradley of Iowa Western Community College, 640-610, to advance.

The other players in the women’s division earning first-round byes were Delaware State’s Katie Robb, Tusculum’s Jordan Mundt, Mount Mercy’s Ayra Aminuddin, Prairie View A&M’s Patricia Rosales, Stephen F. Austin’s Dakota Faichnie and Indiana Tech’s Maryssa Carey.

Wichita State’s Alec Keplinger started qualifying Tuesday with nine consecutive strikes and a 279 game on his way to leading the men’s division with a 1,318 total, a 219.66 average.

Keplinger used Monday’s practice session to try a couple different bowling balls, and he thought using urethane would give him the most favorable reaction Tuesday.

“I started the practice session with urethane, but I got away from it to try some other equipment,” said Keplinger, who finished Tuesday’s qualifying set with games of 221, 237, 211, 177 and 193. “It seemed like using urethane was going to give me the best look, and I was able to stay in it all day. Qualifying hasn’t always been my strong suit, so it’s great to start strong, and I’m really looking forward to the head-to-head matches.”

Keplinger will be matched up against Indiana Tech’s Cory Hersha in the second round. Hersha rolled the highest three-game total in the first round in either division to eliminate Webber International’s Wyatt Smith, 692-602.

Joining Keplinger with first-round byes in the men’s division were Calumet’s Pete Vergos, St. Ambrose’s Jordan Monnens and Zack Denton, Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Andrew Gross, Notre Dame-Ohio’s Conner Novak, Thomas More’s Jake Toelke and Oklahoma Christian’s Joshua Imhoff.

The next match-play round will begin Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. Eastern. Qualifying and match play at the ISC and Intercollegiate Team Championships is being broadcast on BowlTV.com.

The ITC will kick off Wednesday evening with the official practice sessions for the 16 men’s and 16 women’s qualifiers. Competition at the ITC will begin Thursday at 7 a.m. Eastern with the men’s qualifying block.

For more information on Intercollegiate Singles Championships, visit BOWL.com/ISC.

INTERCOLLEGIATE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Wyoming, Mich.
Tuesday’s Results

Men’s match play, first round (winner advances, loser is eliminated)
Cory Hersha, Indiana Tech, def. Wyatt Smith, Webber International, 692-602
Tyler Moore, Tusculum, def. Ryan Taylor, Pikeville, 590-579
Troy Owens, Lindenwood, def. Ryan Reid, Siena Heights, 632-614
Andrew Sacks, Lindenwood, def. Michael Rachal, Lincoln Memorial, 642-632
Nathan Burns, Rio Grande, def. Tyler Synovec, Newman, 547-523
Steven Kocher, Bowling Green State, def. Ronnie Huff, Webber International, 691-630
Shaun Quinn Jr., Calumet, def. Aleksander Kostric, William Penn, 597-583
Seth Gossen, Texas-San Antonio, def. Tyler Lowenstein, Bowling Green State, 588-528

First-round byes: Alec Keplinger, Wichita State; Pete Vergos, Calumet; Jordan Monnens, St. Ambrose; Zack Denton, St. Ambrose; Andrew Gross, Wisconsin-Whitewater; Conner Novak, Notre Dame-Ohio; Jake Toelke, Thomas More; Joshua Imhoff, Oklahoma Christian

Women’s match play, first round (winner advances, loser is eliminated)

Brooklyn Boudreau, Arkansas State, def. Shalee Bradley, Iowa Western CC, 640-610
Allison Hresko, Duquesne, def. Samantha Mueller, Marian-Wisconsin, 644-484
Cassidy Courey, Mount Mercy, def. Brooke Allen, Clarke, 545-463
Ana Olaya, North Carolina A&T, def. Hannah Bond, Saint Xavier, 550-494
Isabel Allen, McKendree, def. Megan Hess, St. Ambrose, 588-520
Jenna Lehrer, Monmouth, def. Emily Tull, Pikeville, 521-502
Rebekah Loker, Ottawa-Kansas, def. Lauren Tomaszewski, North Carolina A&T, 540-530
Victoria Giardina, Lawrence Tech, def. Emily Crone, Martin Methodist, 593-511

First-round byes: Mabel Cummins, Vanderbilt; Madison Janack, Wichita State; Katie Robb, Delaware State; Jordan Mundt, Tusculum; Ayra Aminuddin, Mount Mercy; Patricia Rosales, Prairie View A&M; Dakota Faichnie, Stephen F. Austin; Maryssa Carey, Indiana Tech

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; Bowlers Journal International and Bowling Center Management, the industry’s premier magazines; and the International Training and Research Center.

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