Striking Spotlight

WYOMING, Mich. – The titles at the 2021 Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships were decided Saturday at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex.

The championship rounds in the men’s and women’s divisions in each event were taped for broadcast on Tuesdays in May and June on CBS Sports Network.

The women’s ISC finals will air May 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern, with the men’s ISC show airing May 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The women’s ITC finals will be May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and the excitement will conclude with the men’s ITC title match June 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The Wichita State women and men swept the ITC titles for the third time in program history (1994, 2009) and became the first team since Webber International in 2012 to win both titles in the same season. The wins Saturday marked Wichita’s 12th men’s title and 10th women’s title at the ITC, which both are records.

The 2021 ISC winners are Pete Vergos of Calumet and Katie Robb of Delaware State.

The title match in the women’s team final finished in dramatic fashion, with Wichita State junior and National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player Madison Janack delivering three strikes in the 10th frame of the deciding game of the best-of-five Baker format to shut out North Carolina A&T, 247-217.

Wichita State and North Carolina A&T had exchanged victories through the first four games to set up the excitement in the finale. In Game 5, the Shockers delivered three consecutive strikes, starting in the seventh frame, before handing the ball to Janack for the 10th.

North Carolina A&T, which was looking for its second ITC title, rolled four consecutive strikes in the middle of Game 5, and a strike in the ninth frame forced Janack to get two strikes and one pin to lock up the title.

The 2021 championship team for Wichita State featured Janack, Sierra Ciesiolka, Madisyn Hansen, Addie Herzberg, Sydney Hollinger, Sarah Klassen and Olivia Komorowski.

Janack also was named the women’s ITC Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by North Carolina A&T’s Cameron Strombeck, Mount Mercy’s Cassidy Courey, McKendree’s Hope Gramly and Louisiana Tech’s Allie Leiendecker.

The men’s team title also came down to the fifth game between Wichita State and St. Ambrose in a low-scoring championship round. Through the first four games, only one team had reached the 200 mark (Wichita State in a 200-167 victory in Game 3).

In Game 5, the Shockers started with three consecutive strikes and maintained an advantage as St. Ambrose opened in four of its first six frames. Wichita State claimed the game, and title, with a 188-146 win.

The Wichita State roster this week featured Brandon Biondo, Briley Haugh, Cameron Hurwitz, Alec Keplinger, Richard Paul III, TJ Rock and Nick Sommer.

St. Ambrose’s Cameron Crowe was named the men’s ITC Most Valuable Player. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Nathan Stubler, Wichita State’s Biondo and Keplinger, and Emmanuel’s David Hooper.

Crowe also was recognized as the winner of the Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship Award in the men’s division. Newman’s Leanne Vastbinder earned the award in the women’s division.

Vergos claimed the first national championship for Calumet with a 205-167 victory over Wichita State’s Alec Keplinger.

Vergos, a senior, started strong in the title match. After a spare in the first frame, he rolled three consecutive strikes to build an early lead over Keplinger, who was struggling with his ball reaction after switching from urethane to reactive.

The two-time NCBCA All-American briefly opened the window for Keplinger with a missed 10 pin in the fifth frame, but Vergos stayed clean for the remainder of the game to roll to the title. Keplinger rolled a double in the fifth and sixth frames but followed with opens in the seventh and eighth frames.

Vergos rolled seven consecutive strikes to start his semifinal match against St. Ambrose’s Jordan Monnens on the way to a 254-192 win to advance to the finals. Keplinger advanced to the championship round by defeating Lindenwood’s Andrew Sacks, 212-183.

Robb also is bringing home the first United States Bowling Congress national title to Delaware State after recording a 186-166 win over North Carolina A&T’s Ana Olaya.

Robb, a junior for the Hornets, was down by 12 pins through four frames in the title match after back-to-back opens in the third and fourth frames. She made her move in the seventh and eighth frames, rolling a double after Olaya opened in the seventh to take the advantage.

With Olaya finishing the title tilt first, Robb stepped up in the final frame needing nine pins to claim the victory and rolled a strike to secure the win.

The ISC title also allows Robb to join Delaware State head coach Elysia Current in the winner’s circle at the national singles event. Current captured the 2007 ISC title while competing for Wichita State.

Robb advanced to the title match by defeating McKendree’s Isabel Allen in the semifinals, 215-195. Olaya earned her spot in the finals with a 204-189 win against Indiana Tech’s Maryssa Carey.

All qualifying and match-play rounds held prior to the televised finals were broadcast on BowlTV.com.

Teams and individuals competing at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex this week earned their spots at the ITC and ISC through four sectional qualifiers held throughout the country in April.

Teams had to place in the top four after 40 Baker games in their respective sectionals to advance to the ITC, while individuals needed to finish in the top six at their sectionals based on six-game pinfall totals.

For more information on the Intercollegiate Team Championships, visit BOWL.com/ITC. To learn more about the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, visit BOWL.com/ISC.

2021 INTERCOLLEGIATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Wyoming, Mich.
Saturday’s Results

Men’s Championship
Wichita State def. St. Ambrose, 3-2 (197-196, 171-190, 200-167, 174-182, 188-146)

Women’s Championship
Wichita State def. North Carolina A&T, 3-2 (182-158, 194-202, 211-169, 178-200, 247-217)

2021 INTERCOLLEGIATE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Wyoming, Mich.
Saturday’s Results

Men’s Semifinals
Pete Vergos, Calumet, def. Jordan Monnens, St. Ambrose, 254-192
Alec Keplinger, Wichita State, def. Andrew Sacks, Lindenwood, 212-183

Men’s Final
Vergos def. Keplinger, 205-167

Women’s Semifinals
Ana Olaya, North Carolina A&T, def. Maryssa Carey, Indiana Tech, 204-189
Katie Robb, Delaware State, def. Isabel Allen, McKendree, 215-195

Women’s Final
Robb def. Olaya, 186-166

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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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