STORM-PRESENTED INAUGURAL PBA COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL WICHITA STATE WINS….

The best men’s collegiate bowlers competed against one another in the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Series of Bowling XIII championship match. Wichita State University was victorious in the first PBA Collegiate Invitational presented by Storm champions, which was open to the top four teams in the USBC collegiate bowling rankings.

The defending national winners of the Intercollegiate Team Championships, Wichita State, finished the regular season ranked #1 in the nation. They took on Webber International University, who concluded the regular season ranked fourth, another blue blood in collegiate bowling.

Having lost to Wichita State in the ITC finals the previous year, St. Ambrose University secured the second seed and faced Savannah College of Art & Design, which is located in Savannah, Georgia. A single-game Baker match comprised the PBA Collegiate Invitational’s opening round. The victors then fought for the championship in a Race to Two. Players and coaches welcomed the special environment and chance to represent their school on a national platform, even if there was no national championship at stake.

Wichita State’s experience was crucial in the first game as they adjusted to the new surroundings. They advanced to the finals with a 221-219 victory against Webber International.

SCAD-Savannah defeated St. Ambrose 242-214 in the bee match. It was important for both sides to show off their passionate selves. The audience was enthralled by the humorous, inside joke-filled chants of SCAD-Savannah. The secret to their success, according to anchor bowler Tyrell Ingalls of SCAD-Savannah, was being authentic and having fun.

We were all making shots right out of the start, so that definitely increased our comfort level, according to Ingalls. “If you’re not unwinding and enjoying yourself, you really can’t do that. That, I believe, was the crucial element we needed to approach this.

Wichita State blasted out of the gates with a 290 in the Race to Two finals. Following a spare conversion by sophomore TJ Rock in the first, the Shockers scored 11 runs in quick succession to take a 1-0 lead. Although freshman Spencer Robarge did not participate in the Shockers’ championship run the previous season, he did experience television as a high school player in the PBA Junior National Championship and the USBC Masters.

“I haven’t bowled with fans in a few years,” Robarge stated. But there was a large crowd. It was evident that we knew very well what we were doing in the lanes, and our cohesive squad made it much simpler for us to string some hits.

Keeping their foot on the accelerator, the Shockers prevailed 231-159 in both the second game and the tournament. The victory, according to senior Alec Keplinger, “Shows us that we know we can do it.” Even though we already knew it, we came out and provided further evidence. We’re prepared, yet so many others want to pursue us even more.

Head coach of SCAD-Savannah and former WIU bowler Katie Thornton stated her squad had a terrific time bowling on TV.

All that matters is being able to shoot in the dark and experiencing the sensation. It’s a totally different atmosphere and mood,” she said. As a new initiative, this exposure is excellent for us. Since we haven’t got the same exposure as the other teams, it was also sort of our first opportunity.

The top 16 men’s and women’s teams will compete for a national title at the ITC national finals in Addison, Illinois, next month. All four of these teams have progressed to this event.

MATCH ENDINGS
No. 1 Wichita State defeated No. 4 Webber, 221-219, in the semifinals.
Semifinal: No. 2 St. Ambrose defeated No. 3 SCAD-Savannah, 242-214
No. 1 Wichita State defeated No. 3 SCAD in the championship (racing to two points), 290-201, 231-159.