#9, Bowling opens with a bang
12/24/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
Head coach Brad Hagen's squad of seven bowlers burst onto the NCAA Division I bowling scene this fall in spectacular fashion. Playing in major intercollegiate tournaments in Missouri, Delaware and New Jersey, the Bearkats finished as runner-up in one event and third in two others.
The bowling team's fall record of 29 victories and only 12 losses includes 18 wins over teams listed in the National Tenpins Coaches Association 2010 preseason top 20.
The squad's accomplishments this fall rank as the No. 9 story during the 2010 Bearkat sports year.
Sam Houston has defeated nine of the top 10 teams including victories over defending NCAA champion and No. 1 ranked Fairleigh-Dickinson, 2008 national titlist and No. 2 Maryland-Eastern Shore and 2007 NCAA champion and No. 4 Vanderbilt.
"We certainly have gotten the attention of everyone in the college bowling world," Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen said. "Our seven girls have done a tremendous job this fall. Our level of preparation, competitive nature and NCAA record prove that we are not just another first year program. Now we are gearing up for the second half of the season. We want to remain on course towards our goal of the NCAA championship in Detroit in April. We've turned heads, but we still have to go out prove we're a contender."
Hagen, a U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) Silver certified coach with more than 15 years of competitive experience at the regional and national level, joined the Bearkat staff on July 1, 2009. The native of upstate New York hit the ground running, recruiting all over the country to build a team.
"We went looking for quality over quantity," Hagen said. "We wanted women who understand the importance of academics and the ability to learn, adapt and retain information on and off the lanes."
The Sam Houston bowling team opened its first season with a victory over rival Stephen F. Austin at the International Bowling Training and Research Center in Arlington.
"Starting the program's history with a win over our arch rival was a tremendous motivational factor," Hagan said. "As one of the first events in the new Arlington facility, it also brought Sam Houston major exposure in the bowling world. I'm so proud of how are team has performed on the national stage."
The inaugural Sam Houston bowling squad consists of Texans Lisa Cummins, Kimi Davidson and Lisa MacAllister; Florida's Dayna Galganski; New Yorker Shaina Woolbaugh; Neishka Cardona of Puerto Rico and Aida Sanchez of the Domincan Republic.
Competition in tournaments across the country makes up the Bearkats' schedule. During the spring semester, Sam Houston will travel to Arkansas, Nebraska, Alabama and Tennessee seeking to earn a berth in the NCAA championships April 14-16 in Detroit.
Next action for the Sam Houston women's bowlers will be the Mid-Winter Invitational begining Jan. 14 at Cabot, Arkansas.
