FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2014

CONTACT:
Gordon Vadakin
Phone (316) 978-7655
Fax (316) 978-6056
email - shocker.bowling@wichita.edu
www.wichita.edu/bowling

Team USA Welcomes 47th Shocker Bowler

WICHITA, Kan. – Team USA welcomed their 47th Shocker Bowler this past week. Current senior Chris Colella finished second at the Summer Team USA Trials in Arlington, Tex. last week to earn a spot on Team USA 2015.

Colella, from Templeton, Mass., averaged 222 over 15 games to earn his spot. Summer Trials consisted of 15 games over three patterns (three games on short, six games on medium and six games on long). The winner was based on total pin fall with the top two players earning direct spots on Team USA 2015.

Chris opened up with 605 on the short pattern. He struggled early, but found something game three for 247. This kept him in the middle of the 30-person field after day one.

The medium pattern was a completely different story. Colella put together games of 193, 257, 278, 275, 202 and 220 for a whopping 1425 six game block (237 average). Chris lead the field for the six games and found himself in second overall.

It came down to the wire on day three. Chris opened up the day with games of 233, 242, 174, 234 and 206. This put him in third, behind another current Shocker senior Matt McNiel. 14 pins separated the two Shockers. Bowling right next to each other, the game was very close until a split in the 8th by McNiel let Colella gain some ground. Chris finished with 225 and now a spot on Team USA 2015.

“I knew I had fallen behind going into the last game so all I concentrated on was throwing the best shots I could. It was hard to not watch since Matt and I were right next to each other,” Colella said. “I wanted to give myself a chance every shot. When I stepped up in the 10th frame, I looked up and realized I had done it. Making the team was indescribable. I was beyond happy and pretty emotional. It was probably the best feeling I have ever felt so far.”

Fresh off a week of Shocker Bowling tryouts, Colella said, “Obviously the Shocker tryouts are on patterns you need to split boards on to score well. The patterns at Summer Trials were very hard but I felt like I had a little bit of area. Tryouts definitely helped get me sharp enough to bowl well down in Texas.”

The top of the Summer Trials standings were dominated by current and former Shocker Bowlers. Matt McNiel finished third and not far behind him was recent graduate Devin Bidwell (’10 – ’14). Last year’s assistant coach and former player Nathan Bohr had a huge day three to jump to 6th. Miguel Lopez (’09 – ’13) finished 10th.

Colella is joined on Team USA 2015 by PBA star Mike Fagan. The rest of the team will be decided at Team USA Trials in January at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nev.

For more information about Summer Team Trials, visit: www.bowl.com/summertrials.


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The Rhatigan Student Center has been the major financial and administrative supporter of the Wichita State University bowling program since 1959.