FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2016

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

WICHITA, KAN. – It’s evident that the Shocker Bowling team puts in a tremendous amount of work on the lanes to get better every day. These same student-athletes are putting in a great deal of work in the classroom too, proven by another semester with 18 Academic All-Americans.

National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) recognizes students that obtain a cumulative 3.5 or higher GPA with an Academic All-American award. Over the years, the Shockers have had more than 290 Academic All-Americans.

“Obtaining a 3.5 your first year is impressive; maintaining a 3.5 GPA for two, three, even four years is really impressive. I thoroughly enjoy sharing the success these student-athletes have on the lanes, but there is something special about sharing their success in the classroom. It’s important to me these student-athletes get a great education and I love that our students take that seriously. When someone comes in and says they aced a test or did really well on a paper I can't help but smile for a long time. It is truly one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” head coach Gordon Vadakin said.

Junior Justin Zwaschka (St. Joe, Mo.) has been a member of the selected team for three years and a three-time Academic All-American. Being on the selected team takes up a lot of time, but he says it helps him stay on top of things. “There is for sure less time to be unstructured because of team obligations. I prioritize sleep and eat a healthy diet that is good for my brain and gives me energy to bowl and study at a high level,” he said.

Scheduling was key for Kayla Ovesny, a freshman from Norman, Okla. “I made sure my classes were in the morning, so I had the afternoon to study. I put my school work first and bowled as much as I could between classes and studying.”

Highlighted by seven freshmen, the group also features three sophomores, five juniors and three seniors. Shocker Bowling’s 2015-2016 Academic All-Americans are:

• Jonathan Bowman, freshman – Peru, N.Y.
• Josh Brown, sophomore – O’Fallon, Ill.
• Sydney Brummett, sophomore – Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Jason Ciszewski, junior – South Amboy, N.J.
• Stephen Cowland, senior – Blackbutt, Australia
• Estefania Cobo, freshman – Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico
• Enzo Hernandez, freshman – Manila, Philippines
• Mitch Hupé, junior – Winnipeg, Canada
• Sierra Kanemoto, sophomore – Dayton, Ohio
• Dasha Kovalova, senior – Moscow, Russia
• Wesley Low, freshman – Palmdale, Calif.
• Rachel Moe, senior – Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
• Kayla Ovesny, freshman – Norman, Okla.
• Shelby Snyder, freshman – Spokane, Wash.
• Jack Stewart, junior – Park City, Kan.
• Caitlin Tam, junior – Markham, Canada
• Brooke Woodard, freshman – Keller, Texas
• Justin Zwaschka, junior – St. Joe, Mo.

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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.