FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2016

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

Post Season Begins: The Intercollegiate Team Championships Sectional Qualifier marks the beginning of the post season. College bowling is taking over four cities – Las Vegas, Nev., Addison, Ill., Smyrna, Tenn. and Stratford, N.J.

South Bound: For the first time ever, the Shox are headed to the south sectional in Smyrna, Tenn. The Shockers jumped on the bus early Thursday morning and headed to Tennessee.

33 is a Magic Number: 33 times in a row the Lady Shox have found their way to the National Championships. The men have advanced 33 times in the last 36 years. Both teams look to increase that number to 34 over the weekend.

Two in One: Players get some bonus bowling this weekend! Friday will serve as the sectional qualifier for the Intercollegiate Singles Championships. Players who registered will bowl six games (men at 8:30 a.m., women at 3:30 p.m.). The top four men and top four women will advance to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships in Wichita in April. Eight additional men will qualify amongst the four sectionals, depending on numbers at each sectional site. Final results will be posted on bowl.com/isc.

Schedule: Sectionals consists of 64 Baker games, 32 games each day. Saturday teams begin at 8:15 a.m. They will take a lunch break after 16 games from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and return for 16 more games. On Sunday, teams bowl 16 games at 7:30 a.m., break for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and return for their final 16 games at 12:30 p.m. Upon completion of the 64 games, the top four teams in each division will advance to the Intercollegiate Team Championships in Wichita, Kan. April 20th-23rd.

Keeping up with the Shockers: Follow the Shockers scores on their Facebook (/shockerbowling) and Twitter (@shockerbowling) for periodic score updates when they are available! USBC will also be posting scores on www.bowl.com/itc.

All Together: The whole men’s and women’s teams gets to make the trek to Smyrna! All 21 players are competing in the singles portion on Friday. In the team competition, freshmen Brandon Biondo and Wesley Low get to make their post season debut with the Shocker men alongside juniors Mitch Hupé and Justin Zwaschka, as well as seniors AJ Chapman, Stephen Cowland, Tyler Cruz and Zach Rhoades. Lone senior Lady Shocker Dasha Kovalova will throw shots with juniors Ashlyn Herzberg, Kristie López, Laura Plazas and Caitlin Tam and sophomores Sydney Brummett, Hollyann Johansen and Sierra Kanemoto in the team portion of sectionals.

Shocker Speak: Seniors Dasha Kovalova and Stephen Cowland
Sectionals can get long, how do you guys keep it fun and keep the energy up?

  • DK: To keep the tournament fun, we joke around a lot. We eat a lot of snacks too, to make sure our energy stays up.
  • SC: We make sure to stay within our group and keep joking with each other. Keeping the focus on the the shots when it needs to be there, but relaxing when we can is vital to mentally surviving the weekend.

As the season winds down, do you change what you do in practice or keep it the same throughout the year?

  • DK: Right before post season, I will start to focus more on handling pressure situations and executing great shots. As a team, we will put ourselves in more match play situations during practice. Spare shooting also becomes more important as the season goes on. We try to spend extra time together off the lanes as well.
  • SC: We try to recreate pressure situation and more “one shot” goals. Our work on our spare game increases as well when we enter post season.

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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.