FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2016

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

Final Destination: All season long the Shox work to earn a spot in the national championships and both teams accomplished that goal. The Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) are finally here!

Singles Qualifiers: Along with advancing in the team portion, seniors AJ Chapman (Manchester, Iowa) and Stephen Cowland (Australia) join Estefania Cobo (Truijilo Alto, Puerto Rico) in the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, just prior to the ITC.

No Travel Necessary: The Intercollegiate Team and Singles Championships are held right at home. Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan. will host both tournaments, April 19-23, 2016.

Defending Champs: The Shocker men walk into Northrock as the team to beat! The men took home the Helmer Cup last season and look to repeat this season. The ladies have been ranked number one all year. They will be hunting for another Helmer Cup, as their last national title came in 2009.

Chasing 22: Shocker Bowlers are chasing national titles number 21 and 22 during the week. The program currently holds 20 national titles.

Schedule: It’s a busy week for the Shocks! The week starts with singles on Tuesday. Chapman, Cowland and Cobo begin qualifying at 7:45 a.m. and jump right into match play afterwards, around 1:30 p.m. The team competition starts Thursday at 8:30 a.m. with 24 games of qualifying. After qualifying, teams are seeded into two, eight-team, double elimination brackets. Match play is best four-of-seven and begins Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Match play continues at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and will last all day. The television shows are taped on Saturday. Men’s singles begins at 9:30 a.m. and the women’s team finals start at 11:00 a.m. The women’s singles finals starts at 3:30 p.m. with the men’s team finals starting at 5:30 p.m.

Keeping up with the Shockers: Follow the Shockers scores on their Facebook (/shockerbowling) and Twitter (@shockerbowling) for periodic score updates when they are available! Visit www.wichita.edu/itc to follow when the Shockers bowl each match!

All Together: All 21 Shockers stick together at ITC! While all athletes will be at every functions surrounding the ITC, the men throwing balls are Brandon Biondo, AJ Chapman, Stephen Cowland, Tyler Cruz, Mitch Hupé, Wesley Low, Zach Rhoades and Justin Zwaschka. Sydney Brummett, Estefania Cobo, Ashlyn Herzberg, Hollyann Johansen, Sierra Kanemoto, Dasha Kovalova, Kristie López and Laura Plazas are throwing balls for the women.

Shocker Speak: Juniors Justin Zwaschka and Kristie López
It’s been a long season with a few bumps in the road. What has been the main focus these past few weeks to be ready for ITC?

  • JZ: The main focus for us has been focus. Each of us set some personal goals and if we focus well on improving ourselves individually, the whole team will get better.
  • KL: For us, the main focus has been to get better by setting individual goals so we can get better for the team. We shared our goals with each other so we encourage and help each other, making the team stronger both physically and mentally.

What are the things you do to walk in to ITCs with a clear mind?

  • JZ: It’s not what we do for a clear head, it’s really what we don't do. Championships, rankings, etc. can create thoughts; so we just don't talk about them. They are there and can give valuable information, but they definitely aren't the whole story.
  • KL: I think we always have a clear mind. We don't talk about rankings or other teams in general. We use the rankings to learn and move forward, but that’s about it. For us it is better to focus on the moment and to be present.

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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.