KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's bowling team enters the 2024-25 season with high expectations as one of the front runners in the East Coast Conference, and their growth over the past several years signifies another big step forward is set to take place this upcoming season.
After finishing last season with a 58-33 mark and just one match outside of championship Sunday at the conference's postseason tournament, the Maroon and Gold are among the favorites for the ECC crown and the conference's automatic NCAA Championship qualifier. Their odds are boosted even further with the departure of back-to-back conference champion Mercyhurst to the Division I ranks.
According to the ECC coaches, the Golden Bears are slotted in as the second-best squad, earning 66 points and garnering a first-place vote in the ECC Preseason Polls on Monday.
Kutztown bowling returns a strong roster under the direction of fifth-year head coach Angela Reynolds, one that features back-to-back All-ECC First Team bowler Chloe Sromovski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) as well as First Team junior Madison Brenneman (York, Pa./Central York) and Second Team graduate student Megan Hanaway (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township). Reynolds highlighted her team's depth, including the importance of a combination of youth and experience.
"I see confidence and experience from my returners," said Reynolds. "I also see [the desire] to learn and be a part of everything from my freshmen. [The upperclassmen] have worked hard and excited to be a part of what is to come. They have worked hard and are willing to show the ropes to the newcomers. I'm excited for this season to watch all players grow!"
Kutztown will host its home tournament, the Golden Bear Invite, at Berks Lanes in Sinking Spring, Pa., on Oct. 19-20. Last year, solid performances from Sromovski and Brenneman led the Golden Bears to a third-place finish, a mark they will look to improve on against similar competition. The Golden Bears' only other local tournament will be the Mount Shootout, hosted by Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 7-9, 2025.
KU will travel to Allen Park, Mich., to compete in a non-NCAA tournament hosted by the United States Bowling Congress on Mar. 8-9, 2025. The Allen Park Sectional is one of four sectionals that sends top qualifiers to the USBC National Championships following the NCAA Championship. Last year's USBC Sectional competition saw Kutztown come in eighth place, with the top four teams advancing to nationals.
The Golden Bears will conclude the regular season at Wilmington's Northeast Roundup, their second competition at the Bowlerama of New Castle, Del. The East Coast Conference Championship will take place on Mar. 21-23, with the champion guaranteed a bid to the NCAA Championships in April.
The Golden Bears open their 11-tournament regular season slate at the Mercyhurst Invitational, hosted by Division I newcomer Mercyhurst, now a member of the Northeast Conference. Their season-opening match could see the Golden Bears face off against No. 12 Mount St. Mary's and No. 25 Niagara, among other stiff competition. Competition spans most of the day on Oct. 5-6 at Rolling Meadow Lanes in Erie, Pa.
