KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's bowling team was recognized as a top-25 team in the December edition of the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) rankings, coming in as the 23rd-best team in the nation in the first midseason rankings, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
 

The Golden Bears (20-5 overall) had one of the best starts in program history this season, one that includes a 5-0 season-opening outing and a first-place finish at the home Golden Bear Invite before concluding its first half of the season in mid-November.
 

Head coach Angela Reynolds has the Kutztown keglers on a roll after the team's East Coast Conference Championship a season ago, featuring stellar play from Kamryn Brenneman (York, Pa./Central York) and Madison Brenneman (York, Pa./Central York), as well as rookie bowlers Isabella Hopper (Mifflinville, Pa./Berwick) and Ashley Kuster (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood). The team's deep lineup enables the team to last through a day's worth of competition, evident in the team's success at each of its three outings this season.
 

The NTCA December top-25 list is topped by Jacksonville State, which holds 43 of the available first-place votes. Second-place Vanderbilt holds a pair of first-place votes, while fourth-place Nebraska picked up the final top vote. Reigning national champion Youngstown State sits in seventh in the polls, while its conference – Conference USA – boasts 12 total ranked teams, including each of the top seven.
 

The Golden Bears return to the lanes for the three-day Northeast Classic on Friday, Jan. 16, to Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 at the Bowlerama in New Castle, Del. The tournament is likely to include more than half of the teams featured in the top 25 list, and will be one of the toughest outings of the season for the Maroon and Gold.