ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Kutztown University bowling team competed in their first of two days of the Intercollegiate Team Championship sectional qualifiers at Thunderbowl Lanes on Saturday, put on by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) to determine what teams will compete in the ITC National Championship in Las Vegas, Nev., at the end of the season.
The Golden Bears (50-37 overall) finished the first half of competition in 14th place out of 20 teams, improving on their 16th-place score from the first block of competition at the beginning of the day as they look to elevate into the top 10 in the third block of competition Sunday morning.
The team's first block saw a 2,737 pinfall over 16 games, good enough for a 171 average that was boosted with a 215 game in the third round. Block two got the Maroon and Gold back in the game, with a more than 100-pin increase to 2,873 in the next 16 games to move into 14th place overall. Kutztown rolled a game 21 score of 227 while finishing game 31 with a 235 pinfall, the best game 31 mark of the field.
The current standings feature North Carolina A&T in the top spot, followed by Pikeville, St. Xavier, Marian, and Mount St. Mary's. Both teams who qualify for the National Tenpin Coaches Association rankings among those schools – North Carolina A&T and Mount St. Mary's – are each ranked in the top 15 in the March edition of the polls.
Last season's KU team results show that a comeback is within reason, as KU began in 11th and moved into eighth place with solid performances as the weekend went on.
This competition is not NCAA affiliated, meaning it will not be counted against any team or individual records pertaining to regular or postseason awards distributed by the NCAA or its conferences. The USBC, however, has its own postseason competition and awards its own individual and team national champions separate from the NCAA.
The ITC competition wraps up in Michigan on Sunday, Mar. 9, where the Golden Bears will compete in the final two blocks of competition as they seek a top-five finish to have a shot to qualify for the USBC National Championships in Las Vegas at season's end.
