YSU Women’s Bowling Team opens Season in Struthers

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Coming off a Final Four season in the National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship, the Youngstown State University women’s bowling team begins the 2021-22 season by hosting the MOTIV Penguin Classic Oct. 15-17 at the Holiday Bowl in Struthers.

This is the second home tournament in the team’s six-year history. YSU won in Struthers on Oct. 13, 2019.

YSU returns its top six bowlers in terms of average from last year’s team, which finished fifth in the final National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. Four incoming freshmen round out the squad.

There are two more fall tournaments in Long Island, N.Y. and Kenosha, Wisc., before the schedule resumes Jan. 21 at a site to be determined. Invitationals in Dallas; Jonesboro, Ark.; Lincoln, Neb.; and Smyrna, Tenn., follow before the Southland Championship March 25-27 in Harahan, La.

Arkansas State, Valparaiso, YSU, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Louisiana Tech are part of the Southland Bowling League.

If the Penguins win the league’s automatic bid or receive an at-large invitation to compete in the national collegiate championship for the second straight season, the NCAA Regional round will be April 8-9 at one of four sites.

The winners of the four regional rounds will advance to compete for the NCAA title at Wayne Webb’s Columbus [Ohio] Bowl on April 15-16.

Pictured: Last year’s Final Four team were (front row) Megan Grams, Alexis Sullivan, Emma Wasielewski, Emma Wrenn, (back row) YSU head coach Doug Kuberski, Emma Dockery, Sarah Florence, Madyson Marx, Kirsten Moore and assistant coach Nikki Mendez. (Image: Youngstown State University Athletics)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.