Bowling

Bowling News - 2011-12

Four Bees named to Academic All-America Teams

June 5, 2012

Matt Brahm (left) and Ben Gillen (right) were named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Men's At-Large First Team today. The pair were among four St. Ambrose student-athletes named to an All-America team after earning all-district honors in May. Jacob Schertz (below left) was named to the second team and Maggie Suchoski (below right) was picked for the women's at-large third team.

The teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions and are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) based on the students' work on the court and in the classroom. Student-athletes participating in women's bowling, women's crew, men's and women's fencing, women's field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo and men's wrestling are eligible for the at-large teams.

The four joined first teamers Nick Hauge (football) and Chris Donnelly (men's basketball) to give St. Ambrose six Academic All-Americans in 2011-12.

Brahm, a Finance and Economics major, recently completed his senior season for the St. Ambrose men's volleyball team. The 6-3 outside hitter from Elmhurst, Ill., was a key contributor for a Bee team that was the top-ranked squad in the nation for most of the year and finished as the national runner-up for the second straight season. Brahm finished second on the team and 12th in the country with 27 service aces and is second in school history with 83 career aces. He finished his senior campaign with 87 kills, 100 digs, 14 total blocks and nine assists.

Gillen and Schertz wrapped up their careers with the Bee men's golf team this spring. Gillen, a Finance and Economics major from Monmouth, Ill., was the low scorer in four events this year for St. Ambrose and had three top-five finishes among his seven top-10 finishes. In early April, Gillen carded a collegiate- and tournament-best 67 in the third round of the Beu/Mussatto Invitational hosted by Western Illinois University. He averaged a 75.73 over 26 rounds this year and led SAU with a ninth-place effort at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Golf Championship.

Schertz, a Finance and Economics and Accounting major from Byron, Ill., averaged a 78.62 over 26 rounds this year for the Bees. He recorded three top-10 finishes, including a third-place showing at the Iowa Wesleyan Fun City Classic. Schertz also led St. Ambrose with a fourth-place finish at the Augustana Invitational in mid-April and was eighth at the Clarke Fall Classic in September.

Suchoski, a Physics major from Evergreen Park, Ill., just concluded her sophomore season with the SAU bowling team. She was a member of the team that won the Viterbo Invitational roll-off, giving St. Ambrose its first women's bowling team championship, and helped the Bees take fifth at a USBC Sectional Qualifier. Suchoski was fourth on the team with a 177.15 average over 46 games this year. Her best finish was a 12th-place showing at the Warhawk Open after she knocked down 1,113 total pins over six games for a 185.50 average.

SAU gets commitment from 2011-12 bowling state champ

May 23, 2012

St. Ambrose University Coach Jeff Griebel is excited to announce the signing of the 2011-12 Illinois High School Athletic Association’s (IHSAA) boys bowling individual state champion.

Joey Kopera, a senior at Carl Sandburg High School (Orland Park, Ill.), has signed a letter of intent and will attend St. Ambrose in the fall 2012.

Kopera won the IHSAA boys state bowling championship his senior year in February 2012. As a junior in 2011, he finished in fifth place. He also qualified for the state championship as a freshman in 2009.

He was recognized by his high school as the boys bowling Most Valuable Player his sophomore, junior and senior years. He has won more than 50 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) junior bowling titles and has rolled 10 300 games since his sophomore season at Carl Sandburg High School. His high school bowling competitive scoring average was 229 per game for his senior season, which is a school record.

Kopera will join past IHSAA Bowling State Champions Bryan Thompson (2005) and Kyle Anderson (2010 and 2011) on the 2012-13 St. Ambrose men’s bowling squad.

"We are very pleased to have a player the caliber of Joey Kopera joining our bowling program next season," said Griebel. "He has been one of the top high school bowlers in the State of Illinois over the last four years and will bring experience and confidence to our program next fall."

The St. Ambrose University men’s bowling team had a school-best fifth-place team finish at the USBC Collegiate team Championship held in Lincoln, Neb., in April 2012.

Pictured below: Joey Kopera signs his letter of intent in front of his parents and SAU assistant bowling coach Jeff Griebel.

Four Bees named Capital One Academic All-District

May 21, 2012

CoSIDA release

Matt Brahm (left), Ben Gillen, Jacob Schertz and Maggie Suchoski (right) were named to the 2011-12 Capital One Academic All-District Men's and Women's At-Large Teams today. The four represent District 5 in the College Division, which includes NAIA and two-year schools from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The honor, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the playing field and in the classroom. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. Student-athletes participating in women's bowling, women's crew, men's and women's fencing, women's field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo and men's wrestling are eligible for the at-large teams.

By earning all-district accolades, the four will now advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Brahm recently completed his senior season for the St. Ambrose men's volleyball team. The 6-3 outside hitter from Elmhurst, Ill., was a key contributor for a Bee team that was the top-ranked squad in the nation for most of the year and finished as the national runner-up for the second straight season. Brahm finished second on the team and 12th in the country with 27 service aces and is second in school history with 83 career aces. He finished his senior campaign with 87 kills, 100 digs, 14 total blocks and nine assists. Brahm majored in Finance and Economics at SAU.

Gillen (left) and Schertz (right) wrapped up their careers with the Bee men's golf team this spring. Gillen, from Monmouth, Ill., was the low scorer in four events this year for St. Ambrose and had three top-five finishes among his seven top-10 finishes. In early April, Gillen carded a collegiate- and tournament-best 67 in the third round of the Beu/Mussatto Invitational hosted by Western Illinois University. He averaged a 75.73 over 26 rounds this year and led SAU with a ninth-place effort at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Golf Championship. Gillen majored in Finance and Economics at St. Ambrose.

Schertz, from Byron, Ill., averaged a 78.62 over 26 rounds this year for the Bees. He recorded three top-10 finishes, including a third-place showing at the Iowa Wesleyan Fun City Classic. Schertz also led St. Ambrose with a fourth-place finish at the Augustana Invitational in mid-April and was eighth at the Clarke Fall Classic in September. He majored in Finance and Economics and Accounting at St. Ambrose.

Suchoski, from Evergreen Park, Ill., just concluded her sophomore season with the SAU bowling team. She was a member of the team that won the Viterbo Invitational roll-off, giving St. Ambrose its first women's bowling team championship, and helped the Bees take fifth at a USBC Sectional Qualifier. Suchoski was fourth on the team with a 177.15 average over 46 games this year. Her best finish was a 12th-place showing at the Warhawk Open after she knocked down 1,113 total pins over six games for a 185.50 average. She is majoring in Physics at SAU.

Anderson named to USBC Team Championship All-Tourney Team

Apr. 24, 2012

USBC release

After helping St. Ambrose finish fifth at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, freshman Kyle Anderson (right) was named to the five-member all-tournament team.

Anderson was joined on the team by Erik Gulbrandson (Wichita State), Jacob Kent (Robert Morris-Illinois), Brad Miller (Lindenwood) and Gary Faulkner (Webber International).

The award caps a tremendous freshman campaign for Anderson. A native of Lockport, Ill., Anderson became the first St. Ambrose bowler to win a tournament when he took the men's championship at the S.I. Elite Classic on Nov. 13.

He later added a second individual title by claiming the Viterbo Invitational championship.

The Midwest Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year, Anderson earned all-conference honors and helped the Bees qualify for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships after a third-place finish at sectionals.

The SAU season ended with the fifth-place effort at the Team Championships, featuring the top 16 teams in the country.

In November, Anderson was the 2012 recipient of the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award, given to a male bowler with star qualities.

Cinderella has to settle for fifth

by Sam Peterlin

Apr. 20, 2012

USBC website | Qualifying results | Bracket | Watch | Watch the Journey (courtesy Sam Peterlin)

The 15th-nationally-ranked Fighting Bees packed up and headed for Lincoln, Neb., last Wednesday morning for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, defending national champions California-Fresno State would return to try and defend their title as well.

St. Ambrose would go much further into the tournament than their national ranking would make others believe but would fall short of the national title, as the Robert Morris University Eagles would eliminate the Fighting Bees in the round of six.

After the 24 baker style games, St. Ambrose would be the ninth seed out of the 16-team field, averaging 195. The first round match up, on Thursday evening, in the best-of-seven double elimination tournament for the Fighting Bees would be against Notre Dame-Ohio. St. Ambrose would easily take care of the eight-seeded Falcons and it would only take five games to do it.

The second round matchup for the Fighting Bees would be against the Wichita State Shockers, the number one seed in the tournament, and fifth in the www.collegebowling.com polls. This match would go to the seventh game but the Shockers would start the seventh game strong with four out of five strikes to pull away from the Fighting Bees and win the match. With the loss, the Fighting Bees would go into the losers bracket and try to reach the finals the hard way.

Friday morning would bring a challenge for the Fighting Bees with an uphill battle after the loss to Wichita State the night before to reach the televised finals on CBS Sports. The third round matchup would be against Calumet College-St. Josephs and it would take six games for the Fighting Bees to eliminate the Crimson Wave from the tournament.

The fourth round would be a match up with Morehead State University, the third ranked team in the country, who eliminated Notre Dame-Ohio from the tournament in the previous round after being down 0-3 in the match. However, it would be the Bees on top of this one as once again it would only take six games to eliminate another team from the tournament and keep the dream alive.

With six teams remaining, St. Ambrose would be matched up with the number-one ranked team in the country and the four seed in the tournament, Robert Morris. After going up in the series 3-1, the Fighting Bees couldn’t hold back the Eagles as they would find a way to rally and win the next three games to win the best of seven series and eliminate the Fighting Bees from the tournament, but the accomplishment was known with the players. "It wasn’t the way we wanted to end the tournament but I am definitely proud of this team and what we accomplished this week and can’t wait for next year to start," junior Bryan Thompson (left) said.

Freshman Kyle Anderson (right) would be named to the men’s all-tournament team for his performance last week.

Wichita State would eliminate Robert Morris in the next round and Webber International would beat Wichita in the finals to take home the title for the first time.

Men's bowlers at USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships

Apr. 20, 2012

USBC website | Qualifying results | Bracket | Watch live

UPDATED FRIDAY, 12 PM - Bees season stays alive with win over Morehead State

The Bees just keep rolling. St. Ambrose knocked off Morehead State 4-2 to advance at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. SAU is now just one of six teams remaining in the field and will face Robert Morris at 2 p.m.

With a win, St. Ambrose would get a rematch with Wichita State, a team that defeated SAU 4-3 in the second round Thursday. Kansas and Lindenwood are also playing an elimination match at 2 p.m. with that winner facing Webber International.

UPDATED FRIDAY, 10 AM - SAU defeats Calumet-St. Joseph to stay alive

St. Ambrose has guaranteed itself a top-eight finish at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championship with a 4-2 win over Calumet-St. Joseph Friday morning. The Bees are just one of eight teams remaining in the double-elimination bracket. SAU will next face Morehead State later Friday morning.

UPDATED THURSDAY, 9 PM - SAU falls to Wichita State, guarantee top-12 finish

St. Ambrose took top-seed Wichita State to a decisive seventh game in their second round best-of-7 series but fell 4-3.

The loss moves the Bees to the losers bracket in the double elimination tournament. SAU will face either Calumet-St. Joseph or Rochester Tech Friday at 8 a.m.

With the first round win over Notre Dame (Ohio), St. Ambrose is guaranteed a top-12 finish in the 16-team national championship. A win Friday morning would put the Bees in the top eight but a loss would end their season.

UPDATED THURSDAY, 7 PM - Bees qualify ninth, win first best-of-7 series

After qualifying ninth in the 16-team field at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, the St. Ambrose men remained in the winners bracket by defeating Notre Dame College (Ohio) in a first-round best-of-7 series.

The Bees defeated Notre Dame in five games and will now face Wichita State, the top team in qualifying, in the second round beginning at 6:15 Thursday (WATCH LIVE)

SAU is guaranteed to advance to Friday's play in the double-elimination tournament featuring the country's top teams.

St. Ambrose was ninth after 24 games of qualifying with 4,702 total pins, finishing just 10 pins behind Notre Dame with 4,712 pins. Wichita State knocked down 5,032 pins to earn the top seed in tournament play.

SAU men ninth, women 14th at NAIA Invitational

Apr 3, 2012

Results

The St. Ambrose men got a final warmup for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships and the SAU women wrapped up the season by competing at the 2012 NAIA Invitational.

After 32 Baker games, the Bee men qualified ninth with 4,552 total pins. In bracket play, St. Ambrose defeated Marian 3-1 before falling to Clarke 3-0. Bouncing down to the Contenders Bracket, the Bees slipped past Ashford thanks to winning a ninth and 10th frame roll-off 39-27, but saw their tournament run come to an end with a tight 3-2 loss to William Penn.

The women struggled to a 14th-place finish in qualifying, knocking down 4,050 total pins.

With the low 14th seed, the Queen Bees were pitted against third-seed Pikeville in the opening round of bracket play and lost 3-1.

It didn't get much easier in the Contenders Bracket as SAU fell to sixth-seed Calumet 3-1 to wrap up the Bees' season.

SAU men qualify for USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships

Mar. 11, 2012

Results

For the first time in the program's three-year history, the St. Ambrose men's bowlers are headed to the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships. The Bees will now head to Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., for Nationals April 19-21.

SAU earned a spot with a third-place finish with a total pin count of 12,706 over 64 Baker games at a sectional qualifier in Fairview Heights, Ill. The top four men's teams and top four women's teams at each of four sectionals (Allentown, Pa.; Euless, Texas; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Smyrna, Tenn.) based on total pinfall qualified for the 2012 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships.

Robert Morris-Illinois won the Fairview Heights Sectional with 13,159 pins. Toledo took second with 12,759 total pins and Calumet-St. Joseph grabbed the fourth and final spot from the regional with 12,651 pins.

The 16-team men's field at the Team Championships will consist of Calumet-St. Joseph, Fresno State, Kansas, Lindenwood, Midland, Morehead State, Notre Dame-Ohio, Robert Morris-Illinois, Rochester Tech, St. Ambrose, Toledo, Vincennes, Webber International, Wichita State, William Penn and Wright State.

The SAU women narrowly missed out on a second trip to the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships with a fifth-place showing with 11,760 pins at the Fairview Heights Sectional. After picking up 71 pins on fourth-place Robert Morris in the 63rd Baker game, the Queen Bees were 52 pins out of the final qualifying spot heading into the last game. But Robert Morris bounced back with a 194 while SAU settled for a 174 in the final game to grab the final berth with 11,832 total pins.

Newman won the women's sectional with 11,985 pins, followed by Calumet-St. Joseph (11,967) and William Penn (11,957).

The SAU women advanced to the National Team Championships back in 2010.

Pictured below is the SAU men's team that qualified for the USBC ITC. Top row (from left to right): Evan Olson, Nick Zarack, Jack Urban, Bryan Thompson, Brett Dahm. Bottom row (left to right): Calvin Kramer, Kyle Anderson, Jim Ulczak.

Men's bowlers crack national rankings for first time

Mar. 9, 2012

NCBCA poll

For the first time in program history, the St. Ambrose men's bowling team cracked the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) top-20 poll. The Bees are #15 in the poll released on March 8.

The SAU men have claimed seven top-10 finishes at events already this year. The Bees had the top total pin count at the Viterbo Invitational, and finished second at the S.I. Elite Classic and third at the Clarke Conference Invitational.

Robert Morris (Illinois) picked up 15 of the 19 first-place votes to earn the top spot in the poll. Lindenwood, Wichita State, Morehead State and Midland round out the top five.

The St. Ambrose women, with six top-10 showings of their own, are receiving votes in the latest women's poll.

The Bee bowlers will next compete at a USBC Sectional Qualifier at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill., Mar. 10-11.

SAU bowlers assist with clinic

Mar. 5, 2012

Members of the St. Ambrose University Bowling team participated in a clinic and "Beat the Coach" program with the Quad City Junior Bowling program at Bowlmor Lanes in Davenport on Saturday, Mar. 3.

As part of the day's activities, the SAU bowlers served as "Honorary Coaches" for the day and bowled in three-game sets against the Quad City junior bowlers. The junior bowlers used their established handicaps and competed against the SAU bowlers, who bowled scratch without handicaps.

Those Quad city junior bowlers that defeated the SAU honorary coaches received a USBC "Beat the Coach" pin at the conclusion of the three-game set.

In the final game of the day, SAU bowler Chris Ruffino rolled his fifth career 300 game which brought cheers from the junior bowlers and parents in attendance. For many of the junior bowlers, it was the first 300 game that they had witnessed.

The St. Ambrose bowling team will participate in similar junior programs at Bowlmor in 2012-13.

(click on images below to see larger versions)

Bowlers headed to Fairview Heights, Ill., sectional

Feb. 22, 2012

USBC release | 2011-12 recap

The St. Ambrose bowling teams are headed to the St. Louis area for sectionals. The announcement came out Wednesday and both the SAU men's and women's bowlers will compete at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill., March 10-11.

The Bee bowlers are in the same sectional as Robert Morris-Illinois, the top-ranked men's program in Team Ranking System points and the fourth-ranked women's program. The fourth-ranked William Penn men's team is also in the Fairview Heights Sectional.

The Bees are familiar with St. Clair Bowl, having competed there twice already this season. The SAU men finished second and the women were third at the S.I. Elite Classic on Nov. 12-13, and the men were 15th and the women 12th at the National Collegiate Team Match Games on Nov. 25-26. St. Ambrose freshman Kyle Anderson was the individual champion at the S.I. Elite Classic. On the women's side, sophomore Aretha Williams took ninth at the S.I. Elite Classic and 15th at the National Collegiate Team Match Games.

Assignments to the four sectionals, also held in Allentown, Pa.; Euless Texas; and Smyrna, Tenn., are based on the Team Ranking System points earned in USBC Collegiate-certified competition throughout the season.

The sectionals consist of 32 Baker games each day. The top four teams based on total pinfall in each division will advance to the 2012 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, which will be held April 19-21 at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.

Bowlers will learn sectional assignments Wednesday

Feb. 21, 2012

The St. Ambrose bowling teams will learn their sectional assignments Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. The announcements will be made live on YouTube.com/BowlTV.

Four different sectionals will be competed March 10-11 at four different locations.

Thompson finishes fourth at Hoosier Classic

Feb. 19, 2012

Results

Bryan Thompson (right) finished fourth overall to help the St. Ambrose men take sixth at the Hoosier Classic at Western Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind., over the weekend.

Thompson knocked down 1,903 total pins over nine games, good for an average of 211.44, to place fourth out of 537 men's bowlers. He finished just four pins out of third place and only 20 pins behind the individual medalist.

Backed by Nick Zarack's 68th-place finish with 1,688 pins, Thompson and the Bees were sixth in the 77-team men's field with 8,712 pins. Wichita State was the top team finishing with 9,108 pins.

The Bees stumbled in the first round of bracket play, losing to West Texas A&M 3-2. Lindenwood ultimately defeated Webber International 3-2 to win the men's bracket.

The SAU women's team placed three individuals inside the top 35.

Maggie Suchoski (right) led the Queen Bees with her 22nd-place effort. She knocked down 1,689 pins over nine games for a 187.67 average.

Right behind her were teammates Aretha Williams and Taylor Garvey. Williams was 30th overall with 1,671 pins (185.67 average) and Garvey took 35th with 1,664 pins (184.89 average).

The St. Ambrose women finished 13th in the 50-team field with 8,164 total pins. The Queen Bees missed out on a top-eight finish and a spot in bracket play by just 93 pins. Wichita State was the top team with 8,722 pins.

Newman came through the bracket and knocked off Wichita State 3-1 for the women's title.

The bowling team will now await to learn its sectional assignments Wednesday. The 2012 USBC Sectionals will be held March 10-11.

Williams wins individual title; Thompson, Anderson named all-MCC

Feb. 12, 2012

Results

Aretha Williams (right) was the women's individual champion at the Clarke Invitational, which also serves as the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships.

Williams finished with 1,229 total pins over six games, to outdistance the competition by 21 pins. She averaged a 204.83.

The sophomore from Davenport, Iowa, started with a 166 but improved from there. She rolled a 227 and a 236 back-to-back in her third and fourth games to get back into contention.

Williams trailed by 20 pins entering the last of the six games but threw a 224 to win going away.

She is just the second SAU bowler, and the first Queen Bee, to earn individual medalist honors at an event.

Behind Williams, Kelly Granzow and Maggie Suchoski, the St. Ambrose women were third after qualifying with 8,382 total pins. Granzow finished 12th individually with 1,074 pins and Suchoski took 25th with 970 pins, for a 194.00 average.

The Bees were the second seed in match play behind William Penn, but were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Mount Mercy. SAU won the first game 197-157 but fell to the Mustangs 182-165 and 168-144 to fall 2-1. William Penn won the conference title by outlasting Viterbo in the championship.

The St. Ambrose men took second place in qualifying (photo below) behind their two all-conference bowlers. Freshman Kyle Anderson (left) was tabbed as the MCC Newcomer of the Year and joined Bryan Thompson (right) on the men's all-conference team, as voted on by the league's coaches.

Thompson led SAU by collecting 1,229 total pins over six games, good for a 204.83 average, to place sixth overall. Anderson was 38th with 953 pins. The pair was aided by Nick Zarack, who took 36th with 964 total pins.

Seeded behind William Penn entering match play, the SAU men took down Mount Mercy 2-0 before stumbling in the semifinals. Viterbo rolled games of 198 and 201 to defeat the Bees 2-0. Clarke ultimately defeated Viterbo to claim the men's championship.

The St. Ambrose bowling teams return to the lanes next Friday and Saturday at the Hoosier Classic, held at Western Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind.

SAU men get top pin count, women win roll off at Viterbo Invite

Jan. 29, 2012

Results

Kyle Anderson, Bryan Thompson and Calvin Kramer (from left to right) finished 1-2-3 to lead the St. Ambrose men's team to the top total pin count at the Viterbo Invitational over the weekend. But it was the SAU women's team that was the story of the tournament.

The Queen Bees, seeded third after qualifying, ended up winning the roll off to give St. Ambrose its first team championship. The Bees are pictured below with the team trophy.

After five individual games and 10 baker games, SAU was third with 6,298 total pins. Viterbo earned the top seed with 6,583 pins and Ashford was second with 6,382. The Queen Bees defeated Ashford in a semifinal before getting past host Viterbo 2-1 in the finals.

The Bees placed two in the top 10, led by Kelly Granzow's seventh-place finish. She collected 936 total pins over five games for a 187.20 average. Brandi Collins was 10th with 901 pins, good for a 180.20 average.

Deanna Ptak (35th with 712 pins) and Jennifer Baran (39th with 649 pins) finished inside the top 40.

A second SAU women's team, led by Katrina Hager, finished seventh with 5,842 total pins. Hager was 16th with 888 pins for a 177.60 average. Brooke Dahm was 21st with 868 pins and Leah Perez was 25th with 855 pins for the second Bee team.

The men got standout performances from several bowlers, led by Anderson, Thompson and Kramer's all-tournament performances. Anderson picked up his second individual title of the year, joining his S.I. Elite Classic win from Nov. 13, by outdistancing his two teammates. Anderson knocked down 1,121 pins to win the title (224.20 average), Thompson was second with 1,103 pins (220.60) and Calvin Kramer was third with 1,069 pins (213.80).

Anderson and Thompson led the SAU men's A team to the top qualifying score with 6,912 pins. Viterbo was second with 6,851 pins and a second SAU team, anchored by Kramer, was third with 6,685 pins.

In all, five men's players cracked the top 10. Evan Olson was ninth with 1,009 pins and Matt Peters was 10th with 1,008 pins. Chris Ruffino finished 15th with 954 total pins.

Unfortunately both men's teams faltered in the roll off. The top-seeded Bees fell to eventual-champion Ashford while the SAU B team lost 2-1 to host Viterbo in the semifinals.

The Bees return to action Feb. 11-12 at the Clarke Conference Invitational at Cherry Lanes in Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa.

Ulczak leads Bees to sixth-place finish at Blue and Gold Classic

Jan. 22, 2012

Results

Jim Ulczak finished 19th individually and helped the St. Ambrose men's team take sixth at the Blue and Gold Classic in South Bend, Ind., over the weekend.

Ulczak knocked down 1,968 pins over nine games for a 218.7 average. He was backed up by Bryan Thompson and Kyle Anderson, who both added top-40 finishes. Thompson collected 1,931 pins (214.6 average) for 30th place and Anderson had 1,908 pins (212.0 average) to take 39th.

The trio led the Bees to sixth place in the 56-team men's field. SAU had a total of 9,393 pins. Lindenwood won the event with 10,005 pins.

Kelly Granzow was the top Queen Bee, placing 45th with 1,622 total pins, good for a 180.2 average. Taylor Garvey was 63rd with 1,578 pins (175.3 average) and Jenn Baran was 78th with 1,525 pins (169.4 average).

The SAU women's team took 22nd out of 42 teams with 7,706 pins. Wichita State won the women's draw with 9,098 total pins.

The bowlers return to the lanes this weekend at the Viterbo Invitational in La Crosse, Wis.

Bowling commitments for 2012-13

Head coach Donna Lawrence and her staff have started receiving commitments for the 2012-13 season. Click here for the complete list.

Josh Powell
Pictured below: Josh Powell signs his letter of intent in front of his parents and SAU assistant bowling coach Jeff Griebel.

Mar. 5, 2012 - Josh Anderson
St. Ambrose University Men’s Golf and Bowling Coach Jeff Griebel is excited to announce the signing of one of the top high school athletes from the Quad City area.

Josh Anderson a senior at Muscatine High School (Iowa) has signed a letter of intent and will attend St. Ambrose in the fall 2012.

Anderson competed in golf and bowling at Muscatine High School but will concentrate his efforts next fall with the St. Ambrose men’s bowling squad.

Anderson was chosen the 2012 Boys Bowler of the Year in the Mississippi Athletic Conference (MAC) as well as being named to the MAC Boys Bowling First Team All-Conference squad.

In golf, Anderson was also named to the 2012 MAC First Team All-Conference Boy’s Golf Squad. He was the district golf medalist his senior year and led the MAC conference with a competitive stroke average of 38.7. He was named to the Second Team IHSA Boys Golf All-State Team in 2011. Anderson was also named to the 2011 Quad City Times All-Area Boys Golf Team. He was the only Mississippi Athletic Conference golfer to earn all-state honors in 2011 from the Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association.

"We are very pleased to continue to attract the top high school talent in the Quad City area with the addition of Josh Anderson to our program," said Coach Griebel. "He is a two-sport athlete, excellent student and great addition to our programs at St. Ambrose."

Pictured below are front row (left to right): Teresa Anderson (mother), Josh Anderson, Don Anderson (grandfather); back row: SAU bowling and men's golf coach Jeff Griebel, Muscatine HS bowling coach Brian Chapman

Jan. 12, 2012 - Blake Pohl
St. Ambrose University coach Jeff Griebel is excited to announce the signing of one of the top high school bowlers from north central Illinois.

Blake Pohl, a senior at Mendota (Ill.) High School has signed a letter of intent and will attend St. Ambrose in the fall 2012. He is the son of Molly and Timothy Pohl of Mendota.

Pohl currently holds the individual high series (719) and high game (290) for Mendota High School’s bowling program. He was the bowling team’s most valuable player in 2011 and is the current team captain for the bowling squad.

Pohl competed representing the State of Illinois in the 2011 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Bowling Junior Olympics finishing in fourth place overall in doubles.

"We are very pleased to have a player the caliber of Blake Pohl joining our bowling
program next season," Griebel said. "He is very dedicated to the sport of bowling and will continue to improve and gain confidence as a member of the St. Ambrose Bowling program over the next four years."

Dahm helps Bees finish ninth at Leatherneck Classic

Dec. 4, 2011

Results | Video (courtesy SAUtv)

Brett Dahm (right) was 25th overall to help St. Ambrose to a ninth-place finish at the 11th annual ISYL Leatherneck Classic Sunday. He knocked down 1253 pins over six games for a 208.83 average.

Nick Zarack and Bryan Thompson also had top-100 finishes for the Bees. Zarack picked up 1181 pins, good for a 196.83 average, to finish 62nd and Thompson collected 1127 pins, for a 225.40 average, to finish 84th.

Bowling in their own backyard at Miller Time Bowl in Davenport, Iowa, the SAU men finished ninth in the 29-team field with 9242 pins. The Bees were just nine pins out of eighth place and a spot in bracket play.

William Penn was the top seed entering the head-to-head tournament with 9672 total pins before Lindenwood rolled its way to the tournament championship. Lindenwood got past William Penn 2-1 in the semifinals before defeating Wichita State 2-1 for the championship.

Matt Peters knocked down 1033 pins to lead the SAU men's JV team.

On the women's side, played at Milan (Ill.) Lanes, Ann Dobesh (left) was the top Queen Bee individual, finishing 37th with 1048 pins, a 174.67 average. She and Memie Williamson (905 pins, 181.00 average) were the top two bowlers for the JV team.

Kelly Granzow (right) led the varsity team with a 44th-place effort after knocking down 1018 total pins, a 169.67 average.

Taylor Garvey was 100th with 813 pins (162.60 average) and Jenn Baran was 102nd with 797 pins (159.40 average).

The Queen Bees finished 15th in the 24-team women's draw with 7625 pins. Wichita State was the top seed with 9177 pins but Webber International picked up the title after defeating Wichita State 2-0 in the semifinals and McKendree 2-1 in the championship.

The Bees are back in action Jan. 21-22 at the Blue and Gold Classic in South Bend, Ind.

Williams leads Queen Bees at National Collegiate Team Match Games

Nov. 26, 2011

Results

Aretha Williams (right) finished 15th to lead the St. Ambrose women's bowling team at the National Collegiate Team Match Games in Fairview Heights, Ill., over the weekend. The sophomore from Davenport, Iowa, collected 1691 total pins.

Williams was one of three Queen Bees inside the top 30. Jennifer Baran was 21st with 1661 pins and Taylor Garvey was 26th with 1644 pins. SAU finished 13th out of 24 teams with 8579 pins. Wichita State won with 11,092 pins.

Bryan Thompson and Brett Dahm led the SAU men's team. Thompson was 37th with 1739 pins and Dahm was 44th with 1719 pins. The pair helped the Bees finish 15th in the 32-team men's field. Robert Morris was the men's champion with 11,867 pins.

The Bees return to the lanes Dec. 3-4 at the Leatherneck Classic. The men will bowl at Miller Time Bowl in Davenport, Iowa, while the women will compete at Milan Lanes in Milan, Ill.

Anderson becomes first Bee to win tournament

Nov. 13, 2011

Results

Kyle Anderson (right) became the first St. Ambrose bowler in the program's three-year history to win a tournament when the freshman took the men's championship at the S.I. Elite Classic at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill., Sunday.

Anderson knocked down 1971 total pins over the nine games (219.00 average) to win the tournament by 74 pins. Teammate Billy Kerber finished sixth overall with 1830 pins (203.33 average). The pair helped the SAU men finish second in the 11-team field. The Bees led through the eighth game before getting passed by Lindenwood in the final game. Lindenwood finished with 9209 pins while St. Ambrose had 9066.

Nick Zarack was a third Bee to finish with at least a 200 average as he collected 1461 pins over seven games (208.71 average) to finish 46th overall. Jack Urban (53rd with 1355 pins over seven games) and Jim Ulczak (55th with 1348 pins over seven games) finished inside the top 60.

On the women's side, Aretha Williams was ninth overall with 1701 pins (189.00 average over nine games) and Kelly Granzow collected 1567 pins (174.11 average over nine games) to finish 13th to lead St. Ambrose to a third-place showing. SAU finished with 8146 pins while host McKendree won the women's title with 8789 pins.

Taylor Garvey (55th with 936 pins over five games), Brandi Collins (56th with 933 pins over five games) and Memie Williamson (59th with 839 pins over five games) all had top-60 finishes.

The Bees will next compete at the National Collegiate Team Match Games in Fairview Heights, Ill., Nov. 25-26.

Anderson wins prestigious Star of Tomorrow Award

Nov. 10, 2011

USBC release

Thanks to his work on the lanes, in the classroom and throughout the community, St. Ambrose University freshman Kyle Anderson (right) has been selected as the 2012 recipient of the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award. The annual award, presented by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), is given to a male high school senior or college bowler with star qualities.

Anderson will receive a $6,000 scholarship, which will be presented at the 2012 USBC Convention in April in Arlington, Texas.

Anderson, from Lockport, Ill., became the first person to win two straight Illinois high school bowling titles after claiming state crowns in 2010 and 2011. He immediately stepped into the St. Ambrose lineup as a freshman and is averaging a 196.58 over 19 games and three events this fall.

In the classroom, Anderson finished his career at Lockport High School with a weighted 4.13 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. He is studying accounting, finance and business at St. Ambrose. Anderson is also deeply involved in community service projects.

The Star of Tomorrow Award is named after Chuck Hall, the former Young American Bowling Alliance executive director.

Williamson named to all-tournament team with fifth-place effort

Nov. 6, 2011

Results

Memie Williamson (right) was named to the Warhawk Open All-Tournament Team after her fifth-place showing in Madison, Wis., over the weekend.

Williamson knocked down 1142 total pins over five games, a 190.33 average, to take fifth in the 162-player field. She was one of four players on a second SAU women's team to finish inside the top 100.

But the first SAU women's team overshadowed the second team's strong performance by taking third-place overall. Led by Taylor Garvey and Maggie Suchoski, St. Ambrose finished with 8194 total pins. Midland won the women's division with 8512 pins.

Garvey was ninth overall and Suchoski finished 12th. Garvey picked up 1128 pins, a 188.00 average, and Suchoski added 1113 pins, a 185.50 average. Aretha Williams (709 pins, 177.25 average) and Brooke Dahm (700, 175.00) finished 112th and 114th, respectively.

Behind Williamson on the SAU B team, Brandi Collins (1010, 168.33) was 39th, Ann Dobesh (968, 161.33) was 61st, and Tina Marolda (825, 165.00) was 96th.

Bryan Thompson led the St. Ambrose men's team to 13th on the 25-team men's side. Thompson was 91st overall with 977 pins, a 195.40 average. Kyle Anderson was 106th with 920 pins (184.00 average) and Nick Zarack was 111th with 909 pins (181.80). As a team, the Bees collected 8322 pins. Robert Morris was the men's champion with 9637 pins.

Sam Biesack (117th with 895 pins, 179.00 average), Ryan Keith (127th with 878, 175.60) and Tim Smolen (139th with 848, 169.60) led a second SAU men's team.

The Bees will next compete in the S.I. Elite Invitational at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill., Nov. 12-13.

Granzow finishes sixth at Kegel/ISBPA Collegiate Classic

Oct. 23, 2011

Results

Kelly Granzow (right) finished sixth with 1199 total pins at the Kegel/ISBPA Collegiate Classic at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Ill. She averaged a 199.83 over her six games to lead the Queen Bees to a 10th-place showing in the 23-team event. The Bees finished with 7033 total pins.

Granzow was one of two SAU women's bowlers to finish inside the top 25. Teammate Katelyn Seaba was 23rd with 1086 pins, good for a 181.00 average over the six games.

Aretha Williams knocked down 783 pins to finish 119th, Brooke Dahm was 143rd with 645 pins and Maggie Suchoski was 150th overall after collecting 593 pins.

An SAU JV women's team was led by Brandi Collins (28th place with 1080 pins), Brooke Post (94th with 881), Leah Perez (97th with 876) and Jenn Baran (100th with 865).

On the 25-team men's side, Bryan Thompson placed 25th overall to help the Bees take ninth place with 7907 total pins. Thompson averaged a 205.67 over his six games to finish with 1234 total pins.

The next three SAU men's finishers were bunched together. Nick Zarack was 102nd with 1019 pins for a 203.80 average, Jack Urban was 104th with 1002 pins and a 200.40 average and Kyle Anderson was 105th with 985 pins and a 197.00 average.

Brett Dahm (48th with 1188 pins), Garrett Hyle (72nd with 1123) and Matt Peters (87th with 1078) all finished in the top 100 bowling for the SAU JV team.

The Bee bowlers return to the lanes Nov. 5-6 at the Warhawk Open in Madison, Wis.

Bowling teams open year at Midwest Collegiate Championships

Oct. 2, 2011

Results

Aretha Williams (left) finished 22nd and Bryan Thompson (right) was 34th to lead the St. Ambrose bowling teams at the season-opening 41st annual Midwest Collegiate Championship at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Williams was one of three Queen Bees inside the top 60. She finished with 1681 total pins over nine games, for a 186.78 average. Kelly Granzow was 38th overall with 1562 total pins, good for a 173.56 average over nine games, and Taylor Garvey was 57th with 1496 total pins, a 187.00 average over her eight games.

Maggie Suchoski just missed finishing in the top 100, ending at 102nd overall with 1208 pins over seven games, a 172.57 average.

The SAU women finished ninth with 9848 pins in the 27-team event. Lindenwood won with 10,767 pins.

The Bee men finished 14th out of 38 teams with 10,740 total pins. William Penn led all teams with 11,579 pins.

Thompson led the way with 1853 pins over nine games for a 205.89 average. Kyle Anderson finished 40th with 1830 pins (203.33 average over nine games) and Nick Zarack was 48th with 1804 pins (200.44 over nine).

Evan Olson finished 128th with 1373 pins over seven games, for a 196.14 average.

St. Ambrose will next compete in the Kegel/ISBPA Collegeiate Classic at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Ill.

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