Bowling News - 2012-13

Suchoski named Capital One Academic All-District

May 17, 2013

CoSIDA release

Maggie Suchoski, Heather Matejka (women's tennis), Dan Dierking (men's volleyball) and Luke Staudt (men's golf) were named to the 2012-13 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.

It is the second straight academic all-district honor for Suchoski (right). The junior from Evergreen Park, Ill., was named to the All-Midwest Collegiate Conference Women's Bowling Team after averaging a 185.91 over 58 games this year. She had four top-20 finishes, including a fourth-place effort at the Storm Western Shootout.

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 Bees 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.

Bees' season ends at Intercollegiate Team Championships

Apr. 18, 2013

Results

St. Ambrose's season came to an end sooner than anticipated, as the Bees got knocked out on the first day at the xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships.

After 24 games of qualifying, the SAU men were slotted 13th with 4,849 total pins in the double-elimination bracket featuring the top 16 teams in the nation.

The Bees lasted just two rounds in bracket play, held at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.

SAU opened with a tight 4-3 loss to fourth-seed Fresno State. Fresno State advanced with a narrow 256-245 win in the decisive seventh game.

In the losers' bracket, St. Ambrose was upended by fifth-seed Notre Dame College in four straight games.

This was the second straight year the Bee men qualified for the Intercollegiate Team Championships. Last season, SAU finished in the top six.

Kopera among nation's best at Singles Championships

Apr. 16, 2013

xbowling Intercollegiate Singles results | Follow SAU at Intercollegiate Team Championships

Joe Kopera wrapped up the individual-portion of his freshman season with a strong showing at the xbowling Intercollegiate Singles Championships in Lincoln, Neb.

Competing as one of the 24 top individuals in the nation, Kopera (right) finished with 1,630 total pins over eight games for a 203.75 average. Twenty of the 24 bowlers finished with an average better than 200.

Seeded 20th after qualifying, Kopera was knocked out of bracket-play by Wichita State's Devin Bidwell. Bidwell, the 13th seed after collecting 1,695 pins in qualifying, defeated Kopera 679-597 over the three-game first round.

After three rounds Tuesday, the top four remaining bowlers (Morehead State's Stephen Conn, Urbana's Brock Finch, Lindenwood's Ronnie Fujita and Saginaw Valley State's Aaron Lorincz) will battle for the individual title Saturday.

Kopera will turn his attention to the team title as the St. Ambrose men's team will be part of the xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships for the second year in a row in Lincoln, Neb., beginning Thursday. The Bees will be one of 16 teams vying for a national title at Sun Valley Lanes.

St. Ambrose struggles at NAIA Invitational

Mar. 24, 2013

Results

by Sam Peterlin

Last weekend the Queen Bees and Fighting Bees were sent to Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis for the NAIA Invitational presented by the Kegel Training Center but wouldn’t last long into the weekend as both teams would be eliminated early from the tournament.

On Friday, the Queen Bees would start the weekend off hot and after 20 baker games they found themselves as the No. 4 seed heading into the double-elimination match-play, the top 12 teams received byes into Saturday which benefited the Queen Bees.

St. Ambrose would come back Saturday to bowl the first round in the winners’ bracket against Calumet College-St. Joseph in a best-of-five match. With St. Ambrose gaining the two games to one advantage, both teams tied game four. With St. Ambrose unable to win the fifth game, they went into a 9th and 10th frame roll-off to decide the match. Kelly Granzow (left) would strike to give the Queen Bees the advantage as Calumet opened in their frame. Becca Czlapinski (right) bowled the 10th and would spare then strike shutting out Calumet and staying in the winners’ bracket.

The next round was against Pikeville University. However, the Bears took the first two games 206-152 and 223-189. With their backs against the wall, the Queen Bees would strike in the 8-9-10 frames to win 222-212 forcing a game four. The fourth game would go to the Bears and send St. Ambrose into the Competitors bracket against MCC foe Mt. Mercy. The last time these two met was with the conference title on the line with Mt. Mercy winning that match. In Indianapolis, it would be a similar story as the Mustangs ended the tournament run in four games for Queen Bees.

Webber International University successfully defended its title and beat Midland University in the finals and brought home the title for the second straight year.

St. Ambrose ends its season with 10 top-10 finishes highlighted with a second-place finish at the MCC Championships. This is also the first year that the program will have a graduating class of seniors, which includes Kelly Granzow, Taylor Garvey, Jenn Baran, Ann Dobesh, Leah Perez, and Memie Williamson.

On the men’s side, SAU didn't fare any better. The Bees had a tough time during their qualifying session and received the No. 11 seed heading into match-play. They bowled the first round, with the top eight teams receiving byes, and faced up against the Waldorf Warriors. Friday just wasn’t their day as the Warriors defeated the Fighting Bees in four games and sent them quickly into the Competitors bracket.

On Saturday, the St. Ambrose faced the No. 5 Pikeville Bears and the Fighting Bees won the first game, 184-178, but lost the next two games and put their tournament life in jeopardy. Fortunately for the Fighting Bees, they would rally and win games four (234-203) and five (200-166) and send Pikeville home early. The next round the Fighting Bees went up against Martin Methodist and won the first game once again. However, that is all they would win as Martin Methodist won the next three games and sent St. Ambrose home much earlier than expected.

Robert Morris University (Ill.) came out of the Competitors bracket and beat Calumet College-St. Joseph twice to claim the title.

The men’s season isn’t finished as they will travel next for the xBowling Intercollegiate Team Championships for the second year in a row in Lincoln. Neb., April 17-20. The event will be streamed live on www.bowl.com where last year the Fighting Bees finished fifth.

Kopera earns prestigious Star of Tomorrow Award

Mar. 20, 2013

Bowl.com release

Freshman Joe Kopera was named the recipient of the 2013 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) announced today. It is the second straight year a St. Ambrose bowler has earned the prestigious national award following Kyle Anderson's honor last year.

According to the USBC website, the award recognizes "star qualities, including distinguished bowling performance, academic achievement and civic involvement, in a male high school or college student who competes in bowling." The recipient is chosen by the USBC Youth Committee.

Kopera (right), from Orland Park, Ill., will formally receive a $6,000 scholarship at the 2013 USBC Convention in Reno, Nev.

On the lanes, Kopera recently qualified for the xbowling Intercollegiate Singles Championship and has been an integral part of a St. Ambrose team that earned a spot at the Intercollegiate Team Championships in Lincoln, Neb., Apr. 18-20.

Kopera has a pair of top-10 individual finishes this year, rolling a runner-up effort at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships and placing seventh at the Hoosier Classic. He is averaging a 204.7 over 46 games this season.

This comes on the heels of an outstanding prep career, which saw Kopera, a two-time team captain at Carl Sandburg High School, claim the Illinois High School Association individual state championship as a senior in 2012.

In the classroom, Kopera graduated high school with a 3.29 grade-point average. He is a Nursing major at St. Ambrose and plans to earn his doctorate after receiving his RN certification. Kopera is also active in his community, having coached youth bowlers and participating in a fishing derby in his hometown.

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

Kopera, SAU men qualify for Intercollegiate Championships

Mar. 10, 2013

Results | ILLOWA FCA video

For the second straight year, the St. Ambrose men have earned a spot at the Intercollegiate Team Championships. The Bees will be one of 16 teams vying for a national title at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., Apr. 18-20 after finishing third in a sectional qualifier at Fairview Heights, Ill., over the weekend.

St. Ambrose collected 12,840 pins over 64 Baker games to comfortably finish in third in the 19-team sectional. SAU will advance to the team championships along with top-ranked and sectional winner Robert Morris (13,309 pins), Calumet-St. Joseph (12,906) and William Penn (12,768).

Qualifiers from the other sectionals are:
Las Vegas (Nev.) sectional - West Texas A&M, Midland, Fresno State, Mount Mercy
Allentown (Pa.) sectional - Notre Dame-Ohio, Morehead State, William Paterson, Webber International
Smyrna (Tenn.) sectional - McKendree, Lindenwood, Marian, Florida State

Along with the quest for a team title, SAU's Joe Kopera will have the opportunity for an individual national title.

Kopera (right) finished second among 165 bowlers in the sectional to qualify for the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, Apr. 16 and 20, in Lincoln, Neb. He was one of seven from Fairview Heights to qualify for the 24-player singles championship.

Kopera knocked down 1,437 pins over six games, including a 280 in the fifth game, to earn sectional runner-up honors.

The SAU women didn't have things fall their way, as the Queen Bees placed fifth in the sectional, missing a bid to nationals by a mere 29 pins over 64 games.

St. Ambrose was in third place midway through the sectional but fell into fifth place, just 10 pins out of fourth, after 48 games. SAU and Newman went back-and-forth over the final 16 games before Newman grabbed the final spot by a 11,833-11,804 margin.

Wis.-Whitewater won the women's sectional with 11,960 pins.

The Queen Bees qualified for the team championships in 2010 and also narrowly missed out last year, falling short by 72 pins.

Bee men fifth, women eighth in NAIA BCA Coaches Poll

Mar. 5, 2013

NAIA BCA poll

The St. Ambrose men have climbed to fifth while the women sit in eighth as the NAIA Bowling Coaches Association (BCA) released its coaches poll today.

The Bee men received 45 points and the women picked up 21 in the second of three polls conducted by the BCA. The final poll will be released in early April.

The top three in both polls are the same. Robert Morris is the top-ranked team, followed by Webber International and Midland. On the men's side, Calumet-St. Joseph is right ahead of SAU in fourth place, while Pikeville and Marian round out the top five on the women's side.

St. Ambrose will test its lofty rankings against the nation's best at a sectional qualifier in Fairview Heights, Ill., Saturday and Sunday. The top four teams on each side will advance to the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships in Lincoln, Neb., Apr. 18-20.

SAU men and women heading to Fairview Heights Sectional

Feb. 20, 2013

USBC release | Bowl.com

The Bee bowlers are returning to the St. Louis area for sectionals. The announcement came out today that both the St. Ambrose men's and women's bowling teams will compete in a sectional qualifier at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill., March 9-10.

Assignments to the four sectionals, also held in Allentown, Pa.; Las Vagas, Nev.; and Smyrna, Tenn., are based on the Team Ranking System points earned in USBC Collegiate-certified competitions 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 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships, which will be held at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., April 18-20.

The St. Ambrose men and women will be in the same sectional as Robert Morris-Illinois, the top-ranked team in the Team Ranking System, and conference foe William Penn.

The Bees have some familiarity with St. Clair Bowl, having competed in the same sectional a year ago, and having participated in the National Team Match Games there earlier this season.

Fairview Heights Sectional - Men
Ashford, Ball State, Bethel-Tenn., Bowling Green State, Calumet, Iowa Central CC, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota State, Nebraska, Newman, North Dakota State, Robert Morris-Illinois, Rock Valley, Saginaw Valley State, St. Ambrose, Vincennes, William Penn, Winona State, Wright State

Fairview Heights Sectional - Women
Ashford, Ball State, Bellarmine, Bethel-Tenn., Bowling Green State, Calumet, Carthage, Elmhurst, Iowa Central CC, Louisville, Newman, Robert Morris-Illinois, St. Ambrose, William Penn, Winona State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wright State

More information on sectionals is available on Bowl.com.

St. Ambrose men finish in top eight at Hoosier Classic

Feb. 17, 2013

Results

by Sam Peterlin

The Fighting Bees and Queen Bees headed to Western Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind., for the biggest regular season tournament of the year, the Hoosier Classic. With 77 men's teams and 55 women's teams, both teams looked to gain momentum heading into sectionals.

The men would bowl first in the morning squad on Saturday and bowl six team games. St. Ambrose would find themselves close to the top of the leaderboard after the first day. The Fighting Bees would find themselves in fourth, less than 100 pins behind leader Morehead State University. Joe Kopera led the Fighting Bees, averaging 224 for the first six games and would be second individually heading into Sunday.

Sunday would provide a longer oil pattern, 48 feet, and three games before a cut to the top 12 teams who would advance to match play, with the top four teams receiving a first-round bye. St. Ambrose would start the day strong shooting 1012 for five men. However, that would be the highest score on Sunday as the Fighting Bees would fall to eighth for match play.

SAU would face up against Saginaw Valley State, the No. 9 seed, in the first round of match play. After losing the first game, St. Ambrose would battle back to tie the match before winning the best-of-three series in the following game.

With some momentum in their corner, the Bees would face the No. 1 seed Morehead State in the round of eight. However, the Fighting Bees would struggle late in game one and allowed for Morehead State to wiggle their way back in and win the first game. Trying to bounce back in the second game would be unsuccessful as St. Ambrose would be swept by the Eagles.

"The guys stepped up big time this weekend," men's coach Duane Fleming said. "A top-eight finish at the biggest tournament of the year is exactly what we needed heading into the postseason."

Kopera (right) finished in seventh, averaging 209 and was the highest freshmen in the field. He also won a $150 scholarship.

Morehead State would go on to eliminate McKendree University and Wichita State University en route to winning the 44th Annual Backhaul Direct Hoosier Classic.

The Queen Bees would get their weekend started late Saturday and would struggle out of the gate shooting 784. Starting in a hole, the Queen Bees started to climb out over the next two games up to 18th with 924 and 899 respectively. The next three games would only allow for minimal movement as St. Ambrose would move up to 13th to end the day.

Looking to make a run on Sunday and make match play would be unsuccessful as the Queen Bees would only move up to 12th. Maggie Suchoski led the Queen Bees throughout the weekend averaging 191 over nine games. Becca Czlapinski finished in 49th averaging 178 and in 50th was Kelly Granzow, also averaging 178.

Both teams will wait for sectional assignments to be announced Wednesday. Sectionals will take place March 9-10 with the top four from each of the four sectional sites advancing to the Intercollegiate Team Championships in Lincoln, Neb.

SAU bowlers ranked in top 10 in NAIA BCA Coaches' Poll

Feb. 13, 2013

BCA Coaches' Poll | NCBCA Poll | IBMA Poll

In the first NAIA Bowling Coaches Association (BCA) Coaches' Poll, the St. Ambrose men and women both check in at No. 7 in the rankings.

The men picked up 39 points in their poll to sit just ahead of Midwest Collegiate Conference foe William Penn. Robert Morris grabbed all 11 first-place votes and has the top spot with 110 points. Webber International is second and Midland is third.

Robert Morris is also the top-ranked team on the women's side with seven first-place votes. Webber International has the other three first-place ballots and is second. The Queen Bees have 28 points to again narrowly edge No. 8 William Penn, with 24 points.

The Bee bowlers are also garnering attention in other national polls. The National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) has the SAU men and women both at No. 16 while the International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) ranks the men No. 18 and the women No. 20.

Several Bees garner individual MCC accolades

Feb. 13, 2013

MCC women's release | MCC men's release

Strong team performances led to several individual awards as St. Ambrose was recognized when the Midwest Collegiate Conference announced its postseason awards.

Pictured (from left to right): Kyle Anderson, Maggie Suchoski, MCC Men's Newcomer of the Year Joe Kopera and MCC Women's Player/Newcomer of the Year Becca Czlapinski

On the women's side, Becca Czlapinski was named the MCC Player and Newcomer of the Year after the Queen Bees finished second at the conference championships.

The freshman from Marengo, Ill., is averaging a 186.33 over 55 games so far this year. She has a pair of top-10 finishes, including a second-place effort at the Midwest Championships, when she averaged a 203.67 over nine games.

Czlapinski was joined on the all-conference team by junior Maggie Suchoski, from Evergreen Park, Ill. Suchoski is averaging a 184.98 over 49 games and placed fourth at the Storm Western Shootout with a 190.00 average over six games.

The Bees swept the newcomer of the year awards as Joe Kopera earned the honor for the men. Kopera, a freshman from Orland Park, Ill., is averaging a 203.51 over 37 games this season. He placed second at the MCC Championships and led St. Ambrose to the team title with a 224.17 average over six games.

The 2012 MCC Newcomer of the Year Kyle Anderson earned all-conference honors for the second straight year. The sophomore from Lockport, Ill., is averaging a 202.59 through 49 games. He has two top-10 finishes, earning runner-up honors at the Kegel ISBPA Classic with a 220.00 average over six games.

The SAU bowlers will travel next weekend to the Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis. Bowl.com will stream the event live online starting Saturday.

SAU men first, women second at MCC Championships

Feb. 10, 2013

Results | archived video

by Sam Peterlin

St. Ambrose picked a great time to win its first-ever men's bowling team championship.

In their fourth year as an intercollegiate varsity program at SAU, the Fighting Bees took home their first team victory by winning the Midwest Collegiate Conference crown after a rough start Sunday morning, while the SAU women took second at the MCC Championships competed at Cherry Lanes in Dubuque, Iowa.

On Saturday, the Bees were led by Joe Kopera who finished second individually, averaging a 224.17. St. Ambrose would go into Sunday in second place, 90 pins behind William Penn University. Kyle Anderson also bowled all six games Saturday and averaged 195.50 on the day.

The first 12 baker games on Sunday saw the field come close together in score but St. Ambrose stayed in second. However, the Bees slipped to fourth before match play started.

There, the Bees hit their stride. As the No. 4 seed, SAU swept No. 5 Clarke University in two games in the best-of-three first round. In the semifinals, top-seed William Penn came out striking early but not often enough as the Bees were able to rally and win game one. Game two would be all St. Ambrose as the Bees eliminated the Statesmen from the tournament.

The finals would pair the Fighting Bees against the No. 2 seed V-Hawks from Viterbo University, a team that defeated SAU two weeks ago in the finals of the V-Hawk Invitational. But the championship was another one-sided affair for St. Ambrose as the Bees swept the V-Hawks.

"We've been knocking on the door for two years now and to finally get that win at conference is an amazing feeling," men's coach Duane Fleming said.

On the other side of the house, the women struggled Saturday and Sunday and slipped to the No. 5 seed heading into match play. Saturday, they were led by Aretha Williams (left), who averaged 204.83 for six games to place second individually. Williams was named to the all-tournament team along with Taylor Garvey (right), who averaged a 194.17 over six games for the SAU JV team to place fifth overall.

Despite their struggles, the Queen Bees were able to pull a few upsets as they beat Grand View in the first round of bracket play, using all three games to do it. The Queen Bees were forced to a deciding third game in the semifinals against top-seed Viterbo before getting past the V-Hawks 2-1 to advance to the conference finals.

The Queen Bees matched up with the Mount Mercy Mustangs in the title match. The first game would go to the Queen Bees but they would be unable to close the door in the second game. The third game came down to the ninth and 10th frames. The Queen Bees would open in the ninth, leaving the door open for the Mustangs which they slammed shut to win the conference title.

Several Bees garnered individual honors at the MCC Championships.

On the men's side, Kopera was named Newcomer of the Year and Anderson was selected to the all-conference team.

For the women, Becca Czlapinski was tabbed the MCC Player and Newcomer of the Year, and was joined on the all-conference team by Maggie Suchoski.

Pictured (from left to right): Kyle Anderson, Maggie Suchoski, Joe Kopera, Becca Czlapinski

The Fighting Bees and Queen Bees will travel next weekend to the Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis. Bowl.com will stream the event live online starting Saturday.

Ruffino wins individual title at V-Hawk Invitational

Jan. 28, 2013

Results

While the weather delayed the Bees' departure until Monday morning, it couldn't put a damper on Chris Ruffino's performance at the Viterbo V-Hawk Bowling Invitational over the weekend.

Ruffino (right) won the men's individual championship by knocking down 689 pins over three games, for a 229.67 average. He won the title by 18 pins over Viterbo's Rob Warren.

Along with Ruffino, Sam Peterlin and Kyle Anderson helped lead the Bees to a second-place regulation finish in the 12-team field featuring three rounds of individual play and 20 baker games.

Peterlin was 21st individually with 596 pins over three games and Anderson was 26th with 573 pins.

With 7,133 total pins, SAU earned the second seed in a four-team bracket. The Bees were able to slip past Ashford before falling to host Viterbo 2-0 in the championship round.

Calvin Kramer led a second SAU men's team with 602 pins, for a 200.67 average.

The Queen Bees got a balanced effort as three bowlers finished in the top 10. Becca Czlapinski (right) led the charge with 592 pins, good for seventh place and a 197.33 average. Jenn Baran took ninth with 579 pins and Kelly Granzow was right behind in 10th place with 572 pins.

The SAU women took third, behind Viterbo and Grand View, with 6,481 total pins.

Bracket play was short-lived as the Queen Bees fell to Grand View in the semifinals.

Taylor Garvey was the top bowler for the second SAU women's team, placing 23rd with 511 pins.

The Bees will take a week off before competing in the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships in Dubuque, Iowa, on Feb. 9-10.

Suchoski leads Bees at Blue and Gold Classic

Jan. 21, 2013

Results

Maggie Suchoski finished 11th overall to lead St. Ambrose at the Blue and Gold Classic in South Bend, Ind., over the weekend.

Suchoski (left) knocked down 1,627 total pins over nine games, a 180.78 average, to help the SAU women take fourth in the 24-team tournament.

The Queen Bees collected 7,776 total pins. Robert Morris won the event with 8,251 total pins. The women's field was divided into two different events based on oil patterns, and McKendree won the other women's event with 9,214 pins.

Kelly Granzow backed backed up Suchoski by taking 18th place with 1,604 pins, good for a 178.22 average over her nine games. Becca Czlapinski was 46th with 1,439 pins, a 179.88 average over eight games.

Kyle Anderson and Chris Ruffino led the St. Ambrose men's team.

Anderson was the top Bee, knocking down 1,590 total pins over eight games, good for a 198.75 average, to place 162nd overall.

Ruffino (above right) had the top average for St. Ambrose with a 218.71 after picking up 1,531 pins over his seven games.

The pair led the Bee men to 22nd place in the 78-team field. SAU had 8,847 pins while Lindenwood won with 9,571 pins.

The Bees return to the lanes Saturday and Sunday at the Viterbo Invitational. The two-day tournament will be competed at Pla-mor Lanes in La Crosse, Wis.

Bee bowlers in NCBCA Coaches' Team Poll

Dec. 23, 2012

NCBCA rankings

Along with earning recognition in the CollegeBowling.com national team rankings, the St. Ambrose bowlers are also in the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) team polls.

The SAU men are eighth and the women are 12th as voted on by coaches. The Bee men are ninth and the women 11th in the CollegeBowling.com poll released in mid-December.

SAU bowlers remain ranked among nation's best

Dec. 14, 2012

CollegeBowling.com rankings

St. Ambrose continues to be ranked among the nation's elite bowling programs. The SAU men are ninth and the women are 11th in the CollegeBowling.com's team rankings.

The men have four top-four finishes so far this year, including a runner-up finish at the Warhawk Open in early December.

Sophomore Kyle Anderson (left) leads the Bees with a 205.9 average. He is ranked 40th overall. Freshman Joe Kopera (right) is 14th nationally among all first-year bowlers with a 200.5 average.

Robert Morris (Illinois) is the top-ranked men's program and Lindenwood is second. Clarke, at No. 38 in the poll, is the second-highest ranked Midwest Collegiate Conference team behind St. Ambrose.

The Bee women have placed inside the top 10 in five of the six tournaments they have competed in this year. They had a season-best third-place showing at the Storm Western Shootout back on Oct. 13-14.

Freshman Becca Czlapinski (right) is 49th overall, and 10th among rookies, with a 188.5 average this season.

Lindenwood is the No. 1 women's team with Robert Morris in second place. The MCC is well represented in the women's poll with No. 18 Viterbo, No. 19 William Penn, No. 32 Grand View and No. 36 Mount Mercy all inside the top 40.

The SAU bowlers return to action Jan. 19-20 at the Blue and Gold Classic in South Bend, Ind.

St. Ambrose closes out the year strong

Dec. 2, 2012

Results

by Sam Peterlin

The Fighting Bees and Queen Bees were in action this weekend coming off ninth- and eighth-place finishes, respectively. This weekend would take them north to Madison, Wis., for the Warhawk Open.

The Fighting Bees started the weekend well on Saturday and were consistent all afternoon. They were led by sophomore Kyle Anderson (left), who averaged 207 over five games and finished in 13th place. The Fighting Bees (pictured below) moved up to third after a fifth game, 1091, and gained momentum heading into Sunday, only 128 behind the leader Robert Morris University.

The Fighting Bees would start Sunday striking with a four game set of 906. They would move up to second after the first baker set and would hang on to finish in second behind three-time champion, Robert Morris.

On the women's side, the Queen Bees would start their weekend slow, but finish strong on Saturday. They would head into Sunday in sixth. The Queen Bees were led by freshman Becca Czlapinski (above right), who averaged 182 over five games and finished in 25th individually.

On Sunday, the Queen Bees would be unable to move up in the standing, but didn't move down, as they would settle for sixth.

Both teams will take the rest of 2012 off. They will start 2013 at the Blue and Gold Classic in South Bend, Ind., on Jan 19-20.

SAU has strong showing at National Team Match Games

Nov. 24, 2012

Results

Facing some of the top teams in the country, St. Ambrose more than held its own at the National Team Match Games. The Queen Bees finished eighth while the SAU men's team took ninth in the two-day event.

The women, bowling at Bel-Air Lanes in Belleville, Ill., had three bowlers finish inside the top 35. Becca Czlapinski (left) led St. Ambrose by finishing 27th with 1,135 pins over six games, good for a 189.2 average.

Right behind her were Maggie Suchoski (right) and Aretha Williams. Suchoski was 32nd with 1,122 pins (187.0 average) and Williams was 34th with 1,118 pins (186.3 average).

As a team, St. Ambrose collected 10,099 total pins to place eighth in the 25-team field. Wichita State won with 11,385 pins.

Kyle Anderson (left) was the top St. Ambrose bowler of the tournament, taking ninth in the men's field. Anderson knocked down 1,272 total pins to average a 212.0 over six games.

Joe Kopera (right) was next for the Bees, placing 29th with 1,237 pins (206.2 average). Bryan Thompson was 57th overall with 1,156 pins and a 192.7 average.

The SAU men were ninth of 34 total teams with 10,907 total pins. Robert Morris (Illinois) was the champion with 11,436 pins.

The Bee bowlers will next compete in the Warhawk Open Saturday and Sunday in Madison, Wis.

Home cookin' isn't what coach ordered

Nov. 11, 2012

Results

by Sam Peterlin

The temperature in the Quad Cities warmed up this past weekend and so did the lanes for the Fighting Bee and Queen Bee bowlers. However, both teams were unable to keep up.

The 12th Annual Leatherneck Classic presented by the Quad Cities Sports Commission took place on both sides of the river. The men were at Miller Time Bowl in Davenport, Iowa. The women at Milan Lanes in Milan, Ill.

The men’s field contained six out of the top 10 teams in the www.collegebowling.com poll. The field showed its strength with two 300 games bowled in the weekend, but neither were from St. Ambrose.

Bryan Thompson’s (left) efforts wouldn’t be enough as the Fighting Bees would have to settle for an 11th place finish out of the 30 team field. This would be their first finish outside the top 10 since the Warhawk Open last season. Thompson would lead the Fighting Bees averaging 220 for the weekend, good enough for 18th place.

On the other side of the Mississippi River, the Queen Bees looked for success in Milan.

Unfortunately, they would struggle just as much as the men. They would finish 12th in the 26 team field. The Queen Bees were led by Becca Czlapinski (right) who averaged 188 and finished in 30th place.

Both teams will travel next to Fairview Heights, Ill. for the National team Match Games on Nov. 23-24.

Bowlers ranked inside top 10 of power poll

Nov. 1, 2012

Men's rankings | Women's rankings

The St. Ambrose men are fifth and the women are ninth in the first CollegeBowling.com power rankings of the year through Oct. 28. It is the highest ranking for either program since SAU started its bowling program in 2009-10.

The men have top-four finishes at all three events so far this year while the women have placed inside the top 10 at every tournament.

Three different Bee men have better than 200 averages to this point, led by Kyle Anderson's 208.4 through 17 games. Anderson finished second at the Kegel ISBPA Classic by averaging a 220.0 over six games. Sam Peterlin is averaging a 203.5 through 15 games and Joe Kopera is at a 202.8 through 13 games.

Freshman Becca Czlapinski leads the Queen Bees with a 189.71 average over 21 games. She finished second at the Midwest Championship with her 2.3.7 average over nine games. Through 10 games, Memie Williamson is averaging a 189.6. Maggie Suchoski, was named to the all-tournament team at the Storm Western Shootout, and is averaging a 187.2 over 21 games.

Robert Morris-Illinois and Lindenwood are first and second in both the men's and women's rankings.

Anderson second, Bees third at Kegel Classic

Oct. 21, 2012

Results

Kyle Anderson (right) was the individual runner-up and helped the St. Ambrose men's bowlers to a tie for third place at the ISBPA/Kegel Collegiate Classic.

In the eight-team knockout round, the Bees, seeded fifth entering the bracket, earned a top-four finish with a two-game 433 total.

But the second round is where the Bees' run would end. A two-game 317 would eliminate St. Ambrose as SAU settled for third place along with Midland.

Robert Morris-Illinois defeated Wichita State 434-343 in the championship round to win the men's team title.

The SAU men were fifth in qualifying with 7,655 total pins. Anderson was second of 193 bowlers with 1,320 pins, good for a 220.0 average over his six games.

Jack Urban was 58th with 1,073 pins, a 178.83 average. Brett Dahm (791 pins/197.75 average) and Nick Zarack (787/196.75) also had strong efforts for the Bees.

Robert Morris also defeated Wichita State in the women's division, and the Queen Bees narrowly missed out on the eight-team knockout round. The St. Ambrose women finished 10th with 6,729 total pins.

Aretha Williams (right) led the Queen Bees with a 23rd-place showing. She knocked down 1,076 pins to average a 179.33 over her six games.

Maggie Suchoski (1065 pins/177.50) and Becca Czlapinski (1042/173.67) were right behind Williams, finishing 27th and 33rd, respectively. Taylor Garvey also had a strong tournament, finishing 53rd with 928 pins.

SAU will next compete in the Leatherneck Classic Nov. 10-11 in Davenport, Iowa, and Milan, Ill.

Thompson, Suchoski receive all-tournament recognition

Oct. 14, 2012

Results

Bryan Thompson (left) and Maggie Suchoski (right) earned all-tournament honors at the Storm Western Shootout. Thompson finished third in the men's draw and Suchoski was fourth on the women's side.

The SAU men and women each placed third at the two-day tournament at Western Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind.

Thompson averaged a 208.50 over his six games to take third with 1,251 total pins. Sam Peterlin collected 1,197 pins over six games to end in 13th place and with a 199.50 average. Jack Urban, who finished 133rd with 811 total pins, averaged a 202.75 over four games.

The Bee men finished third out of 37 teams with 8,929 pins. Robert Morris-Illinois won the men's division with 9,265 pins.

Three Queen Bees finished in the top 12, led by Suchoski's third-place effort. She knocked down 1,140 total pins to average a 190.00 over six games. Becca Czlapinski took 11th place with 1,109 pins, a 184.83 average over six games. Aretha Williams was right behind with 1,097 pins, a 182.83 average, to place 12th.

The SAU women were third of 26 teams with 8,190 pins. Robert Morris-Illinois also won the women's draw with 8,370 pins.

The Bees will next compete at the Kegel/ISBPA Collegiate in Peoria, Ill., next weekend.

Czlapinski named all-tournament to open season

Oct. 7, 2012

Results

In just her first collegiate tournament, Becca Czlapinski (right) was named to the all-tournament team after her second-place showing at the Midwest Collegiate Championship in Wauwatosa, Wis.

The freshman from Marengo, Ill., knocked down 1,833 pins over nine games, good for a 203.67 average, to be the individual runner-up in the 210-player women's field. She finished 29 pins behind the individual champion.

Behind Czlapinski and Maggie Suchoski, who was 13th overall with 1,727 pins over nine games, a 191.89 average, the Queen Bees placed sixth out of 30 women's teams. St. Ambrose collected 10,519 total pins. Davenport won the women's tournament with 10,836 pins.

Memie Williamson and Kelly Granzow also had strong showings for the Bees. Williamson was 46th with 1,573 pins over eight games (196.63 average) and Granzow was 83rd with 1,401 pins over eight games (175.13).

The men also had a strong start to the season, taking fourth place out of the 42 men's teams. The Bees knocked down 11,685 pins while men's champion Robert Morris-Illinois picked up 12,330 pins.

Four Bees finished with better than 200 averages, led by Kyle Anderson. The sophomore was 25th out of 306 men's bowlers with 1,859 pins over nine games for a 206.56 average. Bryan Thompson was right behind Anderson with 1,819 pins over nine games for a 202.11 average.

Sam Peterlin (right) recorded the highest average for the Bees with a 211.38 over eight games. His 1,691 pins put him in 67th place. Joey Kopera had a 208.88 average over eight games for 1,671 total pins and 71st place.

The Bees get right back at it Saturday and Sunday at the Storm Western Shootout in Indianapolis, Ind.

Previous news items