Women's bowling was ranked sixth in the final National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) poll of the season, which was released Sunday. The men's squad received votes, but not enough to jump back into the top 20.
Photo Credit: Tom Frick
The Lady Lions totaled 320 points and dropped one spot from the previous poll. North Carolina A & T received 386 point for fifth place with Stephen F. Austin State University getting 286 points for seventh. Mount Mercy claimed the top spot once again with five first place votes out of a possible 18 cast and 614 points overall. Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) – Savannah totaled 536 points and two first place votes for second, followed closely by Jacksonville State with 10 first place votes and 520 overall. The University of Pikeville received 406 points for fourth place.
Women's bowling finished fourth at the Fort Worth, Texas Sectional in early March to become one of 16 teams to advance to the 2025 Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC). The Lady Lions totaled 11,900 pins to secure the final advancer position by just five pins over McKendree.
On the men's side, Webber International University received 10 first place votes out of 28 and 968 points to ascend to the top spot, edging second place Mount Mercy University with 11 first place votes and 966 points. SCAD – Savannah retained the third spot with 774 points, followed by Wichita State in fourth with six first place votes and 761 points. Lawrence Tech slipped one spot to fifth with one first place vote and 694 points.
After a slow start, the Lions made a run at the top four in Fort Worth, but ultimately came up short with a sixth place finish. It was only the second time in the past 21 years that the men's squad failed to advance to the national championship tournament.
Lindenwood women's bowling will seek its third ITC title in program history beginning April 17 at the South Point Bowling Stadium in Las Vegas. Competition begins with 24 games of seeding play on Thursday morning, with best-of-seven double elimination bracket match play beginning Thursday afternoon.
About the NCBCA
Photo Credit: Tom Frick
The NCBCA Coaches' Team Poll is a presentation of the top 20 USBC Collegiate bowling programs determined by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA). The NCBCA membership includes college bowling coaches, club advisors, tournament directors, and conference officers. Each NCBCA member completes a ballot ranking the top 20 USBC Collegiate programs. On each ballot, the first place team receives 40 points, second place-34 points, third place-30 points, fourth place-28 points, fifth place-26 points, sixth place-24 points, seventh place-22 points, eighth place-20 points, ninth place-18 points, 10th place-16 points, 11th place-14 points, 12th place-12 points, 13th place-10 points, 14th place-eight points, 15th place-six points, 16th place-five points, 17th place-four points, 18th place-three points, 19th place-two points, and 20th place-one point. NCBCA member ballots are tabulated and generate the NCBCA Coaches' Team Poll.
