Lindenwood University Athletics

2005 Men's Bowling IBC National Champions

In 2005, the Lions men’s bowling team won their first national championship at the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships in Rockford, Illinois. Throughout the regular season the Lions had a very successful season but the story was all about their run in the 2005 championship tournament. The week didn’t start off so great, the Lions qualified 14th out of 16 teams and were matched up against No. 3 seed Wichita State, a bowling power house. The Lions would upset the Shockers, 4-3. After a four games to one win over No. 6 Nebraska the Lions moved onto No. 2 seeded Morehead State. The Lions would beat Morehead State 4-2 but in the next round the Lions were forced to face Morehead State again. This time the Lions fell to the Eagles 4-1. For the third time in the tournament the Lions would once again match-up against Morehead State. The rubber match would go the Lions way and would advanced to the finals with a crushing 4-0 win over the Eagles. In the championship match against the eighth seeded Fresno State Bulldogs, the Lions won the first game 189-185 and in the final match of the championship the Lions crushed the Bulldogs 218-176. The national championship was the first for the bowling program in only their second appearance at nationals. 

2006 Women's Bowling ITC National Champions

In 2006, the Lady Lions bowling program was looking for its first national championship and in Rockford, Illinois that dream came true. The Lady Lions started their quest to a national championship in qualifying where they finished the No. 8 seed. On day one of match play the Lady Lions matched up against the No. 8 seed Purdue Boilermakers. The Lady Lions beat Purdue four games to three and moved onto Maryland Eastern Shore. Another seven game match saw the Lady Lions win 4-3. In round three of match play it was time for bowling power house and defending national champions,  Wichita State. A four games to one victory over the Shockers helped the Lady Lions move onto the semifinals. In the semifinals the Lady Lions once again matched up against Maryland Eastern Shore. With a 4-3 win the ladies moved onto the finals against the University of Central Florida. The Lady Lions won the first game of the three game series 194-168. In game two the Lady Lions squeaked out a 192-191 win to win their first national championship.


2014 Men's Bowling ITC National Champions

 
































For the first time since 2005, the men's bowling team won the national title at the xBowling Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev.  The Lions defeated Urbana 3-0 in the best-of-five baker title match to sweep their way to the 2014 Kerm Helmer Cup.

Lindenwood began best-of-seven, double elimination baker match play as the number three seed, but the team would be tested in every round along the way.  The Lions faced number 14 seed Morehead State in the opening match and had to win two consecutive games down the stretch to escape with a 4-3 victory.  As happened in the opening round, the second round match against number 11 seeded Calumet College of St. Joseph went the full seven games before being decided and once again, Lindenwood had to come from behind.  With an automatic spot in the semifinals on the line, Lindenwood faced 10th seeded San Jose State in round three, a team that would become very familiar before the championship was over.  Unlike the previous two matches, the Lions jumped ahead and were mostly in control during the battle, taking it 4-2. 

With three consecutive match wins, the Lions earned two byes and awaited the outcome of the contender's side of the bracket for their opponent in the semifinals.  When that team emerged, it was the same San Jose State team from earlier, but this time, the Spartans were motivated and erupted for a quick 4-1 win over Lindenwood.  With an "if necessary" match in play and both teams with one loss, The Lions and Spartans faced each other with a spot in the TV finals on the line.  Initially, the momentum that San Jose State had from the previous match appeared to carry over as they quickly took a 2-0 lead, but Lindenwood regrouped and made some key lineup changes, which resulted in three straight wins.  The Spartans refused to go quietly and tied the match 3-3, setting up a winner-take-all game seven, which came down to the last frame.  San Jose State needed a double in the 10^th frame, but only struck on the first shot, sending the Lions into the finals against Urbana.   

In the championship match, Lindenwood edged the Blue Knights in the final frame of the first two games 204-202 and 200-195, and then cruised to a 201-167 to win the second ITC title for the Lions.  Lindenwood sophomore Kyle Sherman was named to the 2014 ITC All-Tournament Team. In addition to Sherman, the men's roster included seniors Brandon Rice and Joey Petzoldt, juniors Cristian Azcona and Jake Daggett, sophomores Andre Fors and Ronnie Fujita, and freshman Ben Pallardy. 

2014 Women's Bowling Carlson Cup Champions






















Women's bowling captured the first ever Boom Apparel Carlson Cup National Championship at All Star Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind., with a 3-2 match victory over Wright State University.  After posting a 3-3 record in pool play, Lindenwood entered single elimination best-of-five match play as the number seven seed and the Lady Lions went on a wild ride from there, having to battle from behind in every single match on the way to the title.  In the first round, Lindenwood faced 10^th seeded Wisconsin – Milwaukee, a team they had seen twice before in pool play.  After trading victories in the first four games, a key spare shot in the last frame of game five gave the Lady Lions a 3-2 win.  Like the first match, the Lady Lions had to go the distance in round two against number two seed Bellarmine.  Lindenwood edged in front in the deciding game and once again, a critical spare conversion down the stretch was the difference in another 3-2 win, sending the Lady Lions into the semifinals against number six seed, Adrian.  After losing game one, Lindenwood started to find some rhythm and tied the match.  The Lady Lions really found their stride from there, breaking the 200 mark twice to close out the match 3-1. 

The victory set up a championship meeting against number four seed Wright State.  In one of the highest scoring games of match play, the Raiders jumped in front with a 237-212 victory in the opening contest, but Lindenwood bounced back with a 201-159 win in game two.  The final three games all went to the 10^th frame before being decided.  The Raiders took the next one 180-164 to put the Lady Lions on the brink, but Lindenwood stayed alive with a 177-167 victory.  Both teams were solid in the final game, but the Lady Lions edged in front with two strikes in a row late in the contest, but that lead evaporated when the Wright State anchor struck on her first shot in the 10th frame.  Another strike would have forced a double from Lindenwood, but the shot was errant.  The Lady Lions finished off the game with a spare and good count for a 199-193 win to take the Carlson Cup.  The roster of the championship team included senior Samantha Johnson, graduate student Valentina Collazos-Quintana, and juniors Elizabeth Beauchamp, Amanda Chamberlin, Emily Huddleston, Cheyenne Long, Brittney Morton, and Alyssa Pierson.

The Carlson Cup was a national invitational event that included men's and women's teams sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) – Collegiate, but not affiliated with the NAIA, NCAA, or NJCAA. 

2018 Women's Bowling ITC National Champions





























For the first time since 2006, the women's bowling team won the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) April 19-21 at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The Lady Lions defeated defending champion McKendree University three games to one in the best-of-five baker finals match to claim the national title.

In game one, the Bearcats topped Lindenwood 191-177.  The Lady Lions were steady throughout most of the contest, but an early double from McKendree built a lead that would not be relinquished.  In game two, the Bearcats struggled through the first half, posting three open frames.  Lindenwood took advantage and strikes in the fourth and fifth frames gave the team a 30-pin lead, but McKendree responded with four straight strikes to go around the Lady Lions with a frame remaining.  Lindenwood filled the 10^th, but the Bearcats only needed a mark and good count in their 10^th to take a 2-0 lead in the match.  The tide completely turned when they left a 2-10 split that was not converted, giving the Lady Lions a 183-178 win and a one-one tie.

With the momentum switch, Lindenwood settled into game three early with four strikes in the first half to take a solid lead.  McKendree continued to struggle and despite an open from the Lady Lions late in the contest, Lindenwood prevailed 200-181.  Now just one win away from a national title, the Lady Lions continued to bowl well, filling each of the first six frames with marks.  Three strikes in a row in the seventh, eighth, and ninth essentially clinched game four and the match.  The Lindenwood anchor just had to keep the ball on the lane her first shot.  She did, and the Lady Lions could hoist the Helmer Cup with a 226-190 victory.  
 

The three days of competition for Lindenwood began with 24 games of baker qualifying on Thursday.  The Lady Lions held a lead for most of it, but settled for the No. 2 seed with a total of 4,898 (204.08 average), finishing 102 behind top seed Delaware State and just three pins ahead of third seed Wichita State. 

Best-of-seven baker match play followed and Lindenwood faced No. 15 seed Newman University in the first round.  After a horrible start, the Lady Lions rebounded from a 0-2 deficit to win four straight games with scores of 184, 209, 217, and 216 to take the match 4-2.  No. 7 seed Notre Dame College awaited Lindenwood in round two, and the match went back-and forth through the first four games.  The Lady Lions started with a 209-182 victory, but the Falcons countered with a 192-172 win in game two.  In game three, Lindenwood found its stride again and cruised to a 220-177 win, but Notre Dame again tied the match with a 210-150 victory.  The Lady Lions won on the right lane for the third straight time in game five 212-159 to take a 3-2 lead.  Game six was close throughout, but Lindenwood finally figured out the left lane down the stretch with a 191-167 win to take the match 4-2.

With two victories, the Lady Lions advanced to the quarterfinals and a meeting with No. 3 seed Wichita State Friday afternoon.  A key double in the 10^th frame gave Lindenwood a 198-190 win in game one and with deteriorating conditions with the oil pattern, the Lady Lions grinded to a 163-131 victory in game two.  Game three was a huge struggle for both teams, but the Shockers emerged with a 160-146 win, and they looked like they might have figured something out with a 204-145 victory in game four.  Lindenwood managed to stay clean in game five and that was good enough for a 194-162 win and a 3-2 lead, but Wichita State built an early advantage in game six until the Lady Lions countered with four straight strikes down the stretch to come from behind to finish the match 211-196.

Heading into the semifinals, Lindenwood was undefeated at 3-0 and faced the survivor of the contender's bracket, meaning that No. 11 seed Sacred Heart had to beat the Lady Lions in two straight matches to advance to the championship finals.  With that margin of error, Lindenwood jumped to a 2-0 lead with two straight victories and it looked like it would be 3-0 until a split in the 10^th frame of game three resulted in a tie.  The Lady Lions were poised for victory with a 177-152 win in game four, but the Pioneers exploded for a 267 to win game five and prolonged the match with another victory in game six.  With Lindenwood holding a 3.5-2.5 lead, game seven was close through the first eight frames, but the Lady Lions struck out in the ninth and 10^th frames to win 202-182 and clinch the match and a spot in the TV finals.

At the conclusion of the event, the ITC Women's All-Tournament Team was announced with Amanda Garavet earning a spot among the five competitors.  She was also voted tournament Most Valuable Player. 

The women's competition roster included seniors Amanda Garavet, Shelly Goodwin, and McKayla Green, juniors Haley Cummings, Taylor Lee, and Dene Standifer, sophomore Merlina San Nicolas, and freshman Serenity Quintero.