Bowling Competes at NJCAA National Championships

The Erie Community College men's and women's bowling teams both had strong showings at the NJCAA Bowling Championships, finishing in fourth and sixth place, respectively. The tournament was held at Airport Lanes in Cheektowaga, where the men wrapped up the three-day event with a total of 13,308 pins bowled. Iowa Western Community College claimed the men's title with a score of 14,341 pins. Rock Valley Community College secured the women's title for the fourth consecutive year with 12,780 pins.

Jacob Rascumberger led the Kats, finishing in eighth place in the All Events standings and earning All-American honors with an average of 207.9. In doubles, the pair of Zach Spengler and Marc D'Damico took third place, showcasing their strong performance throughout the tournament.

"The men's team battled hard with every shot and stayed united. Unfortunately, the teams ahead of them didn't falter enough for us to make up ground," said Head Coach Davie Zajac. "A fourth-place finish is still very respectable, and they never gave up. Marc and Zach medaling in doubles was a great accomplishment. Also, Jacob earning a spot on the All-American Team for his performance over the 12 games was absolutely fantastic. We look forward to having these three, along with the returning freshmen and incoming recruits, helping us contend next year in Lansing, MI."

On the women's side, Lydia Murphy and Maura Noonan also made their mark, finishing third in the doubles competition. The team finished the tournament with a total score of 11,792.

"The women's team started off the event on Thursday with a strong performance in doubles," Zajac said. "Maura and Lydia medaling was a great way to kick off the championship. Friday was a bit of a rollercoaster, which left the women in ninth place. However, they came out firing on Saturday with their best single game of the season (1,058) and their best three-game set (2,838). Maura led the entire event, both men's and women's, with a stellar 250-256-226 performance (732). The team kept their momentum going in the nine baker games and fought their way into a respectable sixth-place finish. Parker, Matt, and I couldn't be more proud of their camaraderie, which played a key role in their climb up the leaderboard on the final day."

"While the final positions weren't what we had hoped for, we are all incredibly proud of what these teams accomplished," Zajac added.