WPU Heading to Tennessee for Sectionals for First Time Ever

Oskaloosa--For the first time in each program's history, the Statesmen bowling teams are heading to the Volunteer State as it competes in the USBC Intercollegiate Singles and Team Sectionals next month.

The women and men, ranked No. 13 and No. 47 respectively in the USBC rankings (RANKINGS LINK), will be in Smyrna, Tenn. on March 13 for the Singles event and March 14-15 for the Team event at Smyrna Bowling Center.

The other sectional tournaments will be held at Addison, Ill., Fort Worth, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

The top four teams from each of the four sectionals advance to the Intercollegiate Team Championships held on April 13-18 at Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis.

The Team tournament is a Baker format consisting of 64 total games--32 each day.

The Singles event will feature individuals bowling six games.  The top 24 men and the top 24 women--top four from each sectional plus eight additional bowlers based on size of field at each location--advance to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships that begins on April 14 in Green Bay.

The WPU women have not missed a sectional event in program history (17-for-17), while the men are making their 16th trip in 17 campaigns.  The men are attempting to qualify for nationals for the seventh time, while the women are looking for their fourth appearance.

MEN

On the men's side, St. Ambrose is No. 1 in the nation and is traveling to Addison, while No. 2 Wichita State (Kan.) is the top team in Fort Worth.  No. 6 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) will be the best squad going to Pittsburgh.

Wisconsin-Whitewater is the No. 5 seed and heads the Smyrna grouping, while No. 7 Webber International (Fla.) and No. 10 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) are also in the top 10.  According to the rankings, William Penn is the 13th-best team in the field.

The Smyrna sectional includes 20 teams. The men's field includes (alphabetically):

No. 36 Baker (Kan.)
No. 17 Belmont Abbey (N.C.)
No. 73 Campbellsville (Ky.)
No. 51 Coe (Iowa)
No. 38 Cumberland (Tenn.)
No. 30 Emmanuel (Ga.)
No. 50 Florida State
No. 31 Lindenwood (Mo.)
No. 61 Midway (Ky.)
No. 74 Mobile (Ala.)
No. 13 Purdue (Ind.)
No. 35 Quincy (Ill.)
No. 60 SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)
No. 10 SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
No. 69 Southeastern Illinois CC
No. 20 Tennessee Wesleyan
No. 43 Vincennes CC (Ind.)
No. 7 Webber International (Fla.)
No. 47 William Penn
No. 5 Wisconsin-Whitewater

Aidan Piet (Jr., Meridian, Idaho, Business Management) enters the postseason as William Penn's top male bowler with a 204.8 average.

WOMEN

On the women's side, Mount Mercy is the best team in the nation and will lead the Addison grouping.  No. 2 overall Lawrence Tech will top the Pittsburgh sectional, while No. 4 Judson (Ill.) headlines the Fort Worth event.

No. 3 SCAD Savannah will guide the Smyrna field, while No. 6 Lindenwood (Mo.) is also in the top 10.  WPU is next, ranking third amongst the programs going to Tennessee.

The entire 20-team event includes (alphabetically):

No. 58 Alabama-Birmingham
No. 81 Baker (Kan.)
No. 78 Belmont Abbey (N.C.)
No. 21 Coe (Iowa)
No. 39 Columbia (Mo.)
No. 41 Culver-Stockton (Mo.)
No. 15 Cumberland (Tenn.)
No. 30 Cumberlands (Ky.)
No. 25 Emmanuel (Ga.)
No. 76 Goshen (Ind.)
No. 33 Jacksonville State (Ala.)
No. 6 Lindenwood (Mo.)
No. 45 Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
No. 52 Purdue (Ind.)
No. 59 SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)
No. 3 SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
No. 18 Tennessee Wesleyan
No. 85 Union Commonwealth (Ky.)
No. 13 William Penn
No. 46 Wright State (Ohio)

Ashley Gorman (So., Stillwater, Minn., Exercise Science) headlines the women's squad with a 193.7 average.

Sectional assignments are based on Team Ranking System (TRS) points. Fields are determined by taking geographic distance, economics, and field size into consideration. To sort teams evenly throughout each sectional, the USBC attempts to place no more than two of the top eight schools and no more than four of the top 16 schools in a sectional based on final TRS totals.

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