Bowling Finishes Strong 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 with the ladies bowling 11792 pins throughout the three day event.  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.

The Kats opened the event on Thursday with a standout performance in the doubles competition, where Lydia Murphy and Maura Noonan medaled, finishing third. This strong start set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

"The women's team had a fantastic start, and Maura and Lydia medalling in doubles was a highlight," said Head Coach Davie Zajac. "The team had some ups and downs during the back half of Friday's events, which placed them in ninth. However, they bounced back on Saturday, coming out with their best single game of the season (1,058) and their best three-game set (2,838). Maura was absolutely phenomenal, leading both the men's and women's events on Saturday with a stunning 250-256-226. 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."

On the men's side, 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.

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