All of which translates to devel-


oping better and more loyal bowl- ers, whether it’s the student-athlete who will forever be grateful to the sport for providing an education, or the collegiate bowler who has “the dream.” “There’s no way I’d have reached


this level without college bowling,” said Fresno State junior Greg Geering, a first-team All-American who also finished 10th at the Team USA Trials. “I was a good high school bowler for my area [Phoenix], but the structure of being in a team program turned my whole game around. Practicing four times a week and having coach- ing helped me understand so much more about the game.” Following his senior year, Geering


hopes to take on the PBA Regional Tour circuit, take another run at Team USA and perhaps dip his toe into the new World Bowling Tour. “There are some cool opportunities


I might explore internationally,” said Geering. “I’d love to see the world through bowling.” Until then, however, Geering is


happy bowling collegiately. “Bowling in college is a different


world,” he said. “I live with two of my teammates and we talk bowling all the time. It’s nice to be a bowler with no distractions. And with bowl- ing primarily being a singles-oriented sport, it’s nice to share happiness with others when you do well.” “Team play is a microcosm for


life,” added Preble. “The players don’t always like each other, and they don’t always get along. But they learn that they have to work through it, and when they do they see the benefit.” “In team play the mental game is


so important because you do rely on each other,” said Brummell. “That’s when they realize how important it is to become one team.” And Brummell had a team for the


ages. UMES topped 2008 champion


Vanderbilt University to win its sec- ond NCAA Women’s Bowling cham- pionship in earl April. At the ITC, Central Florida handed UMES a 4-0 loss in the best-of-seven, double-elim- ination match play, but the Hawks bounced back with a 4-2 victory to knock Central Florida from the com- petition in the semifinals. In the best- of-three title match, UMES dropped the first game to Lindenwood Univer-


19 USBOWLER MAY 2011


THE “AYE” IN TEAM: Maryland Eastern Shore’s Hawks captured both the NCAA and ITC titles in 2011, the first school to do so. “In team play your rely on each other,” said UMES head coach Sharon Brummell (far left). “That’s when they realize how important it is to become one team.”


sity (St. Charles, Mo.), 182-156, but rallied to take the final two games, 189-183 and 164-158, to secure the crown. “They put out a hard shot,” said


Brummell. “So it wasn’t all that pret- ty, but the girls pulled it out.” The Fresno State bowling program


was launched by Carlson in 1969, and the ITC title was poignant tribute to the well-known and nationally re- spected coach, who passed away in 2008. “This is such a great way to honor


coach Carlson,” said Geering, who tossed the title-clinching strike in the Bulldog’s 2-0 win (183-168 and 205- 166) over top-ranked Webber Inter- national (Babson Park, Fla.). “With- out all the hard work and dedication he put into this program, there is no way any of us could have made it to this point.” Fresno State earned its way into the


title match by twice defeating three- time defending champion Wichita State, 4-3 and 4-2. Webber Interna- tional earned its spot by eliminating Robert Morris-Illinois, 4-3.


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