The RoundHouse | 10/10/2024 1:55:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
It is all new – travel, competition, branding and advance information – except for the essence of the game for Wichita State women's bowling.
 
"We're still throwing bowling balls down a lane, trying to knock as many pins over as we can," coach Holly Harris. "I keep reminding myself and the girls."
 
The Shockers open their bowling season on Friday in the Penguin Classic at the Holiday Bowl in Struthers, Ohio. It is WSU's first competition as an NCAA program (the NCAA does not sponsor men's bowling) after joining the athletic department on July 1.
 
The history of the day is important for one of the nation's storied programs. The Shockers, who own 11 Intercollegiate Team Championships, join the NCAA after a long campaign to elevate the women's program back among other top programs who gradually moved to the NCAA since 2004. All the background won't matter this weekend.

 
"We're all really excited to get this finally going," graduate student Mary Orf said. "Keeping things as similar to the previous years as possible is the best way to go at this."
 
The Shockers won the ITC title in 2024 and defeated Jacksonville State, which won the NCAA title seven days earlier. Over the weekend, they face a field with 12 teams ranked or receiving votes in the National Tenpin Coaches Association poll, including No. 2 Arkansas State and No. 3 Youngstown State, the host.
 
The Shockers are No. 17 and one of 10 Conference USA members in the top 25. CUSA is the nation's top conference, as evidenced by the poll. No. 1 Jacksonville State, Arkansas State, Youngstown State and No. 4 Vanderbilt are also CUSA members.
 
Competition, the Shockers believe, will be deeper than as a non-NCAA varsity team. At the top, the ITC offered strong competition. NCAA tournaments offer stronger fields during the regular season. As with other NCAA sports, power rankings and at-large bids to the 18-team NCAA Championship drive the schedule.
 
"That's one of the reasons we wanted to make the jump, the competition is higher quality," Harris said. "Building up how we respond to adversity is huge. In previous years, we didn't get that opportunity very often. I think we're going to feel more prepared at the end of the year because we've had higher quality competition and more chances to learn."
 
NCAA play will feature more head-to-head competition than previously for WSU, so win-loss records can be used to calculate the RPI. This weekend, the Shockers will play five opponents on Friday and five on Saturday before Sunday's best-of-seven matches determine final standings. The ITC format relied less on head-to-head matchups.
 
WSU returns most of its lineup from last season, including Intercollegiate Singles Championship winners in Sara Duque Jimenez (2024) and Paige Wagner (2023). Orf earned All-American honors from the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association after holding the anchor spot for the Shockers. Sophomore Ashtyn Woods earned second-team All-American honors last spring.
 
While Harris and the returners will try to duplicate past routines, there are important differences as an NCAA team. The Shockers will fly to the tournament instead of busing. NCAA bowling requires tournaments to send lane patterns to teams so they can practice on their home lanes. The Shockers can use any of six bowling balls during a match, moving from a heavier to lighter balls as the oil pattern wears down.
 
"We get a general idea of where we're going to play (on the lane)," Orf said. "And what balls are good, what surfaces are good."
 
Athletic trainers, a strength coach, nutrition guidance and mental health help also come with the team's move to the athletic department.
 
"NCAA provides us with a lot of resources that are helpful and prepare us," freshman Morgan Kline said. "This week is definitely crazy with the amount of practices and workouts. We are keeping it on the more-normal side, so there is not that much added pressure."
 
Friday is the start of new routines and experiences for a program with a history of championship experience.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.