Nate Trentler named SSAC Player and Rookie of the Year; Men’s Bowling collects five All-SSAC honors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 4, 2024) – Freshman Nate Trentler was honored as the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Men's Bowling Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year as the Milligan University men's bowling team had five all-conference selections, the league office announced on Monday.

Trentler was joined on the All-SSAC First Team by classmates Bryant Griffith and Alex Evans. Junior Joshua Collins and sophomore Aiden Bailey collected All-SSAC Second Team laurels.

Trentler was the nation's No. 1-ranked freshman in collegiate bowling in 2023-24. He ranked No. 17 among all collegiate bowlers with a 213.255 average across 47 games. Trentler earned all-tournament honors three times, including a runner-up finish at the Tier 1 Lehigh Valley Collegiate Classic. He averaged over 200 pins in nine of 10 appearances this season with seven top-25 placements.

"I'm so proud of Nate as he has worked so hard this year and had a fantastic freshman season," said head coach Brian Rickert. "His consistency has just held us together as we've learned how to navigate the ups & downs of a collegiate season. Looking ahead, this young man has the capability to do some special things during his college career."

Griffith recorded a 215.258 average in 31 games to debut as one of the top bowlers in the nation. He posted a pair of top-five finishes at Tier 1 tournaments and collected three all-tournament honors three times. He finished second of 241 bowlers at the Bowlero Southern Classic and finished third of 206 individuals at the Roto Grip Keystone Quaker Classic. One of the top big tournament performers in the country, Griffith averaged 215.125 pins in 16 games at Tier 1 events.

Evans was the nation's No. 9 freshman and a top-60 rated individual nationally this season. He logged an average of 206.395 in 43 games with three top-10 finishes. He averaged over 200 pins six times and notched a 13th-place finish at the Tier 1 Bowlero Southern Classic.

Collins posted an average of 206.500 in 34 games in his first season as a Buff. He earned all-tournament honors at the MSC Lynne Jordan Memorial and the NAIA Southeast Open.

"Our freshman class is so talented and is led by Bryant and Alex," said Rickert. "Both of these guys have posted some phenomenal finishes and with players like Josh will be a huge part of our success moving forward."

Bailey was a late-season difference-marker for the Buffs as he made the jump to the varsity squad at the NAIA Southeast Open, the Tier 1 Columbia 300 Hoosier Classic and the SSAC Championships. He posted an average of 199.618 and had a Tier 1 average of 207.909 across 11 games.

"Aiden has worked so hard from last year to this year and I'm so glad to see him be acknowledged," said Rickert. "All this young man does is work, work, work and bring phenomenal energy to the team. He epitomizes what our culture is."

In the third season in program history the Buffs broke into the top 25 of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) online ranking system. Milligan reached the elimination bracket final at the SSAC Championships and earned an invite to the USBC intercollegiate sectionals. The Buffs head to Addison, Ill. for sectionals on March 9-10.