Women’s Bowling finishes 12th in ITC Team Sectionals debut

SMYRNA, Tenn. (March 12, 2023) – The Milligan University women's bowling team placed 12th of 17 teams at the program's first appearance at the ITC Intercollegiate Team Sectionals at the Smyrna Bowling Center on Saturday and Sunday.

In 64 baker games, Milligan cleared 11,044 pins (172.6 average).

"In a tournament like this, against the best teams in the nation, it's imperative that you come out and make spares, find a good matchup with your equipment and the ladies just didn't do either consistently this weekend," said head coach Brian Rickert. "We just gave away too many pins due to open frames to make a run at the top four."

The Buffs' top 16-game block came in Sunday's first session as Milligan totaled 2,807 pins (174.4 average). The Buffs' opening game of 244 and penultimate game of 234 were the two highest single-game totals for the squad at the sectional.

"I'm extremely proud that these ladies never lost their fight or their spirit and stayed positive throughout each of the 64 games," said Rickert. "We're going to work on fixing a few of our inconsistencies over the next two weeks before the NAIA National Championships and see if we can make history in Michigan."

The Milligan women's bowling team wraps up its inaugural season with a trip to the NAIA National Championships in Sterling Heights, Mich. next week.