Season Finale in IL!

The Bulldogs made their way to Rockford, IL, for the final tournament of the season, the Club National Championships at Don Carter Lanes.

Before the competition began, the Club Team Bowling Coaches Association (CTBCA) honored the end-of-year awards, including First and Second Team All-Americans, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year at the club level. Two of our players, graduate Spencer Norvell and freshman Zachary Oliver-Davis, were named finalists for the All-American honors.

A huge congratulations goes to Spencer Norvell, who was named a Club First Team All-American! Spencer participated in 12 events this season, finishing in the top 5 for average differential, Tier 1 Average Differential, and Tier 1 Average out of all club collegiate bowlers!

This tournament marked Spencer’s final collegiate competition. His dedication and work ethic have been a true embodiment of what it means to be a Bulldog. It has been a pleasure to coach Spencer over the past four years, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors!

The tournament format began with pool play, where we faced off against five other teams in four-game baker matches. The top two teams from each pool earned a bye into the double-elimination bracket. The Bulldogs finished pool play undefeated, going 5-0, and clinching the top spot in our pool for the first time in program history!

The tournament was played on a 43-foot oil pattern with 29.8 mils of oil and a 2.0-1 ratio. After our first-round bye, we faced Wisconsin-Osh Kosh in a best-of-5 baker match, which we won 3-0, advancing us to the winner's bracket the following day against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

On Day 2, the Bulldogs struggled early against NJIT but managed to force a fifth and deciding game. We had a chance to win in the 10th frame, but unfortunately, we couldn't close it out sending us to the contender's bracket, where we played best-of-3 baker games. We narrowly defeated Penn State-Berks, with both victories decided by just one pin. We then faced a familiar West Coast opponent, Grand Canyon University (GCU), defeating them and advancing to face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW).

In that match, we struggled on the fresh oil pattern, which had been a challenge throughout the tournament, and ultimately, UWW ended our run. Despite the loss, we are incredibly proud of the team’s effort and accomplishments this season.

Equipment used at Club Championships:

Spencer Norvell: Hammer Effect Tour, Purple Hammer Urethane

Neil Weinstein: Purple Hammer Urethane, Black Hammer Urethane (78)

Zachary Oliver-Davis: Purple Hammer Urethane

Bryce Nakunz: Purple Hammer Urethane

Eric Bossacci: Purple Hammer Urethane, Hammer Effect Tour, Brunswick Mesmerize

Dominic Ortiz: Purple Hammer Urethane, Brunswick Mesmerize

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to Steven and Pam Norvell, as well as the Nakunz family, for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.

Even though many of our parents couldn’t be there in person, we are incredibly grateful for the support we received from them remotely. A special thank you to the Weinstein family for once again covering the team dinner on Saturday night.

As always, we couldn’t have done it without the backing of our sponsors: The Brunswick Corporation, Genesis, and Vise, Inc.

With the 2024-2025 season now wrapped up, we’d like to thank all of the supporters and parents who helped us throughout the year. While our goals for this season weren’t fully realized, the future is looking bright, and we can’t wait to hit the lanes again in Fall 2025!

Go Bulldogs!