2016-2017 award winners announced by NTCA
April 12, 2017
Press release courtesy of the NTCA
BATON ROUGE, La. - Arkansas State’s Jordan Richard and McKendree University’s Breanna Clemmer were named the Players of the Year for their respective divisions as the National Ten Pin Coaches Association announced the All-American teams at the NCAA Bowling Awards Dinner Wednesday.
Richard, who represented the Division I bowlers, was joined on the All-America first team by Julia Bond of Nebraska, Maria Bulanova and Giselle Poss of Vanderbilt and Stephanie Schwartz of Stephen F. Austin. Bulanova was also named the Division I Rookie of the Year.
Clemmer, a freshman from Clover, SC, earned the honor for Divisions II/III and was named to the NTCA second All-America team and was also voted her division’s Rookie of the Year.
The second was completed by Rebecca Gotterbarn of Adelphi, Lauren Pate of McKendree, Haley Richard of Arkansas State and Thashaina Seraus of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
The All-America third team includes Jacqueline Evans of Monmouth, Melanie Hannon of Fairleigh Dickinson, Gazmine Mason of Nebraska, Heather Penatzer of Sam Houston State and Jadee Scott-Jones of Arkansas State.
Ten student-athletes were named to the All-America Honorable Mention team. They are Kelly Belzeski (Nebraska), Paige Kraushaar (Stephen F. Austin), Janine Kuwahara (Sam Houston), Karsyn Lukosius (Fairleigh Dickinson), Michelle Ng (Tulane), Kristin Quah (Vanderbilt), Kaitlyn Reth (Monmouth), Meghan Straub (Nebraska), Amanda Van Duyn (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and Sarah Wille (McKendree).
Nebraska’s Bill Straub was named the Division I Coach of the Year and McKendree’s Shannon O’Keefe was the Division II/III Coach of the Year.
Jordan Richard is a repeat first-team selection after a dominating junior season. The Tecumseh, Mich., product became the first NCAA bowler to win Player of the Year in both Division I and Division II/III, a title she won as a freshman before transferring from Central Missouri. Richard was the MVP at six tournaments during the season, the most of any bowler in the country. She led the nation in many statistical categories including overall average (21.64), traditional average (21.80) and Baker average (21.54)
Bond is a two-time first team selection who ranked second nationally in scoring average, filled frames and strikes among other high stat rankings.
Bulanova made her NCAA debut a memorable one as Vanderbilt’s anchor bowler. She ranked third behind Richard and Bond in overall scoring average, was a member of three all-tournament teams and was the MVP at Tulane’s All-State Sugar Bowl Invitational.
Poss, a senior, was the MVP at the Kutztown Invitational after averaging 240 and made two other all-tournament teams, including a second-place finish at Prairie View. She was fifth nationally in overall average and ranked among the Top 10 in seven other categories.
Schwartz, a junior, is making her third consecutive first-team appearance. She was last year’s Player of the Year for the Lady Jacks and followed up this season by ranking fourth in overall scoring average and traditional team average and fifth in Baker average. She made five all-tournament teams during 2016-17 including MVP honors at the Hawk Classic. She also qualified for the Intercollegiate Singles Championship.
Clemmer was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Year after leading her McKendree team in traditional game average. She is a qualifier for the Intercollegiate Singles Championship.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Arkansas State’s Jordan Richard and McKendree University’s Breanna Clemmer were named the Players of the Year for their respective divisions as the National Ten Pin Coaches Association announced the All-American teams at the NCAA Bowling Awards Dinner Wednesday.
Richard, who represented the Division I bowlers, was joined on the All-America first team by Julia Bond of Nebraska, Maria Bulanova and Giselle Poss of Vanderbilt and Stephanie Schwartz of Stephen F. Austin. Bulanova was also named the Division I Rookie of the Year.
Clemmer, a freshman from Clover, SC, earned the honor for Divisions II/III and was named to the NTCA second All-America team and was also voted her division’s Rookie of the Year.
The second was completed by Rebecca Gotterbarn of Adelphi, Lauren Pate of McKendree, Haley Richard of Arkansas State and Thashaina Seraus of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
The All-America third team includes Jacqueline Evans of Monmouth, Melanie Hannon of Fairleigh Dickinson, Gazmine Mason of Nebraska, Heather Penatzer of Sam Houston State and Jadee Scott-Jones of Arkansas State.
Ten student-athletes were named to the All-America Honorable Mention team. They are Kelly Belzeski (Nebraska), Paige Kraushaar (Stephen F. Austin), Janine Kuwahara (Sam Houston), Karsyn Lukosius (Fairleigh Dickinson), Michelle Ng (Tulane), Kristin Quah (Vanderbilt), Kaitlyn Reth (Monmouth), Meghan Straub (Nebraska), Amanda Van Duyn (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and Sarah Wille (McKendree).
Nebraska’s Bill Straub was named the Division I Coach of the Year and McKendree’s Shannon O’Keefe was the Division II/III Coach of the Year.
Jordan Richard is a repeat first-team selection after a dominating junior season. The Tecumseh, Mich., product became the first NCAA bowler to win Player of the Year in both Division I and Division II/III, a title she won as a freshman before transferring from Central Missouri. Richard was the MVP at six tournaments during the season, the most of any bowler in the country. She led the nation in many statistical categories including overall average (21.64), traditional average (21.80) and Baker average (21.54)
Bond is a two-time first team selection who ranked second nationally in scoring average, filled frames and strikes among other high stat rankings.
Bulanova made her NCAA debut a memorable one as Vanderbilt’s anchor bowler. She ranked third behind Richard and Bond in overall scoring average, was a member of three all-tournament teams and was the MVP at Tulane’s All-State Sugar Bowl Invitational.
Poss, a senior, was the MVP at the Kutztown Invitational after averaging 240 and made two other all-tournament teams, including a second-place finish at Prairie View. She was fifth nationally in overall average and ranked among the Top 10 in seven other categories.
Schwartz, a junior, is making her third consecutive first-team appearance. She was last year’s Player of the Year for the Lady Jacks and followed up this season by ranking fourth in overall scoring average and traditional team average and fifth in Baker average. She made five all-tournament teams during 2016-17 including MVP honors at the Hawk Classic. She also qualified for the Intercollegiate Singles Championship.
Clemmer was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Year after leading her McKendree team in traditional game average. She is a qualifier for the Intercollegiate Singles Championship.