Collegiate Ticker - Oct. 21, 2026
October 21, 2026
The second Tier I for the 2026-2027 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season is in the books, with the Wichita State men and McKendree women emerging victorious at the Mid States Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
This year’s event featured six traditional games and 16 Baker games to determine the top eight teams in each division. A total of 31 varsity squads competed on the men’s side, while the women’s division featured 28 varsity teams.
The advancing teams squared off in a single-elimination bracket, with each round being contested in a best-of-five Baker format.
Wichita State rolled to the top seed for the men’s bracket, posting a 9,423 total in qualifying. Southern Nazarene finished second with 9,289, and Newman was third with 9,238. Fresno State earned the final spot in match play after placing eighth with 8,705.
The Shockers defeated Fresno State (3-1) and McKendree (3-2) to advance to the finals. Ottawa-Kansas – the No. 6 seed after recording an 8,846 total in qualifying – took care of business on their side of the bracket to also advance, knocking out Newman (3-1) and defending champion Quincy (3-2).
After splitting the first game of the title tilt, Wichita State went on to win three of the next four games to secure the championship trophy, 3.5-1.5.
The individual title in the men’s division at the Mid States Championships went to Baker’s Ryan Julian, who finished with a six-game score of 1,372 (228.6 average). Julian finished five pins ahead of Newman’s Evan Clark (1,367). Southern Nazarene’s Riley Speer (1,323), Drury’s Trayton Cherry (1,320) and Wichita State’s Braden Mallasch (1,302) also earned their spot on the all-tournament team.
Fresno State’s Dominic Ortiz connected for a 300 during Game 5 of the traditional set.
On the women’s side, Wichita State dominated the field in qualifying. The Shockers posted 9,054 to lead by nearly 800 pins. Newman was next with 8,263, and Oklahoma Christian placed third with 8,239. McKendree was the No. 8 seed with 7,991.
McKendree took advantage of the clean slate to start match play, sweeping Wichita State in the opening round, 3-0. The Bearcats took down Ottawa-Kansas (3-2) in the semifinal to make their way to the final match against Newman. The Jets had made their move to the finals with wins over College of Saint Mary (3-0) and Oklahoma Christian (3-0).
In the title match, McKendree recorded a 3-1 victory to hoist the trophy.
Wichita State’s Aleesha Oden rolled to the top spot for the women’s individual honor, finishing with a 1,304 total (217.3 average). Southern Nazarene’s Chryslin Sakata was second with 1,252, Newman’s Claire Jacobson took third with 1,218 and Avila’s Fiona West finished fourth with 1,207. Two student-athletes tied for fifth as both Emalee King of Newman and Kaira Gonzalez of Avila posted 1,196.
In other collegiate action:
- At the Chelsea Gilliam Penguin Classic in Youngstown, Ohio, the Jacksonville State women – the 2026 Intercollegiate Team Championships and NCAA Bowling Championship winner – kicked off their season by claiming the bracket win, sweeping Vanderbilt in the title match, 4-0. The Gamecocks also connected for a Baker 300 game during the event.
- At the Golden Bear Invite in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, the Felician women recorded the victory over Delaware State in the best-of-seven final, 4-2.
- At the Midwest DIII Roundup in Waukegan, Illinois, the Marian-Wisconsin women went undefeated over the weekend and defeated Elmhurst in the championship match, 3-1.
- At the Capital Kickoff Classic in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio State men edged Wittenberg by five pins in total pinfall. On the women’s side, Saint Vincent cruised to the top spot by nearly 200 pins.
- At the Ohio Bowling Conference No. 1 in Columbus, Ohio, the Shawnee State women took home the win. In the men’s division, Robert Morris-Pennsylvania held on after a late charge from Mercyhurst, recording the victory by two pins.
- At the Stout Open in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the Wartburg men and women earned the bracket wins.
- At the Warrior Classic in Flint, Michigan, the top pinfall totals were recorded by the Jackson women and Rochester Christian men.
- At the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Fall Invite I in Addison, Illinois, the Spring Arbor men rolled to the top spot across five traditional games by more than 160 pins. Only 16 pins separated the top three in the women’s division as Savannah College of Art and Design-Savannah secured the victory by three pins over Indiana Tech.
Pikeville’s Joshua Maslanich rolled a 300 during Game 3 of competition.
- At the NAIA Fall Invite II – featuring 25 Baker games in Addison – the SCAD-Savannah women recorded their second win of the weekend. On the men’s side, Pikeville posted the victory by finishing 10 pins ahead of Webber International.
The NAIA Fall Invite concluded with bracket play, which resulted in the SCAD-Savannah men and Pikeville women raising the championship trophy.
For the full schedule of collegiate events, results and more, visit BOWL.com/Collegiate and CollegeBowling.Bowl.com.
This year’s event featured six traditional games and 16 Baker games to determine the top eight teams in each division. A total of 31 varsity squads competed on the men’s side, while the women’s division featured 28 varsity teams.
The advancing teams squared off in a single-elimination bracket, with each round being contested in a best-of-five Baker format.
Wichita State rolled to the top seed for the men’s bracket, posting a 9,423 total in qualifying. Southern Nazarene finished second with 9,289, and Newman was third with 9,238. Fresno State earned the final spot in match play after placing eighth with 8,705.
The Shockers defeated Fresno State (3-1) and McKendree (3-2) to advance to the finals. Ottawa-Kansas – the No. 6 seed after recording an 8,846 total in qualifying – took care of business on their side of the bracket to also advance, knocking out Newman (3-1) and defending champion Quincy (3-2).
After splitting the first game of the title tilt, Wichita State went on to win three of the next four games to secure the championship trophy, 3.5-1.5.
The individual title in the men’s division at the Mid States Championships went to Baker’s Ryan Julian, who finished with a six-game score of 1,372 (228.6 average). Julian finished five pins ahead of Newman’s Evan Clark (1,367). Southern Nazarene’s Riley Speer (1,323), Drury’s Trayton Cherry (1,320) and Wichita State’s Braden Mallasch (1,302) also earned their spot on the all-tournament team.
Fresno State’s Dominic Ortiz connected for a 300 during Game 5 of the traditional set.
On the women’s side, Wichita State dominated the field in qualifying. The Shockers posted 9,054 to lead by nearly 800 pins. Newman was next with 8,263, and Oklahoma Christian placed third with 8,239. McKendree was the No. 8 seed with 7,991.
McKendree took advantage of the clean slate to start match play, sweeping Wichita State in the opening round, 3-0. The Bearcats took down Ottawa-Kansas (3-2) in the semifinal to make their way to the final match against Newman. The Jets had made their move to the finals with wins over College of Saint Mary (3-0) and Oklahoma Christian (3-0).
In the title match, McKendree recorded a 3-1 victory to hoist the trophy.
Wichita State’s Aleesha Oden rolled to the top spot for the women’s individual honor, finishing with a 1,304 total (217.3 average). Southern Nazarene’s Chryslin Sakata was second with 1,252, Newman’s Claire Jacobson took third with 1,218 and Avila’s Fiona West finished fourth with 1,207. Two student-athletes tied for fifth as both Emalee King of Newman and Kaira Gonzalez of Avila posted 1,196.
In other collegiate action:
- At the Chelsea Gilliam Penguin Classic in Youngstown, Ohio, the Jacksonville State women – the 2026 Intercollegiate Team Championships and NCAA Bowling Championship winner – kicked off their season by claiming the bracket win, sweeping Vanderbilt in the title match, 4-0. The Gamecocks also connected for a Baker 300 game during the event.
- At the Golden Bear Invite in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, the Felician women recorded the victory over Delaware State in the best-of-seven final, 4-2.
- At the Midwest DIII Roundup in Waukegan, Illinois, the Marian-Wisconsin women went undefeated over the weekend and defeated Elmhurst in the championship match, 3-1.
- At the Capital Kickoff Classic in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio State men edged Wittenberg by five pins in total pinfall. On the women’s side, Saint Vincent cruised to the top spot by nearly 200 pins.
- At the Ohio Bowling Conference No. 1 in Columbus, Ohio, the Shawnee State women took home the win. In the men’s division, Robert Morris-Pennsylvania held on after a late charge from Mercyhurst, recording the victory by two pins.
- At the Stout Open in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the Wartburg men and women earned the bracket wins.
- At the Warrior Classic in Flint, Michigan, the top pinfall totals were recorded by the Jackson women and Rochester Christian men.
- At the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Fall Invite I in Addison, Illinois, the Spring Arbor men rolled to the top spot across five traditional games by more than 160 pins. Only 16 pins separated the top three in the women’s division as Savannah College of Art and Design-Savannah secured the victory by three pins over Indiana Tech.
Pikeville’s Joshua Maslanich rolled a 300 during Game 3 of competition.
- At the NAIA Fall Invite II – featuring 25 Baker games in Addison – the SCAD-Savannah women recorded their second win of the weekend. On the men’s side, Pikeville posted the victory by finishing 10 pins ahead of Webber International.
The NAIA Fall Invite concluded with bracket play, which resulted in the SCAD-Savannah men and Pikeville women raising the championship trophy.
For the full schedule of collegiate events, results and more, visit BOWL.com/Collegiate and CollegeBowling.Bowl.com.