EL PASO, Texas - Four teams are still unbeaten after the opening day of match play at the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championships.

The two-time defending champion Wichita State and fourth-year program Calumet College won all three of their matches at the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center to remain undefeated on the men's side. For the women, McKendree and Robert Morris finished with a perfect record to reach Saturday's semifinal round.




All four teams need to win just one match in the semifinals to advance to the finals, scheduled to begin at approximately 2 p.m. MDT., Saturday. The championship matches will air tape-delayed on ESPN2 on May 5 at 9 p.m. EDT.

Wichita State, looking for its record 10th national title, cruised to the semifinals, only losing two of 13 Baker matches on the day. They defeated Purdue (4-1), Robert Morris (4-0) and four-time champion Saginaw Valley State (4-1).

The Shockers, whose lineup includes three first-team All Americans in Josh Blanchard, John Szczerbinski and Jake Peters, continued its dominance from Thursday in which it led the 32-game qualifying round.

"There's a lot of trust and confidence in everyone here," said Szczerbinski, who also is a member of Team USA. "It's been very impressive to see the guys perform so well. We're going to try and do the same exact thing tomorrow."

Calumet College has reached the Intercollegiate Team Championships in each of its four years as a collegiate program. The experience of those previous performances showed as the Crimson Wave beat Arizona State (4-2), McKendree (4-3) and Rochester Institute of Technology (4-2).

Senior Ryan Gleghorn delivered in two series-clinching 10th frames, converting a spare to shut out McKendree and throwing the first two strikes to defeat Rochester Institute of Technology 240-235.

"You want to have that feeling, because you'll never know if you'll get it again," Gleghorn said. "I felt like I let the team down earlier, and that's the worst possible feeling. I told them I wouldn't do it again. Today felt like we had reached the end of the line. We've worked really hard the past four years to reach this point, and have confidence we can get the job done tomorrow."

The men's semifinals will feature a rematch as Wichita State meets Saginaw Valley State for a second time, and Calumet College will face Lindenwood.

The McKendree women's team had their final two matches go to a decisive final game, and knocked off defending champion Wichita State 4-3 to earn their spot in the semifinals. The Bearcats also defeated Florida State (4-1) and Lindenwood (4.5-3.5).

McKendree's lone senior Christina Young hopes the team takes advantage of the momentum gained by defeating the top-seeded Shockers.

"It gave us a really big boost," Young said. "We've beaten them before, and they've beaten us too. Both teams can be really dangerous. Today, every single person left their heart out on the lane to get us where we're at. We really came together and showed team unity."

The Robert Morris women's team also took their final two matches to the final game, coming out on top against Webber International (4-3) during the second round and Pikeville (4-3) in the third. The Eagles also dispatched of Wisconsin-Whitewater (4-1) in its opening match this morning.

"It was intense, but that's what the ITC is all about," said junior Heather D'Errico after Robert Morris won its final match against Pikeville 223-204. "We put aside their ranking, because it's any ones game this weekend. We stayed focused and made our best shots today, but we'll go into tomorrow like it's a new day."

The women's semifinals will included two rematches, as McKendree takes on Wichita State and Robert Morris battles Webber International.

The semifinal matches will be live streamed starting at 10 a.m. EDT. Check out BOWL.com to catch all of the action.



2010 USBC INTERCOLLEGIATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
(at the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center, El Paso, Texas)
Friday's Results
(Best-of-7, double-elimination match play)


MEN

First Round
(1) Wichita State def. (16) Purdue, 4-1
(8) Robert Morris def. (9) Webber International, 4-0
(5) Nebraska def. (12) Newman, 4-2
(13) Saginaw Valley State def. (4) William Paterson, 4-1
(2) Lindenwood def. (15) Fresno State, 4-1
(7) Rochester Tech def. (10) Hudson Valley CC, 4-0
(6) McKendree def. (11) Central Florida, 4-2
(3) Calumet def. (14) Arizona State, 4-2

Second Round
Wichita State def. Robert Morris, 4-0
Saginaw Valley def. Nebraska, 4-0
Rochester Tech def. Lindenwood, 4-3
Calumet def. McKendree, 4-3
Webber International def. Purdue, 4-1 (Purdue eliminated)
William Paterson def. Newman, 4-0 (Newman eliminated)
Fresno State def. Hudson Valley CC, 4-0 (Hudson Valley CC eliminated)
Arizona State def. Central Florida, 4-2 (Central Florida eliminated)

Third Round
Wichita State def. Saginaw Valley, 4-1
Calumet def. Rochester Tech, 4-2
Nebraska def. Webber International, 4-2 (Webber International eliminated)
Robert Morris def. William Paterson, 4-2 (William Paterson eliminated)
Fresno State def. McKendree, 4.5-3.5 (McKendree eliminated)
Lindenwood def. Arizona State 4-3 (Arizona State eliminated)

Fourth Round
Nebraska Robert Morris def. Nebraska, 4-3 (Nebraska eliminated)
Lindenwood def. Fresno State, 4-3 (Fresno State eliminated)

Fifth Round
Saginaw Valley def. Robert Morris, 4-2 (Robert Morris eliminated)
Lindenwood def. Rochester Tech, 4-1 (Rochester Tech eliminated)

WOMEN

First Round
(1) Wichita State def. (16) Briarcliffe, 4-2
(9) Central Florida def. (8) Fresno State, 4.5-3.5
(5) McKendree def. (12) Florida State, 4-1
(4) Lindenwood def. (13) West Texas A & M, 4-1
(2) Webber International def. (15) St. Ambrose, 4-2
(7) Robert Morris def. (10) Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-1
(6) Pikeville def. (11) Wright State, 4-0
(3) Maryland Eastern Shore def. (14) Erie CC, 4-2

Second Round
Wichita State def. Central Florida, 4-3
McKendree def. Lindenwood, 4.5-3.5
Robert Morris def. Webber International, 4-3
Pikeville def. Maryland Eastern Shore, 4-1
Briarcliffe def. Fresno State, 4-3 (Fresno State eliminated)
Florida State def. West Texas A & M, 4-3 (West Texas A & M eliminated)
St. Ambrose def. Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-3 (Wisconsin-Whitewater eliminated)
Erie CC def. Wright State, 4-2 (Wright State eliminated)

Third Round
McKendree def. Wichita State, 4-3
Robert Morris def. Pikeville, 4-3
Lindenwood def. Briarcliffe, 4-2 (Briarcliffe eliminated)
Central Florida def. Florida State, 4-0 (Florida State eliminated)
Maryland Eastern Shore def. St. Ambrose, 4-0 (St. Ambrose eliminated)
Webber International def. Erie CC, 4-0 (Erie CC eliminated)

Fourth Round
Central Florida def. Lindenwood, 4-2 (Lindenwood eliminated)
Webber International def. Maryland Eastern Shore, 4-1 (Maryland Eastern Shore eliminated)

Fifth Round
Wichita State def. Central Florida, 4-1 (Central Florida eliminated)
Webber International def. Pikeville, 4-0 (Pikeville eliminated)

Saturday's Pairings

Semifinals
(Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play)

MEN
Wichita State vs. Saginaw Valley State (if Wichita State loses, a second semifinal is necessary)
Calumet College vs. Lindenwood (if Calumet College loses, a second semifinal is necessary)

WOMEN
McKendree vs. Wichita State (if McKendree loses, a second semifinal is necessary)
Robert Morris vs. Webber International (if Robert Morris loses, a second semifinal is necessary)

Championships
(Best-of-three, single-elimination)

Men's championship, 2 p.m. MDT
Women's championship, immediately following the men's final