Reviewed by: Pat Byington
JSU bowling claims NCAA championship in program’s first season
Jacksonville State had high expectations for its first official season as an NCAA bowling team. The Gamecocks brought in a coach with multiple national titles to her name plus had several experienced bowlers transfer to help start the program.
JSU rose to the top spot in the rankings earlier this year and lived up to the hype, holding off #2 Arkansas State in a seven-game series in the national championship match. Here’s a quick look at how at the NCAA tournament:
- Regional: JSU wins three matches including regional final against Duquesne
- Final Four Round 1: JSU defeats Sam Houston, 2-0
- Final Four Round 2: JSU defeats Arkansas State, 2-0
- Championship match: JSU defeats Arkansas State, 4-3
“We knew years ago that we wanted to give our girls a Division I experience. The entire administration just embraced us and believed in us from the very beginning. The overwhelming amount of support that we are getting, not only at the university but in the community, it means something. To be able to bring it home to little small-town Jacksonville that we have fallen in love with so much, it is just incredible to be able to do that.”
~ JSU coach Shannon O’Keefe
It’s the first NCAA Division I championship in Jacksonville State’s history — JSU’s titles in football, basketball and baseball came in Division II. It is also the first national title at any level for a women’s athletics program at the university.
Drama-filled championship match
Jacksonville State may have swept Arkansas State in its semifinal matchup but the Red Wolves battled back through the double elimination bracket to force a rematch with the Gamecocks.
Arkansas State, who had already defeated JSU multiple times throughout the season, led the best-of-7 final and was one game away from forcing the winner-take-all championship match. But the Gamecocks buckled down, putting together two of its best performances of the day including a 255 in the deciding game.
“I feel like we’re like a broken record because we talk about it all the time, but to be patient, dig your heels in and just execute has really been our motto all year. To watch our girls do what they did tonight was just awesome. To bowl a 250 to win the National Championship is pretty sweet.”
~ JSU coach Shannon O’Keefe
What’s next for the Gamecocks?
The bowling schedule is a little different from most college sports as the Gamecocks are already back on the road this week. Celebrations from winning a national championship have been put on hold as the team heads back to the floor to try to bring home another title.
Jacksonville State is in Louisville this week at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) intercollegiate championships for teams and singles. The Gamecocks began play Wednesday. You can keep up with those results here.
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