Lopes ranked 28th by CollegeBowling.com, 6th in Club Team National Standings. Story And Photo Courtesy Of GCU.
By: Mack Drake/GCU Staff
Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Tinajero
One of the best regular season campaigns in program history was met with handsome rewards.
In a season that included four tournament victories and a perfect 300 game by Mathew Adragna, the Grand Canyon University Men’s Bowling team heads into the postseason ranked No. 28 in the country by CollegeBowling.com and No. 6 in the final Club Team National standings.
GCU’s No. 6 ranking in the Club Team National standings is the highest mark any Lopes’ team has ever reached in that listing. The CollegeBowling.com ranking is three spots higher than at this time last year.
“It was a great regular season for us,” said GCU Bowling Head Coach Ben Canfield. “We’ve never had a team earn four tournament victories like our men did this year. The guys showed great resolve all season, especially after losing a few teammates throughout the year. A lot of guys stepped up and bowled well.”
The two rankings helped the Lopes capture a bid to Dallas for the 19-team Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) Sectional Qualifier on March 14-15. There are four ITC Sectional Qualifiers sprinkled across the country, with the top four teams in each tournament advancing to the ITC Championships from April 15-18 in Wyoming, Michigan.
GCU is the seventh-highest ranked team in the Dallas qualifier. The Lopes are seeking a trip to the ITC Championships for the second straight year after successfully qualifying for the 2019 tournament for the first time in program history.
“We definitely want to get back to the ITC Championships,” Canfield said. “It was a big goal of ours to start the year, and I think we have a group that’s capable of pulling it off.”
The CollegeBowling.com rankings are fickle in nature. The final standings are heavily influenced by points acquired through Tier 1 events. The Lopes competed in just two Tier 1 competitions this year, while almost every team ranked in the top-15 benefited from bowling in five Tier 1 events.
Also included in GCU’s upcoming postseason schedule is a trip to the Collegiate Club Championships in Anderson, Indiana on March 28-29.
Interested in joining GCU Club Bowling? Visit the team page to learn more!