Crusaders placed 11th in nation in first bowling rankings
Brett Hebel
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The Madonna Men’s Bowling team opened their 2019-20 season on Sept. 21 with their first win in program history. That is when they knew that this season was going to be a special one.
“Coming into this season, I was more excited than I have ever been because of the new guys we had joining our team, the guys we had returning, and our coach,” said senior Antar Howard. “Last year was a big stepping stone for us, but this year was our time to put it all together and compete for a title each and every tournament.”
The Crusaders followed up their first ever title with another top finish in their third tournament of the season on Oct. 19. They then followed that up with back-to-back second place finishes at the next two tournaments.
On Monday, Nov. 4, the collegiate bowling committee released the first set of rankings for the current season. The Crusaders saw themselves sitting at 11 in the entire nation, their highest ranking in the program’s young history.
“It is great to see all their hard work paying off. They have really come together as a team and have rallied around one another, feeding off of each other’s energy at tournaments,” said head coach George Bell. “You can have the best individual bowlers around, but if they cannot all come together as a team, then that team will not be successful. That is what I love about these guys, is that they are truly like a family.”
Four years ago, Madonna announced that they were adding bowling to their large variety of sports for their students. Fast forward to 2019-20 season, and the team is now ranked 11 in the nation and winning titles.
“When George called me offering me an assistant coach position with the team, it was an offer that I could not refuse. I saw this team’s scary potential and I wanted to help them on their journey to the top. I knew this team was going to be good this season, but 11 in the nation already in an outstanding honor and I am proud of every one of our guys. They come to practice three days a week, ready to work hard and go and compete on weekends. With their drive and determination, anything is possible,” said assistant coach Joshua McCluskey.
The Crusaders have turned themselves into a force to be reckon with this season, and their competitors have become aware it. To beat Madonna, other teams know that they are going to have to be at their best.
“Other teams have started to talk about more and more each tournament. You hear other players, coaches, and even parents talking about our talent and our recent success and you can almost tell that they have this nervous type of look in their eyes,” said junior Lucas Treece. “This is exactly what we have been working for over the past few years. Our time is now.”
The Crusaders have a long, exciting season ahead them as they could finish as late as April. Be sure to stay tuned to MUCrusaders.com and/or the Madonna Athletics App for all the latest results and news regarding the Madonna Bowling team.
Also, check out the team’s new Instagram and Twitter pages at mucrusadersbowl for even more news and updates on the team and their season.
[email protected]
The Madonna Men’s Bowling team opened their 2019-20 season on Sept. 21 with their first win in program history. That is when they knew that this season was going to be a special one.
“Coming into this season, I was more excited than I have ever been because of the new guys we had joining our team, the guys we had returning, and our coach,” said senior Antar Howard. “Last year was a big stepping stone for us, but this year was our time to put it all together and compete for a title each and every tournament.”
The Crusaders followed up their first ever title with another top finish in their third tournament of the season on Oct. 19. They then followed that up with back-to-back second place finishes at the next two tournaments.
On Monday, Nov. 4, the collegiate bowling committee released the first set of rankings for the current season. The Crusaders saw themselves sitting at 11 in the entire nation, their highest ranking in the program’s young history.
“It is great to see all their hard work paying off. They have really come together as a team and have rallied around one another, feeding off of each other’s energy at tournaments,” said head coach George Bell. “You can have the best individual bowlers around, but if they cannot all come together as a team, then that team will not be successful. That is what I love about these guys, is that they are truly like a family.”
Four years ago, Madonna announced that they were adding bowling to their large variety of sports for their students. Fast forward to 2019-20 season, and the team is now ranked 11 in the nation and winning titles.
“When George called me offering me an assistant coach position with the team, it was an offer that I could not refuse. I saw this team’s scary potential and I wanted to help them on their journey to the top. I knew this team was going to be good this season, but 11 in the nation already in an outstanding honor and I am proud of every one of our guys. They come to practice three days a week, ready to work hard and go and compete on weekends. With their drive and determination, anything is possible,” said assistant coach Joshua McCluskey.
The Crusaders have turned themselves into a force to be reckon with this season, and their competitors have become aware it. To beat Madonna, other teams know that they are going to have to be at their best.
“Other teams have started to talk about more and more each tournament. You hear other players, coaches, and even parents talking about our talent and our recent success and you can almost tell that they have this nervous type of look in their eyes,” said junior Lucas Treece. “This is exactly what we have been working for over the past few years. Our time is now.”
The Crusaders have a long, exciting season ahead them as they could finish as late as April. Be sure to stay tuned to MUCrusaders.com and/or the Madonna Athletics App for all the latest results and news regarding the Madonna Bowling team.
Also, check out the team’s new Instagram and Twitter pages at mucrusadersbowl for even more news and updates on the team and their season.