Southland Bowling League Announces Inaugural All-Conference Teams
FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Bowling League has announced the first-ever Southland Bowling All-Conference teams. The squads are headlined by Vanderbilt, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Arkansas State – each with four selections. The teams comprise four of the 12 programs that will be competing in the upcoming 2019 NCAA Bowling Championship. Seven of the eight Southland Bowling member institutions are represented in the all-conference selections. Southland Bowling League yearly awards are presented by
Ready Nutrition.
Maria Bulanova and Samantha Gainor pave the way for Vanderbilt as the duo earns first team honors following their 2018-19 regular-season and Southland Bowling Tournament play. The pair are joined by Adel Wahner who is a second-team selection. Jordan Newham rounds out the Commodore selections with an honorable mention nod. The Commodores have accumulated a 94-33 record throughout the season for a .740 win percentage. Vanderbilt finished as the runner-up at the 2019 Southland Bowling Tournament, but still managed to qualify for the 2019 Women’s Bowling National Championship as the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Tournament play will be hosted at RollHouse Wickliffe in Wickliffe, Ohio. Vandy’s first round at the tournament is slated for Thursday, April 11.
Sam Houston State also earns four selections, led by the Southland Bowling League’s Newcomer of the Year Bea Hernandez, who claimed a spot on the first team. Hernandez is joined by fellow Bearkats Madysen Keller, Katelyn Dickerson and Hayley Connelly, who were all three tabbed honorable mention. Sam Houston State is coming off its first Southland Bowling League title after knocking off No. 1 Vanderbilt in the final round of a best-of-seven Baker matchup. The league title earned the Bearkats an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship where they will take on the winner of the Stephen F. Austin and Prairie View A&M match on Thursday, April 11.
Stephen F. Austin senior Dakotah Hazlewood grabs a position on the first team to lead four Ladyjack all-conference honorees. Paige Beeney, Sarah Gill and Carlene Beyer were also recognized with honorable mention for the SFA squad. The Ladyjacks qualified for the NCAA Bowling Championship as an at-large bid and will face Prairie View A&M in the opening round at Emerald Bowl Friday, April 5 in Houston.
Arkansas State, the fourth and final team to earn four all-conference selections, are led by Julia Huren, Denishya Waller and Leah Glazer who comprise three of the five spots on the second team. Taylor Davis rounds out the Red Wolves honorees with an honorable mention nod. Arkansas State has racked up the nation’s fifth-best RPI, which is enough to give the Red Wolves an at-large berth into the NCAA Championship. They will take on Medaille College Tuesday, April 9 at RollHouse Wickliffe in Wickliffe, Ohio.
Tulane’s Tiera Gulum and Madison McCall earns all-conference honors as the Green Wave’s selections. Gulum nabbed a spot on the second team after a stellar senior season where she rolled Tulane’s first-ever 300 game at the Sunshine State Winter Classic in Orlando, Fla. (Feb. 8-10). McCall claimed honorable mention recognition for the Green Wave after dealing 547 strikes throughout the season.
Louisiana Tech’s Kaitlyn Eder is the lone Lady Techster claiming post season accolades with a first team bid. Eder has picked up 431 spares this season for a 72.2 spare percentage. The sophomore from Lithia, Fla., pushed her Louisiana Tech squad to a pair of first-place tournament finishes this season, including wins at the All State Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational in Harahan, La. (Oct. 19-21) and the JSU Sonic Boom Invitational in Jackson, Miss. (Nov. 9-11).
Youngstown State’s Nikki Mendez is the final member of the all-conference team, as the junior claimed honorable mention accolades. Mendez accrued an 18.94 average in traditional game matches to lead her team and racked up 457 strikes.
The 2019 Southland Bowling League All-Conference teams are chosen based on the Player Composite Performance Index (PCPI) of the league’s top 20 bowlers throughout the season and including all Southland Bowling Tournament play.
2019 Southland Bowling League All-Conference First Team
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Maria Bulanova |
Vanderbilt |
Jr. |
Moscow, Russia |
| Samantha Gainor |
Vanderbilt |
So. |
Chesterfield, Mich. |
| Dakotah Hazlewood |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
Capron, Ill. |
| Bea Hernandez |
Sam Houston State |
Fr. |
Bambang Pasig City, Philippines |
| Kaitlyn Eder |
Louisiana Tech |
So. |
Lithia, Fla. |
2019 Southland Bowling League All-Conference Second Team
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Julia Huren |
Arkansas State |
Jr. |
Westland, Mich. |
| Denisyha Waller |
Arkansas State |
Sr. |
Markham, Ill. |
| Adel Wahner |
Vanderbilt |
Jr. |
Las Cruces, N.M. |
| Leah Glazer |
Arkansas State |
So. |
Henderson, Nev. |
| Tiera Gulum |
Tulane |
Sr. |
Schenectady, N.Y. |
2019 Southland Bowling League All-Conference Honorable Mention
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Paige Beeney |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
Salado, Texas |
| Madysen Keller |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Mathews, N.C. |
| Taylor Davis |
Arkansas State |
So. |
Davison, Mich. |
| Sarah Gill |
Stephen F. Austin |
So. |
Attleboro, Mass. |
| Jordan Newham |
Vanderbilt |
Sr. |
Aurora, Ill. |
| Madison McCall |
Tulane |
So. |
Myrtle Beach, S.C. |
| Carlene Beyer |
Stephen F. Austin |
Fr. |
Ogdensburg, Wis. |
| Katelyn Dickerson |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
Painesville, Ohio |
| Hayley Connelly |
Sam Houston State |
So. |
Hazlet, N.J. |
| Nikki Mendez |
Youngstown State |
Jr. |
Homer Glen, Ill. |