After a slow start at the Intercollegiate Bowling Championship Sectionals in Chattanooga, Tenn., March 18 to 20, both the men’s and women’s bowling teams were able to qualify for the IBC Nationals in Rockford, Ill.

The teams took a 13-hour trip on a charter bus, arriving just in time for the Collegiate Singles Sectional. Then they spent a late night watching the men’s basketball team in the NCAA Tournament.

None of the Kansas representatives in the Singles Sectional qualified for the Collegiate Singles Championship. Senior Kelly Zapf finished fifth overall and was four pins out of the fourth and final qualifying position. Teammate Kelly Sanders, junior, was 15 pins behind Zapf. The best showing on the men’s team was by junior Pat Eighmy, who finished in eighth place and 54 pins out of qualifying.

After 16 team games, the women were in eighth place, 51 pins behind the fourth place team. Meanwhile, the men were in second place but were 234 pins behind Pikeville College and held only a 12-pin advantage over Florida State University. By the end of the day, the women had jumped up to second, shortening a 256-pin deficit to Pikeville College to a 21-pin disadvantage. The men held their ground at second and were able to pull within 54 pins of Pikeville College.

“Both teams were very sluggish on Saturday morning,” coach Mike Fine said. “But Saturday afternoon they were able to bounce back, and they bowled very well.”

On the second day of competition, both teams slipped down a spot in the standings. The women fell behind second-place finisher, McKendree College, by nine pins but held a 579-pin advantage over the fourth-place finisher.

“The women put up a good fight battling with McKendree,” Fine said. “I am very pleased with them.”

The men’s team let Saginaw Valley University move into the second position, relinquishing a 288-pin advantage going into the final block of games, finishing behind by 35 pins.

“Overall, we’re not exactly pleased with how we performed, we were pretty snafu,” sophomore Trent Overby said. “It gives us something to shoot for at Nationals.”

The third place finishes by the men’s and women’s teams qualify them for the championship, which will be held April 20 to 24. This is third-straight year that the women have advanced to the championship and is the fifth-straight appearance for the men.

“Four girls on the team have been there and know what to expect,” Zapf said. “We need to make sure the freshmen know what to expect, also.”