Statesmen Compete Well in Opening Weekend, Finish Fifth in Match Play
Addison, Ill.–The William Penn men’s bowling team started its 2026-2027 season on a solid note as it competed at the NAIA Invitational #1 and #2 Friday through Sunday.
On Friday, the navy and gold placed 10th out of 17 teams with 4,866 pins in five rounds of individual games. Spring Arbor (Mich.) topped the standings with 5,399 pins.
Daniel Lynn of Webber International (Fla.) led the individual race with a 240.8 average (1,204 pins).
Aidan Piet (Sr., Meridian, Idaho, Business Management) was WPU’s best roller, finishing eighth overall with a 222.0 average (1,110 pins), including a high game of 288.
Aidan Majer (Jr., Yorkville, Ill., General Accounting) was next with a 200.5 average in four games, while Ethan Licht (Jr., Victor, Iowa, Sports Management) (196.0) and Strange (188.5), in his first collegiate event, also started four rounds.
Gavin Unger (So., Columbus, Neb., Industrial Technology) averaged 202.7 pins in three games, while Leddie Romero (Jr., Carolina, P.R., Secondary Education) had a 179.7 clip in three outings. Gavin Broussard (So., Durant, Iowa, Software Engineering and Mathematics) wrapped up the Statesmen scoring with a 134.5 average in two games.
Saturday’s action featured 25 Baker games with William Penn taking 12th out of 17 teams (4,819 pins). Pikeville (Ky.) was the best program on the lanes Saturday with 5,258 pins.
With 9,685 combined pins between Friday and Saturday, WPU qualified for Sunday’s match play event as the No. 7 seed. The top four teams competed for first place, while the next four battled for fifth.
In the mini mega match format where the first team to two points wins, the first round included total pinfall for one round of traditional games, while the second round was total pinfall over four Baker games. If necessary, the third round included a best 3-of-5 Baker game competition.
The Statesmen opened the bracket action by taking down No. 6 Aquinas (Mich.,) 2-1 before claiming the fifth-place match 2-0 over No. 8 Judson (Ill.).
“The men showed a lot of positives this weekend, including several sets that either matched or beat the leaders,” Head Coach Kirstin Foster said. “Ultimately, though, some inconsistent shot execution and poor spare shooting at times led to a lower finish in the traditional format than they were capable of. They fortunately improved in both of those areas in Sunday’s match play.”
“It was great to be a part of match play and win two matches,” Foster added. “That will be invaluable experience as we go through the year and get ready for a postseason run. I am excited for a quick week of practice and putting in the work needed before our next competition.”
Next Up: William Penn travels to Cedar Rapids Saturday and Sunday to compete in the Five Seasons Classic.
