CLEVELAND – Jacksonville State claimed its second National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship title after a thrilling 4-1 victory over Wichita State in the final Saturday night at Yorktown Lanes in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
The morning opened with the final elimination match between Wichita State and Vanderbilt. In the fight for a championship spot, the two teams exchanged leads multiple times before the Commodores pulled ahead with a 1,106-1,027 victory for the traditional point. However, the Shockers denied the sweep, beating Vandy 1,038-992 in the Baker match and forcing the best-of-seven. Despite the Commodores best attempt to flip the momentum, Wichita State secured the victory with a 4-2 finish in the best-of-seven. With the win, the Shockers would advance to the show.
 
The championship kicked off Saturday night in front of an excited crowd, as Jacksonville State looked to complete a historic seasonal run and the Shockers sought an upset. The final round offers a different format than that of the earlier matches, with the two teams only competing in a Baker best-of-seven game.
 
Rolling off their big match over Vandy, the Shockers were able to come out strong and take the game one point. Nevertheless, the Gamecocks could not be stopped as they soared through the next three games to take a 3-1 lead. The fourth game was a battle, coming down to the last roll of the match. For the title, Jax State’s Gianna Brandolino put down back-to-back strikes in the tenth frame to take the fifth game point.
 
 Jacksonville State has now won two national championships in just three years as a program. Under the leadership of Shannon O’Keefe, the team has completed a record-breaking 103-10 season.