INDIANAPOLIS – McKendree University has been unanimously selected to win the inaugural Great Lakes Valley Conference Women’s Bowling Championship, the Conference office announced Thursday.
The preseason poll was compiled after voting by coaches from the league’s seven programs, including full-time league members Drury University, Lewis University, Maryville University and McKendree, as well as associate members University of Central Missouri, Lincoln University and Upper Iowa University.
McKendree earned 36 points in the poll and all six first-place votes, given Conference bylaws state a coach cannot for their own team. The Bearcats were recently voted as the nation’s second-best team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) all-division preseason poll, and the unanimous No. 1 team in the NTCA Division II/III preseason poll. Under the direction of head coach Shannon O’Keefe, McKendree has reached the final match of the Intercollegiate Team Championship in each of the past three seasons. The Bearcats earned the national title in 2017, scored a runner-up finish in 2018, and was edged 3-2 in the 2019 title match by Robert Morris University (Ill.) last April. One month prior to nationals, McKendree swept Central Missouri 4-0 to claim its second consecutive Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Championship.
GLVC coaches voted Central Missouri second in the preseason poll, as the Jennies picked up 30 points and the remaining first-place vote. Ranked No. 12 nationally and third in Division II/III by the NTCA, Central Missouri made a spirited run at the 2019 MIAA Championships as the Jennies won four straight elimination games before falling to McKendree in the final. It was the third title match in a row that Central Missouri and McKendree faced off for the MIAA crown. Head coach Ron Holmes enters his 20th season in 2019-20, having earned the 2003 Intercollegiate Bowling Championships national title, the 2017 MIAA crown, and three national runner-up finishes (2004, 2005, 2009) throughout his career.
Maryville placed third at the 2019 MIAA Championship and has been picked to finish third in the GLVC this season. The Saints, who picked up 27 points in the preseason poll and are ranked 18th nationally and No. 5 in DII/III by the NTCA, have been led by head coach Brandi Branka since beginning competition in 2015-16.
Lewis enters its second season picked to finish fourth in the GLVC. The Flyers, coached by Scott Taylor and ranked tied for 14th in the NTCA DII/DIII poll, garnered 19 points in the GLVC poll. In its inaugural season last year, Lewis ranked No. 37 in the NCAA RPI, brought home two runner-up trophies from NCAA tournaments and made match play at a United States Bowling Congress (USBC) tournament.
Rounding out the preseason poll is Drury (17), Upper Iowa (12) and Lincoln (6).
Larry Hughes has served as the head coach at Drury for all four years of the program history, including the last three under the NCAA banner. He guided the Panthers to third place at the MIAA Championships in 2017. Drury was recently ranked 11th in DII/DIII by the NTCA.
In its inaugural season this year, Upper Iowa will be coached by Nichole DePaul-Miller.
Lincoln, under the direction of Brian Lillevold, concluded the program’s fourth season last year with a sixth-place finish at the MIAA Championships.
The GLVC’s inaugural season opens Friday with Lewis participating at the Columbia 300 Penguin Classic in Struthers, Ohio. Drury and Lincoln begin their respective seasons at Saturday’s Andy B’s Invitational in Springfield, Missouri. Central Missouri opens its slate on Oct. 19 at the Newman Mid-States Classic in Wichita, Kansas. Maryville, McKendree, and Upper Iowa all begin the 2019-20 campaign at McKendree’s Hammer Bearcat Open in Fairview Heights, Illinois on Oct. 25.
The complete 2019-20 GLVC Women’s Bowling Coaches Preseason Poll follows:
| 2019-20 GLVC Women’s Bowling Preseason Poll |
| Place |
School |
Points (First Place Votes) |
| 1 |
McKendree # |
36 (6) |
| 2 |
Central Missouri |
30 (1) |
| 3 |
Maryville |
27 |
| 4 |
Lewis |
19 |
| 5 |
Drury |
17 |
| 6 |
Upper Iowa |
12 |
| 7 |
Lincoln |
6 |
| |
# Unanimous Selection |
|