It’s down to four at 2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships

20 April, 2017

Collegiate

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The semifinalists who will compete for the 2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISC) titles were determined Wednesday at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La.

The women’s semifinal matchups will include top qualifier Jacqueline Rhoda (right) of Maryland Eastern Shore taking on Webber International’s Taylor Bulthuis, and Wichita State’s Sydney Brummett against Stephen F. Austin’s Stephanie Schwartz.

The men’s semifinal will feature Lindenwood teammates Bryan Dragotta and Michael Coffey squaring off, and Midland’s Nick Pate taking on Fresno State’s Joshua Taylor.

The semifinal and final matches will take place at the River Center on Saturday, starting with the men’s championship round at 9:45 a.m. Eastern. The women’s finals will start at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Both shows will be taped for broadcast and will air on CBS Sports Network in May.

The women’s show will be televised May 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and the men’s final will air May 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Schwartz will make her second consecutive ISC show. After advancing to the semifinals at the 2016 event in Wichita, Kansas, the 2016 National Tenpin Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year lost in her opening match. Now, she’s excited for another opportunity on CBS Sports Network.

“This means a lot because last year didn’t go as well as I hoped,” said Schwartz, who fired a 299 game on her way to a 703-592 victory over Nebraska’s Kelly Belzeski in the quarterfinals. “I’m happy to advance again, and I hope this year’s run is better and I can make a run at the title.”

The Lindenwood men’s program missed its first Intercollegiate Team Championships appearance since 2003, failing to advance from sectionals in March, but the Lions were well represented in the men’s ISC field with four competitors.

Dragotta (left), the top qualifier, advanced to the semifinals after defeating Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Drew Fakler, 571-540, while Coffey started his quarterfinal match against Purdue’s Dustin Zehner with a 299 game on his way to a 790-603 victory.

“Having a few of us out here definitely made it better, since we could bump ideas back and forth and help each other out,” said Coffey, the 2015-2016 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player.

“We made a lot of small errors at sectionals that ended up costing us, but this helps us kind of make up for it. It will definitely be a tough match with Bryan, but bowling against him will make the experience a little more comfortable and fun.”

The 2017 ISC featured 24 men and 24 women who earned their spots in the field by qualifying through one of four sectional events held throughout the country in March.

Competition at the River Center this week consisted of six qualifying games to determine seeding for the single-elimination match-play bracket. Bracket matches featured three games with total pinfall determining the winner.

The Intercollegiate Team Championships now will take place at the River Center beginning Thursday at 9:30 a.m. as the top 16 men’s and top 16 women’s teams vie for national titles and the Helmer Cup.

BOWL.com’s BowlTV will provide live coverage of the ITC leading up to the televised finals. For more information on the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, click here.

16 players remain in contention at 2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships
Field for 2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships determined

2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships – Men’s Match Play

Single elimination; three-game matches decided by total pinfall

Round 2
(1) Bryan Dragotta, Lindenwood, def. (17) Aaron Turner, Wisconsin-Whitewater, 628-601
(8) Drew Fakler, Wisconsin-Whitewater, def. (9) Nicco Vicari, Calumet, 560-547
(4) Michael Coffey, Lindenwood, def. (20) Andrew Dekowski, William Paterson, 680-632
(12) Dustin Zehner, Purdue, def. (5) Nicholas Scelfo, College of New Jersey, 614-589
(2) Nick Pate, Midland, def. (18) Scott Hill, Lindenwood-Belleville, 682-610
(10) Armando Godoy, McKendree, def. (7) Nick Kross, Robert Morris-Ill., 674-616
(3) Joshua Taylor, Fresno State, def. (14) Andrew Kopec, Cayuga CC, 558-541
(11) Ryan Ashby, Notre Dame-Ohio, def. (6) Ryan Stubblefield, Lindenwood, 591-556

Round 3
Dragotta def. Fakler, 571-540
Coffey def. Zehner, 790-603
Pate def. Godoy, 672-644
Taylor def. Ashby, 664-510

Semifinals
(Matches take place Saturday at 8:45 a.m. Central; winners meet for title)
Dragotta vs. Coffey
Pate vs. Taylor

2017 Intercollegiate Singles Championships – Women’s Match Play

Single elimination; three-game matches decided by total pinfall

Round 2
(1) Jacqueline Rhoda, Maryland Eastern Shore, def. (16) Estefania Cobo, Wichita State, 536-506
(24) Elizabeth Malley, Lindenwood, def. (8) Alexis Neuer, Delaware State, 555-541
(13) Breanna Clemmer, McKendree, def. (4) Maria Bulanova, Vanderbilt, 670-564
(5) Taylor Bulthuis, Webber International, def. (12) Rachel DeVillier, Florida State, 554-507
(2) Sydney Brummett, Wichita State, def. (15) Alyssa Balicki, Long Island, 553-536
(7) Jessica Mellott, McKendree, def. (10) Haley Cummings, Lindenwood, 629-521
(3) Kelly Belzeski, Nebraska, def. (14) Jordan Newham, Vanderbilt, 587-529
(6) Stephanie Schwartz, Stephen F. Austin, def. (11) Abby Ragsdale, St. Francis-Ill., 626-537

Round 3
Rhoda def. Malley, 596-506
Bulthuis def. Clemmer, 720-694
Brummett def. Mellott, 596-574
Schwartz def. Belzeski, 703-592

Semifinals
(Matches take place Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Central; winners meet for title)
Rhoda vs. Bulthuis
Brummett vs. Schwartz

Herbert Bickel