The Sacred Heart bowling team has been ranked No. 12 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll.
The Pioneers have held an 18-7 record since December. They’ve beaten teams such as No. 20 Fairleigh Dickinson University, No. 6 North Carolina A&T, No. 13 Tulane University, No. 7 Louisiana Tech, and No. 14 Merrimack College.
These wins have led the program into the No. 12 spot and they are now looking towards the Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) sectionals, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regional tournament.
Source: Mark F. Conrad, Sacred Heart University
“It feels really nice competing against those top teams, and it is super rewarding to get wins against them,” said junior Megan Prettyman. “Matches against top 10 teams are my favorite because it brings out the most competitive version of our team, and it is rewarding when we rise to the challenge.”
Prettyman emphasized the team’s commitment to each match, especially against teams with a higher ranking.
“We know that we have what it takes to compete with and beat those top teams,” Prettyman said. “We don’t necessarily prepare differently for these matches as our goal is always to perform as best as we can as individuals.”
At the Columbia 300 Saints Invite, Prettyman maintained a 202.80 across five matches. In those five matches, she faced four top 50 programs.
“We work on our individual games so that we can come together to form a strong and cohesive team,” said Prettyman. “We work on our physical games and get ourselves into the right mentality and hope it all comes together throughout the season, but we make sure we don’t look too far into the future, we stay in the moment and match that we are in.”
Graduate student Paige Donovan had a 191.6 across five matches at the Mount Shootout hosted by Mount St. Mary’s in Pennsylvania. She competed against three top 50 programs in the country.
The team has a .722 win percentage and a record of 52-20 and is looking to make a deep run in the ITC Sectionals which begin March 7.
The Pioneers will head to Tennessee to compete in the Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University before the NCAA regionals begin on April 5.
“We definitely have goals of getting an at-large bid to regionals, and qualifying at ITC sectionals for ITC nationals,” said Prettyman. “We’re trying to not think too much about the big picture and to stay in the moment.”
“Performing well so that we have these opportunities at the postseason is in the back of our minds and makes us all excited,” she said. “We just hope that the hard work that we have put in pays off and we succeed.”
The Pioneers are currently seeded No. 11 in the NCAA, and look to carry on this success throughout the rest of the season.
Sacred Heart Athletics and Jayden Hunter contributed to this article.
