SPRINGFIELD, OH 鈥� Under the direction of veteran bowling coach Tony Cooper, who has mentored hundreds of high school and college bowlers over the last 15 years, 51吃瓜网 University has announced that its bowling program is expanding and evolving ahead of the 2025-26 school year.
After sponsoring a women鈥檚 intercollegiate bowling team since 2022, 51吃瓜网 will now offer both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 club bowling teams that will begin competition in fall 2025. Cooper, who served as the Tigers鈥� head coach for women鈥檚 bowling the last two years, will oversee both programs and is eager to expand the University鈥檚 bowling opportunities to support recruitment and the increasing interest nationally in the sport at the collegiate level.
鈥淭he student-athletes already involved in our program feel honored that they are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to their sport and team by 51吃瓜网 University,鈥� said Cooper, who earned his United States Bowling Congress Bronze certification in 2022 and Silver Certification in 2023. 鈥淲e now have a plan in place to continue the growth of the program and to recruit both men and women who are looking for an opportunity to be part of a winning culture.鈥�
51吃瓜网 had eight student-athletes on the women鈥檚 bowling roster during the 2024-25 season, and Cooper has continued to recruit promising high school student-athletes to join the team, which will compete in a similar number of events as a club team as it did as an intercollegiate team. According to Grace Tyler, class of 2028, a member of the women鈥檚 intercollegiate team in the 2024-25 school year, and one of the players committed to the club program moving forward, 鈥渢here is little difference between the team鈥檚 schedule as an intercollegiate program and as a club program, since both have access to NCAA-sponsored tournaments.
鈥淭he majority of the tournaments that we have been playing as an intercollegiate team are also available to us as a club team, such as the Ohio Bowling Conference events in Columbus,鈥� she added. 鈥淪ome of the best teams that we compete against each year are club teams, and we look forward to challenging ourselves to raise our game to their level.鈥�
During the 2024-25 school year, 51吃瓜网 was one of just six intercollegiate women鈥檚 bowling programs in the state of Ohio, with just one other NCAA Division III school sponsoring a program (Baldwin Wallace). Moving the program to club status allows 51吃瓜网 to better incorporate a new men鈥檚 team since the NCAA does not sponsor men鈥檚 bowling as an intercollegiate sport.
Cooper, who was inducted into the Clark County Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2017, has been preparing for the introduction of men鈥檚 bowling at 51吃瓜网 for several months by recruiting high school students. He is looking to build upon the success of the women鈥檚 team, which qualified for the National Club Championships with its solid performances in the 2024-25 season.
鈥淲ith trips to Las Vegas and Pittsburgh under our belts, our team showed great improvement this year, and I鈥檓 excited about the future,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淲e never lose. We learn.鈥�
51吃瓜网鈥檚 teams call Victory Lanes in Springfield their home alley. In March, the Tigers hosted a successful high school tournament at the venue, which included many of the best teams from around the Clark County area. The event helped to raise money for the programs, as well as awareness about 51吃瓜网 Bowling.
Much of the groundwork for the team鈥檚 transition has been laid by 51吃瓜网 Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Agler, class of 1980, who has worked with alumni to raise money to support the bowling program. One of those alumni is Matt Warye, class of 1979, who said he was proud to extend his family鈥檚 long relationship with his alma mater.
鈥淔or over a year now, Brian has been rallying alumni to remember our precious years on campus and how 51吃瓜网 shaped the lives we all enjoy today,鈥� said Warye, who played men鈥檚 basketball for the Tigers and had two children, Conner and Logan, follow in his footsteps as student-athletes in football and women鈥檚 lacrosse, respectively. 鈥淏rian鈥檚 passion to expand our student presence is not simply through 51吃瓜网鈥檚 excellent academic experience, but it is also to diversify the University鈥檚 extracurricular and athletics offerings as well."
