(Ann Arbor, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals Women's Bowling team heads to the lanes for the first time of the 2024-25 season on Saturday when they host the Dirty Bird Classic at the Jax 60 in Jackson, Michigan. 

The Head Coach for both teams this season is Rob Lancioni, who is in his 8th season with CUAA and takes over for long-time Head Coach Doug Spicer. 

TEAM PERSONNEL

There are 10 Cardinals that will be hitting the lanes this season with all 10 returning from last season.

Four sophomores are back with the team this season with Ryan Giese leading the bunch after averaging 188.55 last season over 44 games. Sydney Stocks is the next top sophomore with an 181.94 average. MacKenzie Morgan and Bailey VanMeter are the final two sophomores with averages of 176.90 and 170.61 respectively. 

Two juniors are with the team this season and they are Brooke Binder and Ashley Kreger. Binder had the top average on the team last season at 192.18 over 40 games, while Kreger averaged 158.93 over 15 games. 

There are three seniors and 1 grad student. The grad student is Amanda Fisher who averaged 176.09 pins per game last season. Emilee Hughes leads the group of seniors as she averages 188.32 pins per game, Emily Morris and Arielle Oakley are the final two seniors with averages of 182.73 and 170.83 respectively. 

The Cardinals are headed by Rob Lancioni who is assisted by Makayla Lancioni and Korey Reichard. 

2023 SEASON IN REVIEW

After a second-place finish at the Dirty Bird Classic a year the Cardinals placed third at the first and third Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament and fifth at the second, before placing first at the final one. In the WHAC standings, the Cardinals finished six points behind Indiana Tech to place second. 

The WHAC Championship saw the Cardinals place first throughout the baker games followed by taking down Lawrence Tech and Indiana Tech twice for the third Tournament Championship in program history. The Cardinals Junior Varsity team would also take home the JV Championship at the WHAC Tournament as well. 

The Tournament Championship earned the Cardinals a spot at the NAIA Championships in March. The Cardinals were in eighth place following the baker games and proceeded to take down Ottawa in the first round. The second day saw CUAA fall to SCAD and Spring Arbor in consecutive matches to close out their season. 

2024 SCHEDULE

Following the Dirty Bird Classic this weekend, the Cardinals will compete at the first WHAC Tournament of the season on September 28. 

October will feature the Cards traveling to the Midwest Collegiate Championships in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and the first and second American Heartland Tournament in Canton, Michigan. 

The second WHAC Tournament will lead off the month of November in Clinton Township, Michigan, followed by the Leatherneck Classic in Rockford, Illinois. 

WHAC Tournament #3 will kick off in December and that is followed by the Cardinals traveling out to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Glenn Carlson Invitational and the Collegiate Shootout. 

The New Year will see the Cardinals take on the fifth American Heartland Tournament, the Kegel Collegiate Classic, and the final WHAC Tournament of the season. 

February will feature the Hoosier Classic followed by the WHAC Championship on February 23. 

As announced on June 13th by CUWAA President Erik Ankerberg, the 2024-25 Academic Year will serve as the final season for CUAA Athletics. If you would like more information check out www.cuaa.edu/future. Concordia Ann Arbor fans, community members and alumni are encouraged to come out and support CUAA's student-athletes in their final season as a Cardinal.