KWU Sports Information
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Kansas Wesleyan men's bowling's run at the NAIA Men's Bowling National Championships came to an end on Friday as the Coyotes dropped two matches in bracket play at 5 Star Lanes.
The Coyotes qualified on Thursday as the No. 11 seed in the tournament, finished the 24-game baker qualifying with a pin total of 4656.
Wesleyan opened bracket play on Friday morning, facing No. 6 seed St. Xavier (Ill.) in the first round. St. Xavier won the first game of the best of five series 221-210 and won the second game 255-240. KWU came back and turned the tides in the third game winning 249-205, but the Cougars claimed the match with a 203-187 win in the fourth game.
KWU then faced No. 5 seed in the tournament Tennessee Southern, who had won its first match against William Penn (Iowa), but then lost to No. 4 seed Marian (Ind.) in the quarterfinal round. Tennessee Southern won the first two games of the series 210-177 and 243-201, before the Coyotes came back to win the next two 210-203 and 226-225 to force a decisive fifth game. Tennessee Southern would win the match 224-162 in the final game to claim the 3-2 win in the match.
The loss wraps up the season for the Coyotes, who enjoyed another successful year, winning the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping Championship to earn a third berth to the NAIA Nationals since 2018 when men's bowling was still at invitational status at the NAIA level. KWU also appeared at the NAIA National Championships in 2021.