Franklin Township, N.J. – Three members of the Niagara Women's Bowling Team was tabbed with major awards from the NEC along with members being tabbed to the All-Conference Teams.
Emily Brock was named NEC Bowler of the Year along with NEC First Team All-Conference as she established herself as Niagara's top performer, posting the highest overall average per frame at 20.96 across 1086 complete frames. Brocks strike percentage of 54.5% led all regular contributors, and she converted makeable spares at an 84.8% clip demonstrating elite all-around consistency.
Brock's best individual event came at the Chelsea Gilliam Penguin Classic where she averaged 22.94 per frame in NCAA play with a remarkable 66.0% strike rate and a 94.0% overall fill percentage. She followed that with a stellar showing at the Music City Classic, recording a 22.98 average and 64.0% strike rate in competition.
In Baker format, Brock's peak came at the Mount Shootout, where she posted a 23.32 average with a 72.0% strike percentage which was her highest mark on the campaign. Her single pin spare conversion rate of 91.6% across the full season ranked the best on the team.
Dakota Collins was tabbed with NEC Rookie of the Year and NEC All-Rookie Team as she totaled 568 frames. Collins averaged 18.72 per frame overall, with her strongest showing coming at the Mount Shootout, where she posted a 20.52 NCAA average and a 90.0% overall fill percentage.
Collins' best Baker performance came at NEC Meet one, where she averaged 20.70 per frame with an 82.1% first-ball average on nine or more pins and a 57.1% strike percentage. She also demonstrated strong spare play across the season, converting makeable spares at a 77.8% rate and recording an 83.9% single-pin spare conversion percentage.
Collins showed considerable improvement from the first half of the seasons into the second half, highlighted by her NEC Meet two outing, where she led the team with an 88.3% overall fill rate in NCAA competition and a 45.0% strike rate across 60 frames.
Kate Ackerman along with
Jocelyn Smith were named to the NEC Second Team All-Conference. Ackerman complied the most complete frames of any player on the roster, logging 1195 frames over the course of the season. Her overall average of 20.56 per frame was second only to Brock among high-volume contributors, and her 88.0% overall fill percentage speaks to her reliability across all phases of the game.
Ackerman's most impressive single-event performance came at the Northeast Classic, where she averaged 21.88 per frame with a 54.0% strike rate, a 100.0% makeable spare conversion rate, and a 94.0% overall fill percentage. She also turned in a dominant Baker outing at the Mount Shootout, posting a 23.22 average with a 64.1% strike percentage.
For the season, Ackerman led the team in makeable spare conversion at 86.3% and converted single-pin spares at 89.7% rate, the best mark among high-volume players. Her strike percentage of 50.2% across 1206 attempts reflects her ability to generate offense.
Smith was one of the Purple Eagles most versatile contributors, appearing in a high volume of both team and Baker frames across the season's 11 events. Smith recorded a 19.64 overall average across 1121 frames, and her 89.0% single-pin spare conversion rate was the best on the roster.
Smith's standout event of the season was the Mount Shootout, where she averaged a season-best 23.36 per frame in team play, converted 66.0% of her strike attempts, and achieved a 96.0% overall fill percentage.
In NEC Meet one, Smith delivered one of her top Baker outings, recording a 21.46 average with an 88.2% Baker percentage, demonstrating her ability to elevate her game in conference competition. Her overall fill percentage of 83.2% reflects consistent execution throughout the year.
Head Coach
Jeff Walsh was awarded with NEC Coach of the Year posting an 82-38 record and a 17-7 NEC record. Back on March 1st at the WNY Cup in the first game of the event Walsh recorded his 200th career win at the helm of the program against Roberts Wesleyan.
