Women's bowling ready for second national tournament

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The first trip to nationals in 2025 was about the experience for the Morningside women's bowling team.

This time, the Mustangs are aiming for something more. They're competing in their second straight national tournament starting Thursday in Lansing, Michigan, through Saturday. They earned their second straight Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship last month.

"There's some confidence going into next year and going to the national tournament, having some experience," said head coach Steve Gonshorowski. "It's probably one thing that they'll remember the rest of their lives, getting into nationals. It's a big deal for them."

The Mustangs repeated as Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions last month at Gage Bowl, claiming their second title under the league's mega match format.

The best-of-three structure includes a team game, a five-game baker set, and a best-of-seven baker tiebreaker if needed. Morningside defeated College of Saint Mary and McPherson in straight rounds before rallying in the final, falling 928-879 to Ottawa in the team game but responding with a 968-902 baker win and a 4-3 tiebreaker victory.

That victory was a highlight of many for Morningside this season. When it went to Las Vegas over holiday break, the women were seeded first overall out of 41 teams. Emaly Kruse finished second overall at the Collegiate Shootout, placing second individually with a 208.4 average.

That week in Vegas made Gonshorowski realize how much potential this group had. He brought it up in conversation after the Collegiate Shootout.

"We had that chat about, 'You don't know where you're at right now,'" Gonshorowski said. "There's colleges and universities that have bowling programs that have been in existence for many years that have never won a Tier I tournament. When they were the number one seat in the Tier I tournament was probably, I would say, the biggest deal of the season. And their confidence just grew from there."

They also finished in the Top 4 team wise in between the week in Las Vegas and the KCAC Tournament. The Mustangs head into the national tournament ranked No. 29 in the latest NTCA national standings, with eight events contributing to their national ranking profile.

Individually, the Mustangs have been paced throughout the season by Kruse, who carries a 203.7 scoring average across 33 games. Kruse has finished among the Top 10 bowlers in six events this year. The junior from Sioux Falls has averaged more than 35 pins higher than the field average. Her production has helped stabilize Morningside's lineup in traditional team-game formats.

"We've been a very connected team this year," Kruse said. "We've put in so much more work this year, and have spent more time and effort. Making it to nationals twice means everything to this program."

Behind Kruse, Morningside has relied on a balanced group of contributors to round out its scoring. Alexa Munhofen holds a 182.9 average, while Natalie Vanderloo and Kennedy Reindl have added 180.7 and 177.6 averages, respectively. Each has maintained positive scoring margins against field averages this season, helping the Mustangs remain competitive against deeper tournament fields. At the NAIA West Bowling Tournament, Victoria Elwick placed 13th with a total of 935 pins and a 187 average. Libbie Keith has also turned in a Top 25 outing this year. 

That balance has translated well into the team's baker-game success, where consistent shot-making across the lineup is critical. With multiple bowlers capable of producing strong individual frames, Morningside has been able to stay within striking distance of higher-ranked programs while continuing to build momentum heading into the national tournament.

With experience, depth, and momentum on their side, the Mustangs head into nationals with a clearer sense of what's required to compete at a high level. After gaining that first taste a year ago, Morningside returns not just to participate — but with the expectation of making a deeper run against the nation's top programs.