Wildcat Women Bowlers Claim Three State Titles

To say that the Pennsylvania College of Technology women's bowling team dominated the recent Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association championships would be an understatement.

For the first time in school history, every member of the squad came home with either a first or second place finish in each of four categories and produced state champions in three of them all-event, doubles and team.

In addition to the accomplishments of the women bowlers, the Penn College men placed second in team competition during the event, which was held at the Bellefonte Bowling Center. In all, more than 10 teams and 100 bowlers competed.

Leading the Penn College women was Kelli Fazekas, a freshman from Easton, who captured the all-event title; teamed with Janelle Badger, a freshman from Lewisburg, to win the doubles crown; and helped teammates Badger, Melisa Klees, a freshman from Loyalsock Township, and Robin Campbell, a freshman from Milton, to the team title. Fazekas also finished second in singles.

"Kelli went in with a very positive attitude. I don't know if she thought she was going to do as well as she did, but I constantly reminded her to keep bowling hard and do her best job and she would place very well," recalled coach Lisa Worth.

Individually in women's all-event, Klees was second, Badger fourth and Campbell 12th. In singles, Klees was fifth, Campbell sixth and Badger ninth. In doubles, Klees and Campbell finished second behind their teammates.

Contributing to the second place team finish for the men were Mike Klees, a sophomore from Loyalsock Township who is Melisa's brother; Casey Klingborg, a freshman from South Williamsport; Ryan Wert, a sophomore from Mifflinburg; Josh Paumen, a freshman from Central Bucks East; Jason Tolley, a freshman from Twin Valley; and Jon Miglin, a sophomore from North Warren, N.J.

Individually in men's singles, Wert was fourth, Klees ninth, Klingborg 13th, Miglin 25th, Paumen 26th and Tolley 29th. In all-event, Wert was sixth, Tolley eighth, Klingborg 14th, Klees 16th, Paumen 17th and Miglin 18th. In doubles, Paumen and Tolley were fourth, Klees and Wert 14th and Klingborg and Miglin 15th.

Also on the Penn College co-ed bowling roster, but not participating in the state championships, were freshmen Erik Burke (Thomas Edison), Tom Bartholomew (Pleasant Valley) and Jarret Walter (Selinsgrove).

During the regular season the Wildcats competed in five tournaments before hosting the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championships at Faxon Lanes in February.

Worth, who is in her seventh year as coach in the 12-year-old program, considers herself more of a mental motivator than a technical instructor and is quick to credit her keglers for their achievements.

"I put the names down and they do all the work," said Worth, who played softball in high school at Elk Lake and for three years at Lock Haven University. "I just try to support them. If they feel they had a bad game I try to keep them thinking positive."

Worth is a strong believer that success breeds success, and with 10 freshmen on her 13-bowler roster she is confident that there are more good things in store on the horizon.