We’re No. 1 – Our Favorite Bowling Team Is Tops Again

JONESBORO, Ark. — The Arkansas State women’s bowling team moved into the top spot of the National Tenpin Coaches Association Preseason Poll recently.

This marks the second time in school history that the A-State women’s bowling team has achieved the top ranking in the NTCA poll.

The Red Wolves received 659 total points and 10 first-place votes to finish ahead of Maryland-Eastern Shore’s 628 points and 11 first-place votes.  Central Missouri is ranked third in the poll with 572 points and one first-place vote while Fairleigh Dickinson (538) and Stephen F. Austin (532) round out the top five.

“It’s nice to have a great first half and have the coaches rank us first,” A-State women’s bowling coach Justin Kostick said.  “We need to continue this momentum into the second half.”

A-State was ranked fourth in the preseason NTCA poll, but thanks to a 31-11 record and first-place finishes in the Crusader Classic and Big Red Invite the Red Wolves were able to move up three spots to No. 1.

A-State returns to action when it hosts the Mid-Winter Invitational Jan. 17-19 in Jonesboro, Ark.

Recently, the Red Wolves bowling team has signed players for the 2014-15 season, too.

Last month, Jadee Scott-Jones (East Providence, R.I.) signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her career at A-State.

Scott-Jones is the daughter of Monica Scott and Marty Jones and will conclude a highly successful career in the Providence Senate Junior Program.  She will be recognized as the program’s most accomplished female athlete of all-time after 15 years in the program since she began bowling at the age of three.  She’s a nine-time Ocean State High Average recipient, a 10-time Ocean State All-Events scratch champion, and six-time USBC Junior Gold Qualifier.

In the 2013 North Pointe Junior Gold Nationals she finished 20th out of approximately 700 girls in the U20 division.  Additionally, she has led her team to three straight Ocean State championships as the team captain and player-coach.  Her average is 226 in sanctioned events and she has a high game of 300 and high series of 797 to her credit.

“Jadee has ability that is hard to teach,” Kostick said.  “She has a powerful release and is a fundamental player, which is important because fundamentals are the hardest to teach in bowling.  Her experience at Junior Olympic Gold should help her transition to the collegiate level.”

Scott-Jones comes from a very successful bowling family.  Her parents run the Providence Senate Junior Program and her brothers, Justin and Jalen, are successful bowlers.  Her mom, Monica, is a USA Junior Olympic Level Two Certified coach and was named as national Coach of the Year by the National Bowling Association (TNBA).  Her dad, Marty, is a United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Silver Level Certified Coach, 6-time Bowlers Journal International  Top 100 Coach, and a TNBA and USBC national Coach of the Year.

Also in Novemeber,  Jordan Kasza (O’Fallon, Ill.) and Nicole Mikaelian (Macomb, Mich.) have signed National Letter of Intents to continue their careers at A-State.

“I’m very pleased to sign two student-athletes of this caliber in the early signing period,” Kostick said.  “They are both going to be honor students here at Arkansas State and it’s always nice to have well-rounded individuals on the team.”

Kasza is the daughter of Mark and Kathy Duprey and Jeff Kasza and is currently a senior at O’Fallon Township High School.  As a freshman she was named second-team All-Conference and followed with a first-team All-Conference selection as a sophomore and third-team honors as a junior.  She’s been a member of two co-conference champion teams and one conference championship team during her time at OTHS.  As an individual she placed 12th in the Illinois High School Association State tournament during her sophomore year and followed with a 10th place finish as a junior.

Kasza placed above the 50% tile at first year of junior gold at Detroit in 2013 and was the Metro-East Youth Travel League Bowler of the Year in 2011-12.  She’s a member of the National Honor Society and was named to the All-Academic Team as a junior.  She grew up in a military family and had to privilege to bowl in many different areas starting with Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska before moving to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma where she captured the Oklahoma State Singles Title at age nine.  She lived in Okinawa, Japan before moving to O’Fallon, Ill., and she has a high series of 758 and high game of 289.

“We’re losing two left-handed seniors this season so signing a skilled lefty like Jordan helps us on that side of things,” added Kostick.  “She has a classic bowling style and simple form.”

Mikaelian is currently a senior at Dakota High School and is the daughter of Arsen and Judy Mikaelian.  She has been the DHS co-captain the past two seasons and was the 2013 DHS team MVP when she led the squad to a fourth-place finish in the Michigan High School Athletics Association Division 1 State Finals.  She earned a spot on the MHSAA Division 1 All-State team in 2013 and was the 2013 Cougar Classic Singles Champion, fifth in the 2013 Teen Masters, and had the Macomb Area Conference Red high average of 215.  Additionally, she was awarded MAC All-County honors and MAC Red All-Conference honors from 2011-13.

In 2012, Mikaelian was the Bay City Thelen Auto Sales singles champion and the 2011 Metro Detroit USBC Youth Masters Champion.  She was also the 2013 Michigan Junior Masters Association Doubles Champion.  She has a sanctioned league high game of 300 and high series of 719 in addition to her high school game of 289 and high two game series of 519.  She is a member of the National Honor Society and DHS honor roll.

“It’s nice to be able to continue recruiting out of Michigan and signing high-quality bowlers from that area,” Kostick said.  “Nicole has a very classic bowling style and a very good fundamental game.”