Kellogg Community College’s first-ever bowling seasons officially open Friday as the men’s and women’s bowling teams head to Indiana for the Ancilla College Invitational.
The Bruins will compete against four league opponents at the event – Ancilla, Glen Oaks Community College, Jackson College and Muskegon Community College – in Donaldson, Indiana. No spectators will be allowed per Michigan Community College Athletic Association COVID-19 regulations, and masks will be worn by athletes at all times during competition.
The competition is a welcome culmination of more than a year of planning and delays; the recruiting season was cut short due to COVID last spring, and practices halted due to various restrictions this past fall. The first competitions were originally scheduled for early January but pushed back – along with those of other college sports – as a result of state mandates.
Head Bowling Coach Brad Morgan, a former high school and college bowler who previously coached several seasons of varsity bowling at Marshall High School, said the teams are notably excited to compete and see how they measure up in the very competitive MCCAA.
“The team is striving to finish at the top of the league,” Morgan said. “We have been looking forward to this for some time and can’t wait to leave it all out on the lanes.”
The Bruins’ debut men’s team includes five bowlers, all freshmen, including:
- Zach Barker, of Charlotte (Olivet High School)
- Bryan Foote, of Bronson (Bronson Jr./Sr. High School)
- Colin McDowell, of Marshall (Olivet High School)
- Jacob O’Donnell, of Battle Creek (Pennfield High School)
- Lorin Taylor, of Chicago (Duluth High School)
The women’s team also premieres with five bowlers, all of them from Battle Creek, including:
- Rachel Erskine (Battle Creek Central High School)
- Kelsey Kipp, the team’s sole sophomore (Pennfield High School)
- Jazlyn Lotz (Battle Creek Central High School)
- Emma O’Donnell (Pennfield High School)
- Steffanie Woodman (Pennfield High School)
“We are proud to be able to represent the Kellogg community,” Morgan said. “The team and I have worked hard and look forward to continuing the winning culture at Kellogg Community College.”
Friday’s event is the first of six such invitationals scheduled for the regular season. KCC’s first and only home event this season will be held Friday, March 12, at M-66 Bowl in Battle Creek. Postseason play begins March 26 in Lansing.
Bowling is one of three sports continuing this spring at KCC. The baseball team resumes play in March; its first home game March 21. The women’s soccer team will begin play in April; its first home game is April 21.
For more information about men’s bowling at KCC, visit www.kellogg.edu/mens-bowling. For more information about women’s bowling at KCC, visit www.kellogg.edu/womens-bowling. Coach Morgan can be reached at 269-965-4151 or bowlingcoach@kellogg.edu.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.