[Update: February 7, 2017: An earlier version of this article stated that Ladyjacks bowling needed fundraisers to cover travel costs. While all SFA athletics teams fundraise, none do so for travel.]
The spring semester brings us a great lineup of local sporting events to view at our leisure at various venues across Nacogdoches. One of the teams that you won’t be able to see compete locally is coming off a national championship season. Stephen F. Austin bowling, affectionately known as the Stormin’ Ladyjacks, brought SFA its first team Division I NCAA title in school history in 2016 by defeating Nebraska, the perennial powerhouse of the sport.
This followed a 2015 campaign in which they were runners-up to Nebraska for the championship. In fact, just two teams have beaten Nebraska for the Division I title in the past four years; SFA and rival Sam Houston State. Despite SFA bowling’s recent success, they still seem largely overlooked by their peers on-campus.
SFA Athletics
Paige Kraushaar competes for Stephen F. Austin during a 2015 tournament.
Winning against Nebraska was no small feat - the Cornhuskers have won five national championships since the founding of the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2004, making them the powerhouse of the sport. The Nebraska team, led by Team USA bowling member Julia Bond, has facilities fit for champions, complete with six lanes on-campus and a machine for molding bowling balls; luxuries that SFA can only wish for at this point. The East Campus Union on the University of Nebraska campus houses coaches’ offices as well as the aforementioned lanes, and is widely known as one of the top facilities in the nation.
Practicing in a public bowling alley, SFA has battled against the odds to continuously be one of the top teams in the nation over the past few years. The nearest tournaments occur many miles away, with their lone “home” meet taking place about two hours away.
Texas Pro Bowl in Nacogdoches may not be of elite caliber but it does beat the 50 minute drive the Ladyjacks' rivals in Huntsville make in order to practice at a facility in Livingston. It's not perfect, but they make do. And despite facility shortcomings, the Ladyjacks have continued to overcome tangible deficiencies with success in the lanes. Even without the flashy recruiting incentives, SFA has managed to attract a number of high caliber bowlers, athletes like Paige Kraushaar, to represent the purple and white.
We caught up with Paige after her return from the Mid-Winter Invitational hosted by Arkansas State, in which SFA finished fourth place overall. The senior from Crown Point, Indiana had 17 games of 200+, second best on the team. She was one of the key members of the past couple of years, and has participated in tournaments each year while at SFA. She recently was chosen as a member of the all-tournament team at the Prairie View A&M Invitational tournament in Arlington that ended on January 29th. In addition to her elite bowling, Paige has has maintained a stellar GPA while in nursing school, as she plans to work in or around Nashville, Tennessee upon graduation in either an ER or in pediatrics.
Here's what she had to say about her experience bowling for the Ladyjacks:
Outlook and expectations for the rest of the season…
“I think we have a pretty good chance at nationals. We’ve had a shaky start, but I still think we are going to make it there. If we make the field of eight, then anything can happen. The past few seasons have given us a lot of drive to get back to the finals, and we want to represent SFA as well as we can.”
On preparation for tournaments and traveling…
“We practice four or five times per week, depending on if we are traveling or not, for about two and a half hours, including mental game prep. We know we have the physical ability, but bowling is a very mental game. Anybody can go out there and throw a ball, but you have to be mentally in your game since tournaments [generally] last from Friday-Sunday for about seven or eight hours per day. It’s a lot more exhausting than people think."
On coaching and facilities…
“Amber and Steve are the best coaches I could have asked for. Since a lot of the girls are from out of state, they are like parents to us, and we couldn’t be more thankful. I know I can depend on them for motivation, and they know how to have fun as well. We would do anything for them and they would do anything for us."
“We make the most with what we have, and that could potentially even make us better. We have to work hard because we don’t have what some other schools are given, and we don’t let that hinder us. The people at Texas Pro Bowl are awesome and are really good to us.”
Perception of the bowling team on-campus by peers…
“In my opinion, we don’t get as much recognition as we should. I’m not asking for everyone to worship us, but acknowledgment and equal respect would be pretty great.”
Being a Nursing major and an athlete…
“It’s probably the hardest thing that I could have signed up for. I have classes from 8-5 pretty much every day of the week and practice right after, if I can make it. I study every chance I get, even while traveling on the road or at the hotel after matches. Every day for 4 years it has just been school, practice, and tournaments.”
Growth as a player while at SFA…
“My freshman year, we finished ninth and missed out on playing in the championship tournament, but after that everyone on the team had the mentality that we would make it back and finish stronger. The next season, we ended up losing to Nebraska in the championship game, and everyone knew that we could get back and beat them, and that’s what we did in 2016. I’ve been trying to be like the Seniors that were here when I first got to SFA. My confidence has gotten a lot better, and Steve and Amber have been a huge part of that.”
