SMYRNA, Tenn. – In its inaugural season as a collegiate bowling program, Jacksonville State will bowl for a national title.
 
The Gamecocks, the top-ranked team in the NTCA Coaches Poll, rolled through the Smyrna, Tenn., Sectional of the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) over the weekend. The performance grabbed a spot in the ITC National Championships that will be held in Louisville, Ky., from April 17-20.
 
The two-day sectional was held in the Smyrna Bowling Center and featured and 18-team field, each of which bowled 64 Baker games, with the top four teams according to total pinfall advancing to the National Championships. The Gamecocks entered the second and final day in second but passed SCAD-Savannah to win the event. SCAD, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Webber International grabbed the other three spots in Louisville.
 
Jax State knocked over 13,403 pins over two days, edging second-place SCAD by just 168 total pins. Trailing by just 12 total pins going into Sunday's final 32 games, the Gamecocks were 180 pins better than SCAD the rest of the way.
 
On Sunday alone, Jax State rolled 20 games over 200, including 10 over 225 and four of those better than 240. In the morning session, the Gamecocks were 222 pins better than the closest competitor and then they held off a late charge by SCAD down the stretch to earn the sectional title.
 
The team title comes two days after a solid showing in the Intercollegiate Singles Championship portion of the sectional, where three Gamecocks – Crystal Elliott, Kayla Smith and Keyla Covarrubias – made up over half of the five individuals that advanced to the singles portion of Nationals in Louisville.
 
The Gamecocks have one tournament remaining on their schedule before postseason begins. They will return to Smyrna on Friday to begin play in Vanderbilt's Columbia 300 Music City Classic and will then turn their focus to the Conference USA Championships the next week in New Orleans.