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    Nebraska Cornhuskers bowling

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 7 min
    Nebraska Cornhuskers
    Founded1983; 42 years ago (1983)
    UniversityUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
    Athletic directorTroy Dannen
    Head coachPaul Klempa (6th season)
    ConferenceIndependent
    LocationLincoln, Nebraska
    Home arenaHusker Bowling Center
    NicknameCornhuskers
    ColorsScarlet and cream[1]
       
    National championships
    1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2021
    NCAA Tournament appearances
    2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

    The Nebraska Cornhuskers bowling team competes as part of NCAA Division I, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as an independent. The program was founded as a club team in 1983 and became a varsity sport in 1997.

    Nebraska is the most successful collegiate program in bowling history, winning eleven national championships and qualifying for every NCAA championship. Most of this success came under Bill Straub, who founded the team in 1989 and coached for thirty-six years. The team has been coached by longtime assistant Paul Klempa since Straub's retirement in 2019.

    History

    [edit]

    Nebraska's bowling program began in 1983 under head coach Bill Straub, who led the team to Women's International Bowling Congress-sanctioned national titles in 1991 and 1995. Women's bowling became an official varsity sport at NU in 1997, though its two-time club champion men's program did not, and the school granted Jennifer Daugherty the first full scholarship in collegiate bowling history.[2] Nebraska won three more WIBC titles before the NCAA sanctioned its first bowling tournament in 2004. The Cornhuskers won the first two NCAA championships under Straub, who retired in 2019 as a ten-time national champion and was elected to the United States Bowling Congress Collegiate Hall of Fame in 2025.[3] The program has never been ranked lower than seventh.

    In 2019, Straub retired and longtime assistant Paul Klempa was named head coach.[4] Klempa led NU to its eleventh national title in 2021.

    Conference affiliations

    [edit]
    • Independent (1997–present)[5]

    Coaches

    [edit]

    Coaching history

    [edit]
    No. Coach Tenure
    1 Bill Straub 1990–2019
    2 Paul Klempa 2019–present

    Coaching staff

    [edit]
    Name Position First year Alma mater
    Paul Klempa Head coach 2019 Nebraska
    Julia Bond Assistant coach 2021 Nebraska

    Championships and awards

    [edit]

    Team national championships

    [edit]
    • WIBC: 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001
    • NCAA: 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2021

    Individual awards

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    • National bowler of the year: Kim Berke (1992), Diandra Hyman (2000), Shannon Pluhowsky (2001, 2004, 2005), Lindsay Baker (2006), Amanda Burgoyne (2007), Cassandra Leuthold (2010), Lizabeth Kuhlkin (2015), Raquel Orozco (2020), Crystal Elliot (2021)
    • NCAA championship most outstanding bowler: Shannon Pluhowsky (2004), Amanda Burgoyne (2005), Cassandra Leuthold (2009), Lizabeth Kuhlkin (2013), Julia Bond (2015), Crystal Elliott (2021)
    • National coach of the year: Bill Straub (2005, 2013, 2017)

    NCAA champions

    [edit]
    • Amanda Burgoyne – 2005
    • Julia Bond – 2016
    • Kelly Belzeski – 2017

    All-Americans

    [edit]
    • Kim Berke – 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
    • Jennifer Wilson – 1991
    • Carrie Machuga – 1993
    • Shelly Machuga – 1993
    • Andrea Rigby – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
    • Brenda Edwards – 1995, 1997
    • Jennifer Daugherty – 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
    • Brenda Norman – 1996
    • Kimberly Claus – 1998
    • Jennifer Davis – 1998
    • Diandra Hyman – 1999, 2000, 2001
    • Shannon Pluhowsky – 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
    • Kari Schwager – 2002
    • Paola Gomez – 2003
    • Amanda Burgoyne – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
    • Lindsay Baker – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
    • Jamie Martin – 2005, 2006
    • Adrienne Miller – 2005, 2007
    • Cassandra Leuthold – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
    • Katie Ann Sopp – 2008
    • Valerie Calberry – 2009, 2012
    • Danielle van der Meer – 2009, 2011
    • Kayla Johnson – 2012
    • Kristina Mickelson – 2012
    • Elise Bolton – 2013
    • Lizabeth Kuhlkin – 2013, 2014, 2015
    • Julia Bond – 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
    • Gazmine Mason – 2015, 2016, 2017
    • Briana Zabierek – 2016
    • Kelly Belzeski – 2017, 2018
    • Meghan Straub – 2017, 2018, 2019
    • Raquel Orozco – 2018, 2019, 2020
    • Allison Morris – 2019
    • Cassidy Ray – 2020, 2021
    • Crystal Elliot – 2021, 2022
    • Kayla Verstraete – 2021, 2022
    • Kendyl Hofmeister – 2022
    • Jillian Martin – 2023, 2024
    • Brenna Hartzler – 2024

    Seasons

    [edit]
    National champion
    Year[a] Coach Postseason
    Independent (1997–present)
    1997–98 Bill Straub WIBC 4th
    1998–99 WIBC Champion
    1999–00 WIBC 3rd
    2000–01 WIBC Champion
    2001–02 WIBC 9th
    2002–03 WIBC 7th
    2003–04 NCAA Champion
    2004–05 NCAA Champion
    2005–06 NCAA 3rd
    2006–07 NCAA T–3rd
    2007–08 NCAA T–7th
    2008–09 NCAA Champion
    2009–10 NCAA Runner-up
    2010–11 NCAA T–3rd
    2011–12 NCAA 3rd
    2012–13 NCAA Champion
    2013–14 NCAA Runner-up
    2014–15 NCAA Champion
    2015–16 NCAA Runner-up
    2016–17 NCAA Runner-up
    2017–18 NCAA 4th
    2018–19 NCAA T–3rd
    2019–20 Paul Klempa Canceled[b]
    2020–21 NCAA Champion
    2021–22 NCAA T–5th
    2022–23 NCAA 3rd
    2023–24 NCAA Regional

    [5]

    Notes

    [edit]
    1. ^ Results unavailable prior to Nebraska's establishment of bowling as a varsity sport.
    2. ^ Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ "The Power of Color" (PDF). Nebraska Athletics Brand Guide. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
    2. ^ "At Nebraska, Daugherty becomes first kingping". The Washington Post. 18 November 1997. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
    3. ^ Dillon Adams (23 January 2025). "Former Nebraska bowling coach Bill Straub named to 2025 Collegiate Hall of Fame class". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
    4. ^ Martin Herz (28 August 2019). "Straub retires after 36 years at Husker bowling helm". The Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
    5. ^ a b "2024–24 Bowling Media Guide" (PDF). Nebraska Athletics. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
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