Wittenberg Bowling Program Expands to Include Men’s and Women’s Varsity Club Teams
SPRINGFIELD, OH – Under the direction of veteran bowling coach Tony Cooper, who has mentored hundreds of high school and college bowlers over the last 15 years, Wittenberg University has announced that its bowling program is expanding and evolving ahead of the 2025-26 school year.
After sponsoring a women’s intercollegiate bowling team since 2022, Wittenberg will now offer both men’s and women’s club bowling teams that will begin competition in fall 2025. Cooper, who served as the Tigers’ head coach for women’s bowling the last two years, will oversee both programs and is eager to expand the University’s bowling opportunities to support recruitment and the increasing interest nationally in the sport at the collegiate level.
"The student-athletes already involved in our program feel honored that they are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to their sport and team by Wittenberg University," said Cooper, who earned his United States Bowling Congress Bronze certification in 2022 and Silver Certification in 2023. "We now have a plan in place to continue the growth of the program and to recruit both men and women who are looking for an opportunity to be part of a winning culture."
Wittenberg had eight student-athletes on the women's bowling roster during the 2024-25 season, and Cooper has continued to recruit promising high school student-athletes to join the team, which will compete in a similar number of events as a club team as it did as an intercollegiate team. According to Grace Tyler, class of 2028, a member of the women's intercollegiate team in the 2024-25 school year, and one of the players committed to the club program moving forward, "there is little difference between the team’s schedule as an intercollegiate program and as a club program, since both have access to NCAA-sponsored tournaments.
"The majority of the tournaments that we have been playing as an intercollegiate team are also available to us as a club team, such as the Ohio Bowling Conference events in Columbus," she added. "Some of the best teams that we compete against each year are club teams, and we look forward to challenging ourselves to raise our game to their level."
During the 2024-25 school year, Wittenberg was one of just six intercollegiate women’s bowling programs in the state of Ohio, with just one other NCAA Division III school sponsoring a program (Baldwin Wallace). Moving the program to club status allows Wittenberg to better incorporate a new men's team since the NCAA does not sponsor men's bowling as an intercollegiate sport.
Cooper, who was inducted into the Clark County Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2017, has been preparing for the introduction of men’s bowling at Wittenberg for several months by recruiting high school students. He is looking to build upon the success of the women's team, which qualified for the National Club Championships with its solid performances in the 2024-25 season.
"With trips to Las Vegas and Pittsburgh under our belts, our team showed great improvement this year, and I’m excited about the future," Cooper said. "We never lose. We learn."
Wittenberg’s teams call Victory Lanes in Springfield their home alley. In March, the Tigers hosted a successful high school tournament at the venue, which included many of the best teams from around the Clark County area. The event helped to raise money for the programs, as well as awareness about Wittenberg Bowling.
Much of the groundwork for the team's transition has been laid by Wittenberg Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Agler, class of 1980, who has worked with alumni to raise money to support the bowling program. One of those alumni is Matt Warye, class of 1979, who said he was proud to extend his family’s long relationship with his alma mater.
"For over a year now, Brian has been rallying alumni to remember our precious years on campus and how Wittenberg shaped the lives we all enjoy today," said Warye, who played men's basketball for the Tigers and had two children, Conner and Logan, follow in his footsteps as student-athletes in football and women’s lacrosse, respectively. "Brian's passion to expand our student presence is not simply through Wittenberg’s excellent academic experience, but it is also to diversify the University’s extracurricular and athletics offerings as well.
"With the help of past Tigers, this expansion of bowling as a club sport, led by Coach Cooper, is just one example of what is to come. How can alumni pass the Witt light on to others? I would encourage anyone interested in supporting this effort to touch base with Brian to learn more about how to support these great collegiate opportunities for future Wittenberg students."
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Graphic By: Ted Emery