The Sojourn Athlete of the Week, presented by Amplify Media, is junior Chris Mace from the IWU Men’s Bowling program.
Despite this team being new within the past three years at IWU, Mace has been a critical factor in the team’s success. Mace is a local to Indiana from Carmel, IN, and went to Carmel High School.
Mace was recently named CROSSROADS LEAGUE Men’s bowler of the week after his performance in the Scotty Classic, where he finished 2nd overall and was able to knock down 799 pins.
The team currently has 15 members this season, which is the highest it has ever been since the start of the program when it started with six members. Only three have been a part of the team, including Mace.
“IWU was the only offer that I received out of high school, and making that connection with Carl was a real blessing for me,” Mace said.
The 2023-2024 season has been a downplay on the teams’ expectations heading into the season. Mace, however, has been electric in his performances throughout, leading the Wildcats in the first Crossroads league event and in the American Heartland Bowling Association Tournament.
“Throughout the semester, we eventually lost guys, and the team is now down to one less large team with eight guys. It kind of makes it more competitive,” Mace said.
As Mace and the rest of the IWU Men’s Bowling program wrap up their season, the focus is having fun with the team and competing at a high level.
“One of the main things is definitely focusing on a bowling tournament cause the tournaments to last around 10 hours,” Mace said. “The other is stamina; these are the two main keys to our success so far.”
The IWU Men’s Bowling team will compete in the CROSSROADS LEAGUE Championship, and a select few will qualify for the USBC Sectionals and NAIA National Championship.
