Sun Prairie's Ehrler Earns Spot on 2017-18 UW-Whitewater Bowling Roster

2017 Oct 30

Samantha Ehrler, a native of Sun Prairie, WI, and graduate of Sun Prairie High School, will compete for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater bowling team during the 2017-18 season, which began over the weekend at the Brunswick Bearcat Open in Fairview Heights, Ill.

Ehrler, a junior at UW-Whitewater, is majoring in elementary education.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater bowling team seeks a return to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2015 as it begins its 2017-18 season this weekend at the McKendree Bearcat Open in Fairview Heights, Ill.

The Warhawks finished last season with a final ranking of No. 2 among Division II/III schools and No. 11 among all NCAA bowling programs. The team reached the United States Bowling Congress National Championships, where it placed fifth, and senior Amanda Van Duyn (Kenosha, Wis./Kenosha Bradford)became a three-time All-American thanks to National Tenpin Coaches Association honorable mention accolades.

UW-Whitewater begins this season ranked in the same positions in the NTCA polls. Juniors Emma Kuhn(Texas City, Texas/Texas City) and Lauren Price (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) return as regulars in the varsity lineup from last season.

The Warhawks head back to Illinois Nov. 4-5 for the Crusader Challenge hosted by Valparaiso.

UW-Whitewater hosts the Warhawk Classic Nov. 10-12 at Sheridan Lanes in Kenosha, and concludes the calendar year by hosting the USBC sanctioned Warhawk Open Dec. 2-3 at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Ill.

The Warhawks begin the New Year Jan. 19-21 at the Kutztown (Pa.) Invitational, then head to the Crusader Classic, also hosted by Valparaiso, Feb. 9-11.

The team continues action Feb. 16-18 at the Stephen F. Austin Stormin' Ladyjack Invitational in Houston, Texas, then heads to Lincoln, Neb., March 1-3 for Nebraska's Big Red Invitational.

After the USBC Sectional March 10-11 at a site to be determined, UW-Whitewater heads to the Columbia 300 Music City Classic in Smyrna, Tenn.

The NCAA Championship is slated for April 12-14 in St. Louis, Mo., and the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships are scheduled for April 19-21 in Lincoln, Neb.

Karissa Gonio (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown), Jodi Newhauser(Campbellsport, Wis./St. Mary's Springs), Sarah Paasch (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan North) and Alex Sullivan (Round Lake, Ill./Grant) comprise the Warhawks' senior class. Gonio, Paasch and Sullivan were each NTCA All-Academic honorees, while Newhauser was on the All-Tournament Team at last season's UW-Oshkosh Titan Invitational.

Kuhn and Price highlight the team's junior class. Price was selected to the UW-Whitewater Titan Invitational All-Tournament Team. Brett Butschke (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) and Samantha Ehrler (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) also return as juniors.

Second-year returners include Rachel Baumann (Marengo, Ill./Marengo), Lauren Blank (Jefferson, Wis./Jefferson) and Kailee Tubbs (Flint, Mich./Davison).

Gonio, Kuhn and Price combined with Van Duyn and senior Taylor Hoppe (Rockford, Ill./Thomas Jefferson) last season to set a school record with a Baker game of 290 at Valparaiso's Crusader Classic.