Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
Northeast Conference Championship
Kregling NEC Coach of the Year, Three Bowlers Garner All-NEC Honors
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
HOWELL, N.J. (March 25, 2016)—Three members of the Sacred Heart bowling team, earned All-Northeast Conference accolades Friday afternoon as announced by the league at the Championship at Howell Lanes in Howell, N.J. Sarah Rhodes, who has been a constant in the Pioneer lineup all season, was named to the All-NEC first team. Lauren Hoffman picked up her second All-NEC nod earning a spot on the second team, while freshman Casey Smith was voted to the All-Rookie team. Head Coach Becky Kregling earned her first NEC Coach of the Year award after leading the Pioneers to a share of the Regular Season Championship with a 14-6 conference record.
Rhodes strong throws in the second conference meet helped secure the Pioneers' share of the regular season title. The junior came up big on the final day leading SHU to four wins, including taking over the anchor spot in the final match against Caldwell, helping the Pioneers to a big 985-870 win. Earlier this year, she earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Golden Bear Classic in February leading the team that weekend with 19.61 frame and 196 game averages.
Hoffman, who garnered All-NEC first team honors last year, has been a strong force in the SHU lineup for the last three seasons. Serving primarily as the Pioneers' anchor, the junior helped lead Sacred Heart to a 10th place finish at last weekend's Columbia 300 Music City Classic. In the first weekend of her junior campaign, she was named to the SHU Bowl for a Cure All-Tournament Team after finishing fourth overall in the singles event.
Smith earned her first Rookie of the Week honor early this season on November 18 after she helped power the Pioneers to a 7-3 record at the first NEC meet of the regular season. That weekend, she posted a conference high .900 filled frame percentage. Her efficiency continued all season as the freshman was a constant in Sacred Heart's lineup.
The Pioneers went into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, earning a bye into the championship bracket. This afternoon, they will begin the hunt for the program's third NEC crown against LIU Brooklyn
