Friday, January 30
St. Louis, Mo.
Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
948
vs
1074
Nebraska
Bowling Claims Championship at Challenging 2026 Saints Invite
2/1/2026 8:28:00 PM | Women's Bowling
Prettyman made the All-Tournament Team
ST. LOUIS – The No. 11-ranked Sacred Heart University bowling team claimed the championship at the 2026 Saints Invite, hosted by Maryville University on Friday-Sunday, Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, in St. Louis, Mo., racking up seven nationally-ranked wins along the way.
The Pioneers went 10-3 at the event, which featured nine ranked teams and four top-10 teams. SHU went 3-0 in the championship round, defeating No. 6 Wichita State twice, including in the championship match.
SHU opened the tournament on Friday evening with a loss to No. 4 Nebraska, with Baker victories over No. 18 Valparaiso, No. 12 Wright State, No. 19 McKendree, and Quincy. The Pios cracked 1,000 pins in three of the matches, including a day-high 1127 against Quincy.
Day two started with a setback against UAB, but the Pioneers were again ready with an answer. SHU won the next three traditional matches, topping No. 25 Central Missouri, No. 5 Louisiana Tech, and Lewis. Unfortunately for the Pios, they ended the day with a loss to No. 6 Wichita State, which set them as the second team after qualifying.
The Pioneers continued to show their resilience in the championship rounds, clawing back for a 4-3 win over the Shockers. SHU then rolled to a 4-1 win over Western Illinois, while Wichita State defeated UAB to set up a rubber match to decide the champion for the weekend. Sacred Heart got the job done, winning 4-2 to claim its first championship of the year.
On the individual side, Megan Prettyman was named to the All-Tournament Team with 1,149 (229.80/match), which ranked third at the tournament. The senior tallied a team-high 268 in the first match against Wichita State. Hope Bunk was next on the team with 1,079 pins (215.80/match), which ranked 16th overall.
The Pioneers are back at it next weekend at the Flyer Invitational, hosted by Lewis on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 6-8, in Lockport, Ill.
The Pioneers went 10-3 at the event, which featured nine ranked teams and four top-10 teams. SHU went 3-0 in the championship round, defeating No. 6 Wichita State twice, including in the championship match.
SHU opened the tournament on Friday evening with a loss to No. 4 Nebraska, with Baker victories over No. 18 Valparaiso, No. 12 Wright State, No. 19 McKendree, and Quincy. The Pios cracked 1,000 pins in three of the matches, including a day-high 1127 against Quincy.
Day two started with a setback against UAB, but the Pioneers were again ready with an answer. SHU won the next three traditional matches, topping No. 25 Central Missouri, No. 5 Louisiana Tech, and Lewis. Unfortunately for the Pios, they ended the day with a loss to No. 6 Wichita State, which set them as the second team after qualifying.
The Pioneers continued to show their resilience in the championship rounds, clawing back for a 4-3 win over the Shockers. SHU then rolled to a 4-1 win over Western Illinois, while Wichita State defeated UAB to set up a rubber match to decide the champion for the weekend. Sacred Heart got the job done, winning 4-2 to claim its first championship of the year.
On the individual side, Megan Prettyman was named to the All-Tournament Team with 1,149 (229.80/match), which ranked third at the tournament. The senior tallied a team-high 268 in the first match against Wichita State. Hope Bunk was next on the team with 1,079 pins (215.80/match), which ranked 16th overall.
The Pioneers are back at it next weekend at the Flyer Invitational, hosted by Lewis on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 6-8, in Lockport, Ill.
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