HARROGATE, Tenn. — The Lincoln Memorial University women’s bowling program will welcome five new bowlers for the 2019-20 season following a historic year.

The 2018-19 season witnessed LMU achieve its highest performance level, posting national statistical bests in program history. This included ending the season nationally ranked eighth in scoring average, sixth in strike percentage, seventh in Baker double-strike percentage and third in 10th-frame Baker double-strike percentage for all collegiate divisions. The Lady Railsplitters ended the season ranked 16th overall in DI/II/III and fourth in DII/DIII in the NTCA coaches polls after a season that featured the Lady Railsplitters racking up wins over McKendree, Vanderbilt, including beating Nebraska and Arkansas State twice.

“I am very excited about the upcoming season as we continue our upward trajectory as a program,” Director of Bowling and Women’s Head Coach Joseph Slowinski said. “Last year, we really showed we belong with the top teams in the nation. With the mix of our veteran bowlers and the influx of new talent, we are poised to post our best season in our short history. These young women will help us keep moving forward while retaining our family environment. This year, I anticipate more consistency at a high national level as we work diligently to be excellent in all domains and also realize more depth at the top level.”

Shania Carr, No. 08, Chicago, IL, Texas Southern, Pre-Vet

As a transfer from Division I product Texas Southern, Carr brings two years of valuable collegiate bowling experience to LMU. During the 2018-19 season, Carr averaged 185.3 for 49 games. In Baker, she averaged a 18.59 frame average with a strike percentage of 39.3% and a Baker double-strike percentage of 37.3%. Her single-pin conversion percentage was 85% for the season while she had a filled-frame percentage of 79.4%. In the 10th frame Baker role, in 37 Baker games, she posted an outstanding 21.43 frame average, 91.9% fill-frame rate, 56.8% strike percentage and a 10th frame Baker double-strike percentage of 35.1%.

“Shania offers us valuable collegiate experience which will transition into enhanced readiness to contribute,” Slowinski said. “As illustrated by her solid sophomore season stats, she has the potential to emerge as an important contributor for us over the next two seasons.”

Jada Bassette, No. 45, Bayview Academy, Providence, R.I., Pre-Med Biology

Bassette has a high game of 300, a high three-game series of 781 and a high average of 219. She finished 114th of 855 participants in the 2018 U20 Team USA Trials last summer and has shined in the U15 division in previous years, as well. Bassette has had continual national success at the youth level as illustrated by her 21st place finish in the 2015 U15 Team USA Trials and 34th place the following year at the 2016 U15 Team USA Trials.

“Jada is a very hard working, humble athlete and an outstanding student in the classroom,” Slowinski said. “These are attributes which have been evident from the start of our women’s program, and we continue to strive for recruiting student-athletes who embrace excellence on and off the lanes. I expect her to have an immediate impact on our team.”

Sofia Colon, No. 03, Bayamón Puerto Rico, American Military Academy, Pre-Med Biology

Colon will arrive with a year filled with vast experience as she has represented Puerto Rico in three international tournaments in 2019. In May, at the Central American and Caribbean Adult Bowling Championship (a PAN AMERICAN GAMES qualifier), in Costa Rica, Sofia finished ninth in singles just ahead of PWBA Champions Clara Guerrero (10th) and Rocio Restrepo (12th). She will miss the first day of classes as she will be competing in the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON) U21 championship, representing Puerto Rico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She also competed at the ibero-American Cup in June in the U21 Division, where she earned a Bronze in doubles and a Gold in the team event. Her high game is 276 with a high 3-game set of 686.

“Sofia’s international experience gained this past year will help her adapt quickly to collegiate competition,” Slowinski said. “I expect her to evolve rapidly in our training program seeing continual improvement and contribution to our team.”

Morgan Heitkamp, No. 24, Versailles High School, Versailles, Ohio, Marketing

Heitkamp is the holder of Versailles High School’s varsity competition record, which she achieved by posted 252 and 241 for a 493 two-game series in a February 2018 high school match. In both the 2018 and 2019 Ohio high school Division II state championship, Heitkamp finished 12th individually, earning honorable mention all-state recognition in both seasons. In the 2016-17 season, she was named West Ohio High School Bowling Conference South Division Girls Bowler of the Year. Heitkamp also played varsity golf in high school, where she was ranked in the Top third of the state. At the high school state golf championship, she achieved a hole-in-one.

“Multi-sport athletes adapt well to our training and see evolution quickly,” Slowinski said. “I expect Morgan to grow rapidly in our program and be an important future contributor.”

Alexa Poston, No. 05, Kensington, Md., Pre-Med Biology

Poston comes from a bowling family and has been bowling for more than a decade in USBC organized competition. She has a high game of 287 while her high three-game set is 662. She arrives as a four year, multi-sport letter winner having played varsity lacrosse and field hockey at Albert Einstein High School.

“As a varsity, two-sport high school athlete with 10 years of bowling experience, Alexa will develop quickly in our extensive training program,” Slowinski said. “Her athleticism will help her become a better bowler quickly and this will lead to vast improvement in her first season.”