WICHITA, Kan. — Southern Nazarene University's men's and women's bowling teams delivered milestone performances at the 2026 Mid-States Championships, held October 17–18 in Wichita, Kansas, in their first Tier I tournament of the season. The Crimson Storm men qualified second for match play—the highest Tier I qualifying finish in program history—while the women recorded their best opening-day standing at a Tier I event.
The opening day demanded precision from the start. Head Coach Mark Jeffreys described a lane condition that left little room for error outside the second arrow, making shot-making, ball selection, and adjustments from pair to pair especially important. SNU responded with a 1,006 opening game before surging to 1,111 in the second. Consecutive 963 games in the third and fourth rounds tested the team's ability to adjust before the Crimson Storm closed with games of 1,035 and 1,028 to maintain second place.
The SNU men finished Saturday's six traditional team games in second place with 6,106 pins, just 25 behind Wichita State. On Sunday, they added 16 Baker games to finish qualifying with 9,289 pins, second only to Wichita State's 9,423. The performance secured one of eight spots in the championship bracket.
Riley Speer led the men's individual highlights, averaging 221 over six games to earn All-Tournament Team recognition. His 255 helped propel SNU to its tournament-best team game of 1,111. Freshman Jacob Tirado competed in his first Tier I tournament, bowling in games four, five, and six and averaging 204. Senior Brandon Handog contributed games of 252 and 246, providing important senior leadership.
During Baker qualifying, the men put together an 860 three-game stretch, with scores of 203, 239, and 226. Jeffreys emphasized that maintaining a high level of execution on changing pairs was as significant as any individual score and credited all eight players for their contributions to the qualifying result.
"I could not be happier with where we are at this early point in the season," said SNU Head Coach Mark Jeffreys. "This was an extremely challenging lane condition, and our players showed the consistency and execution needed to compete with some of the best programs in the country."
In the opening round of best-of-five Baker match play, SNU faced Quincy University. The Crimson Storm took the first game, 234–223, before Quincy answered with victories of 237–184 and 279–177. SNU forced a deciding fifth game with a 221–165 victory, but Quincy prevailed 181–176 to advance.
"The door was open, and we had an opportunity to win that fifth game," Jeffreys said. "What we learned from battling back after falling behind two games to one is going to make us a better team as the season continues."
The men's second-place qualifying finish placed them ahead of Newman, Baker, McKendree, Ottawa (Kansas), Quincy, and Cal State Fresno among the eight bracket qualifiers. Only Wichita State finished ahead of SNU entering the elimination rounds, underscoring the strength of the Crimson Storm's performance against the tournament field.
The Crimson Storm women also made history Saturday, finishing seventh after six traditional games with 5,285 pins—the program's highest opening-day standing at a Tier I event. Freshman Chryslin Sakata, from Hawaii, totaled 1,252 pins over six games, averaging approximately 209 and earning All-Tournament Team honors in her first Tier I appearance. Her 257 helped SNU post a team-high 973 in game five.
The women entered the weekend with momentum from a road victory over McPherson College in a College Bowling Athletic Alliance matchup. Jeffreys also credited graduate assistant Alex Hepp and the team's preparation for their opening-day performance on a demanding 38-foot lane pattern.
Following 16 Baker games Sunday, the women finished 11th overall with 7,845 pins, narrowly missing the eight-team championship bracket. Despite the disappointment, the tournament provided valuable experience and another benchmark for the growing program. Their seventh-place finish after Saturday's traditional games demonstrated the program's progress, while the Baker rounds highlighted areas for improvement heading into future competitions.
"There were so many positives to take from the women's performance," Jeffreys said. "The work they have put in during practice showed, and I am excited about what this team can accomplish moving forward."
The SNU men will next compete at a Tier I event in Marietta, Georgia, while the women will travel to Fairview Heights, Illinois, for their next Tier I competition. Both programs continue building toward sectional competition scheduled for March in Garland, Texas.
