Pennsylvania College of Technology bowlers have won Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association championships for five straight years, and this season they look to make it six.
"I think we're going to do well again. We're not as deep as we were last year in talent, but we're going to do quite well. Overall, I'm excited about this season, I really am," third-year coach Deb Vincenzes said as her team prepares for its opener Thursday hosted by Lehigh-Carbon Community College at Jordan Lanes in Whitehall.
Vincenzes expects to field up to five teams of three bowlers each (one blue, the three best men; three white, an open division made up any combination of men or women; and one gold, the three best women).
Key returnees among the men are Merle Burkhart Jr. (sophomore/Lancaster), Wesley Moyer (sophomore/Fleetwood), David Florist (junior/Horsham), Ryan Forry (junior/Lancaster) and Tim McMahon (junior/Williamsport). McMahon competed on two state-championship teams a few years ago, but missed the last two seasons. Only freshmen and sophomores are eligible for the end-of-the-season PCAA championships.
Three others on the men's squad who Vincenzes expects to contribute immediately are freshmen Sam Shaffer (Hughesville) and David Birunas (Lancaster) and sophomore Ryan Wilson (Wellsboro). They will be joined by sophomores Thornton Redman (Williamsport) and Tim Nealer (Rochester Mills), both of whom competed in 2006, and freshmen Bryant Deller (Red Lion), Chris Shaffer (Sugar Loaf), Stephen Snyder (Sinking Springs) and Peter Stuut (Wayne).
The Wildcats are coming off a season during which its keglers won the men's all events, the men's overall and the men's doubles championships. They won the overall state title by more than 600 pins and Vincenzes was honored as "Coach of the Year."
Women on whom the coach is counting are freshmen Chelsea Morgan (Williamsport), Samantha Prisk (Lamont). They will be joined by freshmen Sarah Reisinger (Shippensburg), Caitlin Wagner (Northumberland) and Elizabeth Watts (Doylestown). Freshman Jessica Fritz (Lewisburg) is expected to join the team after the first of the year.
"The women's team is really looking forward to states. We're looking forward to staying together and developing into a good team for states," Vincenzes said.
(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site .) For more information on the PSUAC, visit online ; more about the USCAA also is available on the Web .