CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – On Saturday and Sunday, the Milligan University men's bowling team began their 2025-26 season at the Midwest Collegiate Classic, placing 15th of 51 teams in attendance at the event.
A total of five team games and 16 baker contests made up the format for day one qualifying, and bracket play would follow on day two for the top eight teams in the standings.
It was
Cameron Shockey that led the Buffaloes on the weekend, placing 12th as an individual. He felled 1,085 pins across the five team games he participated in. His best game came in the first one, when he knocked down 279 pins.
Milligan's next finisher was
Johnny Legere, a JV competitor, who placed 47th with 1,014 pins overall in five team battles. He was consistent, dropping 225 pins in his best game to start the event.
In 56th,
Chance McLane bowled a flat 1,000 in five team games. He also bowled his top game in the first contest, knocking down 222 pins.
Caleb McDonald (64th),
Sean Jenkins (76th),
Xander Stephens (86th) and
Ty McGuffin (88th) also finished in the top 100 as individuals.
Overall, the Buffaloes scored 8,089 pins, with 4,980 coming in the five team games and 3,109 in the 16 baker games. Those totals placed them 15th out of 51 squads in qualifying, as they would not advance to match play.
"Even with the amount of varsity talent we lost to the transfer portal this summer," men's head coach
Michael Hall said, "I knew this group was ready to step up. A lot of these guys have been grinding in the JV ranks for a couple years, just waiting for their shot, and they made the most of it. Cameron came out firing with a 279 like he had something to prove, and our freshmen fed off that energy. This was a tough first tournament to start the season, but they handled it like veterans. They exceeded every expectation I had, and honestly, I don't think we're going to miss a beat. We've got what it takes to stay among the best teams in the country and I couldn't be prouder of this group of young men."
The Buffs now have a pair of weeks to prepare for the Greater Nashville Open and Brandon Burns Memorial on Oct. 25 and 26, respectively, in Smyrna, Tenn.
