Leland Jones Becomes First Forester to Compete for National Title

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Junior Leland Jones etched his name into Huntington University bowling history by becoming the first Forester to compete for a singles national championship.

Jones earned his spot at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships after a dominant showing at the sectional qualifier in Addison, Illinois, last month. He didn't just qualify - he led the nation across all sectional sites, piling up 1,476 pins over six games for a remarkable 246 average.

Competing at the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay (Wis.) this week, Jones took on the nation's best as one of just 24 bowlers in the field. He rolled a 1,086 series in qualifying to secure a spot in match play, advancing as the No. 20 seed.

His tournament run came to a close in the opening round against Clarke's Cam Stefanini, who edged Jones 631-553 in a three-game match.

Despite the result, head coach Mike Shockey praised Jones' performance and presence on the national stage. "He didn't have the results that we hoped for but represented himself and the team extremely well."

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Huntington has a top quartile ranking in the 2026 U.S. News Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings.