Foresters Battle Through Sectionals, Jones Claims National Spotlight

ADDISON, Ill. - The Huntington bowling teams closed out their season at the USBC Sectionals in Addison, Illinois, March 13-15, competing in one of the most demanding formats of the year. Spread across four sites nationwide, teams battled through 64 Baker games over two days on a challenging oil pattern, with only the top four squads from each location advancing to the Intercollegiate Team Championships in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Forester men placed 16th out of 20 teams with a total pinfall of 12,138 (189.6 average). After a tough opening day that saw HU sitting 19th, the Foresters found their rhythm on Sunday, climbing as high as 12th before ultimately settling into 16th.

While the team standings proved challenging, Leland Jones delivered a performance for the ages. The junior captured the individual title in Addison while also posting the highest score across all four sectional sites in the country, firing a 1,476 over six games for an impressive 246 average. Jones now advances to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships April 13-18 in Green Bay, where he will compete against the nation's top 24 bowlers.

On the women's side, Huntington finished 22nd out of 25 teams with a total of 10,517 pins (164.3 average). Similar to the men, the Foresters battled through a slow start, ending Saturday in 24th before showing improvement on Sunday to climb two spots in the final standings.

Despite the results, the weekend showcased growth for a young HU squad.

"We were a young team this season and will be again next season, but to see the women work, develop, and learn all season is encouraging moving forward," said head coach Mike Shockey.

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.