BABSON PARK, Fla. (April 29, 2020) – Over the next couple of weeks, Webber International University athletics will be remembering some of its greatest sports teams of all time. Next up is the 2009-10 and 2015-16 Webber women's bowling teams.

Beginning with their ITC National Championship in their inaugural season in 2019-10, the Webber International University women's bowling program has now won five official team national championships throughout its 11-year history, all of which has been under the guidance of Head Coach Randy Stoughton.

"First and foremost, the women's bowling program at Webber has been the most rewarding experience of my life," spoke Coach Stoughton. "To see and experience the transformation of young women who have a passion to bowl and are willing to work hard and train on a daily basis to be champions is truly a feeling that is impossible to express, it can only be felt."

After winning their first ITC National Championship in 2009-10, the Lady Warriors went on to capture another ITC title and NAIA Championship runner-up finish in 2012, followed by back-to-back NAIA Championships in 2013 and 2014. The Warriors then took home another ITC Championship in 2016 followed by a runner-up finish in 2017. Also in 2017, Coach Stoughton was named the NAIA Women's Bowling Coach of the Year.

It is easy looking back on things now to say that the Webber women's bowling program was always going to be successful, but during the team's first season of competition, no one could have predicted just how good they would be.

2009-10 Webber Women's Bowling Team: The first ever official season of competition for the Webber women's bowling team in 2009-10 was truly one for the history books. The Lady Warriors not only won the ITC National Championship in their inaugural season, but they also became only the second women's bowling team ever and the first in 35 years (since Wichita State University in 1975) to win the title in their first appearance in the tournament.

At the ITC National Championships, which were held April 15-17, 2010, at the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, Texas, the second-seeded Lady Warriors kicked off their run to a championship with a 4-2 victory over No. 15-seeded St. Ambrose.

Unfortunately, Webber fell 4-3 in round two against seventh-seeded Robert Morris and then needed three straight wins in the contender's bracket to get back into the winner's bracket and face Robert Morris again. The Lady Warriors beat No. 14-seeded Erie Community College 4-0, took down third-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore 4-1, and then swept sixth-seeded Pikeville 4-0 to reach the semifinals.

Needing two wins against a Robert Morris team that had yet to lose during day one of the national tournament, Webber first earned a 4-3 victory of its own before putting together an historic 4.5-3.5 win in what is now considered one of the best matches in collegiate bowling history.

"Our match in the semifinal against Robert Morris sticks out so much to me," spoke Katie Thornton, who was a member of Webber's inaugural women's bowling team as only a freshman. "I can remember vividly during the match that we had one game where if we lost, we would go down 3-2, and we entered the 10th frame with little to no chance to win the game. The anchor for RMU needed an eight in the fill shot to shut us out and she left a 3-6-9-10 for a six-count, leaving Hayley [Beavis] the chance. She threw a great shot (I thought she would strike) and within the next three seconds the pins fell and the dreaded 7-10 was left standing (I thought we lost), and then all of a sudden one fell (we tied). I have never felt so many emotions within three seconds in my entire life. These moments reminded me of everything we had gone through throughout the year. There were so many challenges we had to face together and figure out how to overcome."

In the championship match, Webber swept fifth-seeded McKendree 2-0, winning Game 1 203-189 before topping the Bearcats 163-158 in Game 2 to hoist the Helmer Cup. In the opening game, Warriors' anchor and lone senior Hayley Beavis (tournament MVP, all-tournament team) came through with a mark in the final frame to lock up a victory and then needed just five pins on her first ball in the 10th to win the title in a sweep.

"To win a national championship was a dream come true," said Beavis. "To do it in the program's first season set the standard for where this program was going in future years. Going into the national championship, the team came together and respected each other, which led to a strong team chemistry. This strengthened as the national tournament progressed and we were all in a confident mindset to achieve our goal. As a first year program, you have nothing to lose but all to gain. You want to leave a lasting mark and give it your best shot."

According to Coach Stoughton, the 2009-10 women's bowling team was a history making team both for Webber International University and for ITC bowling.

"When we started this program, the goal was to make college bowling history," said Stoughton. "To do things that have never been accomplished before by any other program. Winning in 2010 in our first year as a women's bowling program accomplished just that. However, it didn't happen without its trials and tribulations. We learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to win a championship. To win a team championship means that the best team will rise to the challenge more so than talented individuals. Having great leadership is also a big part of producing a championship team. I was very fortunate to have two such people on that 2010 team, Hayley Beavis and Katie Thornton, both of whom are now women's collegiate coaches and both of whom started as a beginning program for their respective universities."

"There isn't really a lot of words that can fully describe the feeling of winning in our first year," said Thornton. "I really didn't even know it was a possibility several months before then, but the excitement and goosebumps I got when the last ball was thrown was surreal. There was so much that went into getting to that moment throughout the year both on and off the lanes. Few people know that the week prior to the championship, Hayley Beavis got injured during a team workout. Literally our entire team went to the emergency room with her because we all thought she had broken her ankle. They ended up telling her it was just sprained, but we really came together and rallied around this. She was our only senior, and this moment was the 'aha' moment where we realized we wanted to make this happen for her during her last opportunity. Her determination to push through spread to all of us as she put on a dominating performance, even though it tuned out her ankle was actually broken. Our team was unique in a lot of ways, but I think the thing that made it so special was the level of competitiveness every single one of us had. It never bothered us that we were a new program, our expectations were never less because of it and if someone made it known they didn't think we were capable, it would light a fire within all of us."

"Honestly the fear that I wouldn't have been able to bowl at the national championships having hurt my ankle/foot a week prior was very real," added Beavis. "The team was so supportive and I knew they had my back if I couldn't bowl. Luck had it that the best Chiropractor in the world (TJ) showed how to bandage my foot so I could bowl. Not that I would wish this on anyone, but the injury shifted my focus and actually helped me during the tournament. Come to find out I actually fractured my foot but everything happens for a reason. Lesson learned not to do lunges in front of coach. Famous last words from Coach, don't go injure yourself working out."

2015-16 Webber Women's Bowling Team: Seven years into its history and six years following Webber's inaugural national championship for women's bowling, the Lady Warriors brought home their third ITC National Championship and fifth national title overall.

Webber's run to a national title this time around was very similar to its run in 2009-10 as the Lady Warriors lost in round two before needing to string together three straight wins in the contender's bracket followed by two more wins against the team that originally sent them to the contender's bracket to reach the championship.

This time around, Webber was seeded No. 1 overall after qualifying at the ITC National Tournament and quickly advanced past No. 16-seeded St. Francis (Ill.) 4-0.

However, just like they did during their championship run during the 2009-10 season, the Lady Warriors fell during the second round as this time, Webber was swept 4-0 by No. 9-seeded McKendree, sending the Warriors to the contender's bracket.

From there, Webber defeated No. 4-seeded Stephen F. Austin 4-2, overcame a 3-1 deficit beat No. 5-seeded Delaware St. 4-3, and then advanced to the semifinals with a 4-1 win over No. 13-seeded Florida State.

Needing two wins against McKendree to advance to the championship match, Webber first edged the Bearcats 4-3 with a score of 181-162 in game seven. Then in the next match, Webber fell behind McKendree 2-0 and then won three straight to lead it 3-2 before winning game seven 229-162 to claim another 4-3 victory.

Then in the championship match against third-seeded Wichita State, Webber came out on top 3-1 (177-207, 230-215, 203-196, 238-213).

According to Coach Stoughton, the 2015-16 women's bowling team was one of his most talented groups of bowlers of any of Webber's ITC Championship teams as well as diverse with bowlers from five different nationalities: Puerto Rico, Scotland, England, Poland and USA.

Stoughton said, "Our 2016 ITC Championship team had future stars like Verity Crawley, Taylor Bulthuis and Daria Pajak. This team took on some teams that were loaded with outstanding talent and were well coached. Coming out on top that year was probably my most rewarding championship because of how much that team wanted and deserved to win the Helmer Cup. Falling to McKendree in round two put us into the contender's bracket, which meant we had to defeat them twice in back-to-back best-of-seven matches to go to the finals against the hometown favorites and the number-one ranked team in the country, Wichita State. All three of those matches were hard fought and went down to the wire to finally come out on top. Tawni Vollmer doubled in the tenth frame to win game three for us to go up 2-1 in the best-of-five final. The next game, Daria Pajak inspired our team with two devastating strikes that gave us the momentum that flowed through the rest of the team and took them to the title."

"Winning a national championship was a very special feeling", spoke Crawley, who was a senior on the Warriors' 2015-16 national championship team. "Coming from England, I really didn't know much about college bowling or national championships, but having a whole team behind you, a team that you have trained with every day and traveled all over the country with, is really cool. You form such a special bond with each player and you all have a common goal. Being able to achieve that goal together, as one, is so rewarding. Additionally, it was my senior year, so for me, it was an extra special way to finish my collegiate career. We had an abundance of talent that year, just like in previous years, however it was more about how we came together when we needed it most. We fought so hard to make it to the TV show that when we were on the show, we were really able to just appreciate the moment."

"Winning a national championship is hard to explain in words," said Bulthuis. "It is like winning the lottery for a college bowler (at least to me it was). Winning a national championship is something every collegiate bowler works so hard for year round. During my time at Webber, we worked as a team day in and day out for that very moment. It is the best feeling. I wasn't looking at the score of the game, but when the shot left my hand and I struck, I saw the face of a winning team. I saw Randy and he was already crying so he already knew. The game was over and it was all ours. To this very day I still get goosebumps when thinking about it. I wanted that win more for my team and Randy more than anything. Winning that trophy, raising it above our team, and putting that hat on our heads was a complete feeling of success. Standing under those lights, with 10 pins in front of you and a team with the best coach behind you is the best feeling in the world and winning the title was everything I dreamed it would be. The national championship team was also special because most of the girls who were on it were ending their collegiate career. Verity, Daria, Desiree, Tawni and Tania were ending their chances for a national win, and that is more than half the team. Knowing we had the chance to give them a win is what pushed me more and more each frame. The girls worked so hard and over the previous years after falling short, this time we weren't leaving the building without a win. Having that memory with those girls will forever last a lifetime, and that means everything to me."

Vollmer said, "When I think back to the women on the 2015-2016 team, I'm often in disbelief of the caliber of talent I was surrounded by. As a collegiate player who transferred to Webber for my MBA and final year of eligibility, I can certainly say that these women were some of the players I had always looked up to. To now have had them as my teammates and to know we shared in such a phenomenal feat seems so surreal. The best part is having added a few more friends for life. To me personally, the season was incredibly special as I was pregnant with my son, Landon, while we competed for the national championship. I vividly remember stepping up for one of the final shots on TV and having to regroup after feeling his little kicks and flutters."

Crawley added, "When I think about our championship team, I honestly think about Tawni Vollmer, who was studying for her MBA at the time. She was pregnant and anchored for our team on the TV show. It was like we had an extra player cheering us on from her belly."

But what makes the Webber International University women's bowling program so special?

According to Coach Stoughton, "Our successes of our first 11 years have elevated the Webber women's bowling team to be regarded as one of the nation's top collegiate women's bowling programs. It has also made obvious that coming from the Webber bowling program will provide women bowlers that want to work hard and be coached by some of the best coaches in the world the opportunity to be their best and take their skills to the highest levels.

"Women's collegiate bowling as a whole has improved by leaps and bounds since my tenure began in 2009-10," continued Stoughton. "Women's college coaching has improved tremendously and the number of competitive teams has more than tripled because of their input. The number of universities and colleges that now offer bowling scholarships is at an all-time high and the future looks like that will continue to grow. This is important because it provides the graduates with more opportunities to stay involved in several different arenas with the sport they love."

Thornton said, "There's a list of things that make the women's bowling program so special. One of the biggest factors is the training center along with the coaching staff, specifically Randy. He's not a coddling type of coach, but rather the tough love kind. He consistently not only provides development with physical game enhancements, but pushes people to be at their best. He doesn't allow excuses or people to throw in the 'it's not fair' card. One thing that I believe that is also really underestimated in terms of what makes the women's bowling team so special is the school's administrative support you get as well as the family atmosphere. We have always talked about the family culture being a huge factor and that went across the entire campus."

"I think the sheer hard work and determination that was put in throughout the year is what helped make our team so special," said Crawley. "It is easy for every team to say that, however having the opportunity to train at the best training center in the world, with access to literally the best coaches, makes a huge difference. Honestly, I believe at Webber, the bowlers were always known as 'the bowlers' and were perhaps not taken as seriously as other teams. I think after that win, more people started to respect the bowling team."

"Webber bowling is so special because of the coaches and the world class facility we get to call our home," said Bulthuis. "Other teams do not have a Kegel Training Center. We were and are so incredibly blessed to have a training facility that we called home. We didn't have distractions, other people watching, we didn't have to wait or reserve lanes. Some teams were just not that lucky and had to bowl at local centers. We have the best coaches in the world, the best training center in the world, all the technology, a place for peace when practicing, the ability to put out tough patterns, and just all around the perfect place to practice. Kegel was our safe haven. So with all of that being said, Webber bowling is so special because of how blessed we were for what we had. Bringing a national championship back home to the school we spent so much time in was truly an honor. Webber really spoiled us and winning a title also gave Webber and the bowling program the recognition it deserves. Nobody works harder than the Webber bowling teams. People were looking out for Webber when we walked in the door and that is how we wanted it. We were a class act school and walking in the door knowing the teams before us paved such an incredible path was an honor. People knew when Webber arrived and it was a good feeling knowing we were always the team to keep an eye on. We were good, we were better than good, and that is why people watched us how they did. Coaches praised us, players wanted to be us, and we worked for every single compliment we were given. That is because we had a truly amazing group of talented athletes and we were always working hard."

And what about the coach?

Thornton said, "Coach Randy is like my second dad, and I like to think I was just about as close as it gets to having a daughter. There was never a week that went by when I was at Webber that he didn't give some sort of inspirational speech (normally featuring his favorite words). If you wanted to learn about anything bowling related, all you had to do was ask. You want to drill balls, he would be there to teach you all about it. We used to always sit in his office eating lunch and just chat about anything bowling. It was those chats that motivated and inspired me to become the bowler I was, and now the coach I am. One chat in particular I remember from my junior year, we talked about Michael Jordan and why he was one of the greats. He always wanted the ball, he wanted to be the guy to win for his team. That was one of the conversations that gave me the confidence to have the ability to bowl in the anchor spot on many occasions during the 2012 and 2013 seasons."

"Coach Randy holds a special place in my heart and he always will," concluded Crawley. "He has so much talent as a bowling coach, but more importantly he is a wonderful person. He mentored me throughout my four years at Webber and I believe him to be one of my biggest supporters now that I have moved on. Randy is the Webber women's bowling program. The team is his 'baby' and it is really hard to imagine it any other way. He has so much passion for the sport and he wholeheartedly cares for every single one of his players, whether they spend a year or four years with him. He will do absolutely anything for that team and I think that is why it is so special."

Bulthuis added, "If only words could explain what Coach Randy did, not only for me as an athlete and a player, but as a person. I am a better me because of the bowling program and Randy. Every collegiate athlete will say that their coach deserved coach of the year, but Randy truly deserved coach of the year every year. There was not a day that went by that Randy wasn't in that building working for us girls. He was continuously working on things to give us to practice, laying out balls, and making sure we had what we needed to be successful. To me Randy was everything. My coach, the one I could trust with everything and anything, the one who I could go to and talk to, the one I could call no matter the hour, we were like his kids and we did what we did for him. I will always thank Randy for his passion and interest in every single one of us. I will always thank him for raising a team of hard working athletes and people who wanted to succeed. If not for Randy, the success we achieved together would not have been possible. Each and every day, we worked for each other, but more importantly, we worked for Randy. His strong hearted personality, persistence in pushing us to our absolute limits, and his ability to make us feel complete about the work we continuously put in every day was crucial to the development of not only my athletic ability, but also the athletic ability of every single person on the team. Randy didn't sugar coat it for us, he was real and honest, and that is what made us better. We came in the doors every day with a clear direction of what we needed to work on. Randy built a team where together we grew, and together we fought. He taught us not only how to be excellent athletes, but classy and better individuals. He taught us what it means to care for something with every ounce of our being. That is how we won a national championship. I have so much love and respect for Coach Randy, and I will forever be thankful for everything he has done for me."

Vollmer concluded, "Couch Stoughton is the most dedicated coach I have ever had the pleasure of knowing or working with. He not only has tremendous knowledge and understanding of the sport, but he has a way of connecting and conveying that to each player. Past, present, and future Webber women's bowling teams are so lucky to have someone invested in their growth - Coach Stoughton continues to show that for each of his bowlers, on and off the lanes."

"I couldn't have asked for a more knowledgeable and caring coach to lead the women's team," said Beavis. "We could not have done it without his support. I've known Coach Stoughton for many years and he was part of the reason why my journey to America began in the first place. I can't thank him enough for everything he has done not only for me, but the sport of bowling, Webber International and Kegel. He is truly a legend that I admire deeply. When you have the best coaches working in the best facility of Kegel with a supportive school of Webber International, there is no doubt that the Webber bowling teams are something special. Thank you to everyone who gave me this opportunity, I will always be thankful and proud to have been part of the success."

Final Thoughts:

"I would also like to give a special mention to our 2012 ITC championship team," said Stoughton. "That team had a great combination of talent along with great leadership from Katie Thornton. The team truly respected her work ethic and leadership role. This team also went on to win the 2013 and 2014 NAIA championships. The teams included some outstanding bowlers that have continued their bowling careers as professionals such as Diana Zavjalova, who also won the ISC (women's singles title) in 2014 with the highest two-game total ever bowled on television with games of 289 and 290, and Kamilah Dammers from Aruba, who has won several individual and team medals as a leading member of the Aruban National Team."

"I truly believe our first season set the standard for our entire program and the future for all of the teams to come," concluded Thornton. "Both the men's team and women's knew it was something we were capable of, but this was truly the moment that belief came to fruition. The process and culture that had been put in place over the course of the past two seasons was validated and proved that it was something that worked. Winning the national championship also played a factor in putting Webber on the map for where bowlers wanted to come to develop their skills from other countries. Prior to our win, Wichita State was just about the only other option international bowlers considered. It became evident the following year when bowlers from several countries flocked to our tiny campus. I believe this is also what gave us the talent to make college bowling history when both our men and women won in 2012. Our season made Webber a household name and the level of coaching as well as development of players and team was expected to be higher. In addition, as time has gone on, players have left the program to coach new ones spreading the knowledge into other collegiate realms such as the NCAA."

"The last thing I want to say is for people who want to become future athletes," said Bulthuis. "Make sure you do your research about where you are going to be a student-athlete. Webber bowling is an absolute dream and to any college athlete looking to bowl, if Webber has your major, the bowling program is amazing and you will come out of the program a better athlete and a better person. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities Webber and Kegel has given me. I would not be on the professional women's tour if it wasn't for Webber. Webber and the bowling program will hold a special place in my heart, forever."