QUINCY, Ill. – In just the fifth full season in program history, the Quincy University men's bowling team turned in the most successful campaign the program has ever seen during the 2025-26 season.
Under the direction of head coach
Kyle Egan, the Hawks continued their steady climb up the national ranks and shattered multiple program records along the way. From earning the program's first-ever national ranking to capturing the first tournament title in school history, the 2025-26 season was filled with milestone moments.
The defining moment of the season came at the Mid-States Championship, where the Hawks claimed the first tournament championship in program history. Quincy entered bracket play as the eighth and final seed out of 29 teams before putting together an unforgettable run through the field.
The Hawks opened bracket play with a 3-1 victory over top-seeded Wichita State, a perennial national powerhouse and co-host of the event. Quincy followed that with a semifinal sweep of Oklahoma Christian before defeating Newman University in the championship match. Newman entered the season as the defending Mid-States champion and finished last season ranked sixth nationally in tournament power points.
The championship run highlighted one of the strongest seasons from an individual bowler in program history as sophomore
Nathan Massey put together a historic campaign of his own. Massey earned three all-tournament team honors during the season, the most by any Hawk in a single season.
The native of St. Peters, Missouri, had some incredible performances, beginning with a first-place finish at the 17th Annual Lions Classic, earning all-tournament team honors. He followed that with another individual title at the Boilermaker Classic, again landing on the all-tournament team. Massey also finished fourth individually at the Cedar Valley Invite to collect his third all-tournament team selection of the season.
Outside of the Mid-States Championship title, the Hawks recorded seven additional top-five finishes throughout the year. Quincy finished third out of eight teams at the 17th Annual Lions Classic, second out of 17 teams at the Boilermaker Classic, third out of 17 teams at the Boilermaker Baker Shootout, second out of 31 teams at the National Collegiate Team Match Games, fourth out of 20 teams at the Cedar Valley Invite, fourth out of 15 teams at the Kohawk Invite, and fifth out of 20 teams at the USBC Sectionals.
The runner-up finish at the National Collegiate Team Match Games was especially significant as it came at a Tier One event against some of the top programs in the country. The Hawks also posted the highest qualifying finish at a Tier One event in program history, sitting sixth heading into bracket play.
National recognition followed throughout the season. Quincy appeared in the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association poll for the first time in program history, checking in at No. 16 in the December rankings. The Hawks also climbed as high as No. 13 in the USBC points list, another program best.
By season's end, Quincy finished 35th nationally in average points per event in the USBC standings, marking the highest final ranking in program history. The improvement continued a trend that has seen the Hawks climb the national ladder every season since the program's first year under Egan in 2021-22.
The season concluded with yet another program-best showing at the USBC Sectionals. Quincy placed fifth out of 20 teams, the best sectional finish in school history. The Hawks also averaged more than 200 pins per game across all 64 baker games for the first time in program history.
Quincy came within 159 pins of a fourth-place finish and a berth to nationals, narrowly missing out on another historic first. Even so, the 2025-26 campaign established a new benchmark for the program and proved that Quincy men's bowling has become one of the rising programs in the country.
