The seeds for a NCAA bowling championship were planted in 2013, during the Indiana high school state finals.
Back then, Merrillville’s Carly Larson and Boone Grove’s Paige Kraushaar were bowling for different schools and each won separate state titles at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
Larson became the first Northwest Indiana individual bowler (girl or boy) to win a singles state championship. Kraushaar was the anchor of a Boone Grove team that defeated Lake Central to win the first team state title in the school’s history.
Both were headed to different colleges to continue their bowling careers. But fate brought them together this year and now they’re champions again as part of the starting lineup at Stephen F. Austin.
The LadyJacks defeated reigning champion Nebraska 4-3 in the best-of-7 final to win the NCAA Division I title on Saturday in New Brunswick, N. J.
Kraushaar went to SFA straight out of high school, while Larson went from Merrillville to Valparaiso University, then transferred before this school year.
“I mean, when I transferred to a school whose bowling team finished second at NCAA nationals the previous year, I definitely hoped I would be able to help them get back to the championships,” Larson said. “However, this year exceeded every expectation I ever had. I gained a new family. We got so close and had great chemistry.”
The duo joins rare company, winning titles both in high school and in college. They again were part of history in helping SFA win the school’s first NCAA championship.
“This is the most memorable moment of my life; this doesn’t even compare to the state title,” Kraushaar said. “Finishing second last year really lit a fire under us and we were hungry for this title.”
The former rivals in high school said winning was possible only because of each other.
“Having Carly come this year definitely helped get us this win,” Kraushaar said. “She was solid all weekend and came in with some clutch shots during the week to get us some of our important wins.”
Paige Kraushaar appreciated that her dad, Mike, was a team cheerleader at the NCAA final. Larson also had parental support with her in New Jersey.
“It is so special to be able to share this with them and I still don’t believe it’s real,” Carly Larson said about seeing her parents, Dave and Paula, in the stands. “I can’t thank my parents enough for everything they have done for me. They’re my foundation and my biggest fans. I was ecstatic that they were able to be there for this accomplishment. I owe them everything.”
Future NCAA bowler: Another local bowler is joining the NCAA ranks — Chesterton senior Becky Lohse signed a national letter of intent to continue her career at Valparaiso. She helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back Lakeshore Conference titles and finished fifth in the state singles tourney as a junior. She’s also a two-time Post-Tribune All-Area first-team selection.
Johnny Gorches is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.
