By Cecelia Chase / The Jambar
Head Coach Doug Kuberski earned his 500th career win, as the Youngstown State University bowling team began its 10th season at the Chelsea Gilliam Penguin Classic on Oct. 17-19 at Holiday Bowl in Struthers.
After winning the 2025 NCAA National Championship, the team returns just one veteran — sophomore Kara Beissel — alongside six freshmen and one transfer, all of whom made their first appearances as Penguins this weekend. Despite almost a completely new team, Beissel said she remains confident in its abilities.
“That could have a potential look, but, I mean, we’re just here to show them that they know what we’re doing, I know what I’m doing. Coach knows what he’s doing, and we’re just here for the same reasons,” Beissel said.
Kuberski said his goal heading into the weekend was to focus on the team’s growth and process, rather than results.
“The biggest thing for us is to be really focused on our process, not really going to be results oriented,” Kuberski said. “We want to give everybody some looks, experiment with lineups and just get acclimated to college bowling.”
The Penguins met Kuberski’s goal with a 11-2 overall finish, earning a place in the top four during the home tournament. YSU’s only losses came against No. 3 Vanderbilt University in its first match and No. 1 Jacksonville State University in the final round.
Youngstown State bounced back quickly from its opening loss, as it defeated No. 11 Sacred Heart University by a single pin and carried that momentum through 11-straight victories over the next two days. Among the highlights were wins against top-ranked Conference USA opponents, including No. 3 Vanderbilt and No. 2 University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Freshman Leyna Kratzer made an immediate impact, breaking 250 twice individually and finishing seventh overall with an average of 221.8 pins. Beissel, junior Amy Chrzanowski and freshman Alivia Baskin all placed in the top 20, helping YSU average over 200 pins per game Saturday.
As the team continues the season, Kuberski said he wants the new group to write its own story and enjoy the process of growing together throughout the season.
“I’m excited to see where they take it. I really want them to have a lot of fun, enjoy the competition and embrace this new chapter. There are always ups and downs throughout a season, but this group has a great opportunity to create its own identity and its own type of season,” Kuberski said.
The tournament held special meaning for the program, as it was the first to bear the name of former Head Coach Chelsea Gilliam, who passed away from breast cancer in August.
Youngstown State will return to competition Oct. 24-26 at the Destination Orlando event at Amy Sky Lances, hosted by Sacred Heart.