LANSING, Mich. – The Madonna University women's bowling team delivered a resilient performance this past Saturday at Royal Scot Lanes , battling through the elimination bracket to reach the fourth round of the 2026 WHAC Championship. Entering the tournament as the #8 seed , the Crusaders proved to be a formidable opponent, upsetting the top seed early in the day.

The Crusaders started the morning at 8:00 AM with a statement victory , facing off against the #1 seed Indiana Tech Warriors. After a slow start, Madonna found their groove, posting scores of 180, 177, and 201 to secure a 3-1 match upset and advance in the winner's bracket.

In Round 2, the Crusaders faced a setback against #4 St. Francis (Ill). Despite a consistent team effort with scores ranging from 154 to 174 , they fell 3-2 in a tightly contested five-game match.

After being dropped into the elimination bracket following their Round 2 loss, Madonna refused to go down without a fight. In Round 3, the Crusaders regained their momentum on LANE 51/52, defeating Lawrence Tech 3-1. During that matchup, the team posted strong scores of 191, 157, 190, and 198 to keep their championship hopes alive. This set up a Round 4 rematch against Indiana Tech on LANE 47/48. Madonna once again pushed the top seed to the limit, rolling impressive games of 193, 214, 158, 186, and 200. However, the Warriors narrowly took the match 3-2, ending the Crusaders' deep tournament run.

The St. Francis (Ill) Fighting Saints ultimately claimed the champion title. They secured the trophy after a final showdown against Indiana Tech, who finished as the runners-up.