Central Islip, N.Y. - Thursday afternoon, East Coast Conference Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff, announced that Salem International University will join the conference as an associate member in the sport of women's bowling this coming fall.
"The East Coast Conference is excited to add Salem International University as the newest member of our Women's Bowling group," stated Dranoff. "We look forward to their participation and to offering their team members an opportunity to be part of our conference and the 2017 championship. Welcome to ECC Bowling!"
Salem International, located in Salem, West Virginia, spent the 2015-16 season as an independent after restarting the program. "I’m extremely excited for our Women’s Bowling team to join the ECC and the opportunities that this presents to our athletes," said Salem International's Athletic Director, Jamie Shoemaker. "I would like to thank Commissioner Dranoff, his staff, and the bowling conference for this opportunity. I look forward to a very competitive league."
Salem International becomes the fourth institution to join the ECC for this coming season, bringing the total number of teams that will compete for a conference title to 10. The Tigers will join Lincoln Memorial Univeristy, LIU Post, and Roberts Wesleyan College as newcomers to the league. The new members will compete against the conference's original members, Adelphi University, Daemen College, Felician University, Franklin Pierce University, Kutztown University, and Molloy College.
The ECC announced the addition of women's bowling in the summer of 2015. The first-ever ECC Women's Bowling Championship was held in March of 2016, with Adelphi being crowned the league's inaugural champion.
