Whitewater, Wis. - A pair of East Coast Conference student-athletes were honored among the nation's best with the announcement of the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-America Team. ECC Bowler of the Year, Haley Youker of Mercyhurst, was named to the All-America Third Team. Wilmington's CC Riojas was also honored, taking home the Division II/III Rookie of the Year award.
Youker excelled for the Lakers in their inaugural season, with four MVP awards and seven All-Tournament Team selections. She finished eighth across the entire NCAA with a 208.15 traditional average and 15th in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Player Composite Performance Index (PCPI) at 89.48. In addition, she led the ECC in overall frame average by nearly a full pin (20.46 to 19.63), while also topping the loop in frame fill percentage (84.3), traditional format frame average (20.82), Baker format frame average (20.12), strike percentage (51.8), individual first ball 9+ percentage (76.4), and anchor bowling 10th frame scoring average (20.33).
Riojas, who was a Second Team All-ECC honoree, finished sixth in the ECC with an overall frame average of 18.997 and second with a 45.8 strike percentage. Her traditional average of 190.83 ranked 68th among all NCAA bowlers, as well. A four-time ECC Rookie of the Week, Riojas becomes the second ECC standout to win the honor, joining Lincoln Memorial's Justine Brookover, who won the award in 2018.
To view the full NTCA All-America Team, click here.
