West Babylon, N.Y. – The East Coast Conference women’s bowling All-Conference award winners were announced on Friday afternoon, with Mercyhurst sweeping the top honors. Haley Youker (East Syracuse, N.Y.) was named the Bowler of the Year, teammate Jenna Stretch (Auburn Township, Ohio) claimed the Rookie of the Year award, and Michael Machuga took home the Coach of the Year honor for the Lakers.
Youker earns the conference’s Bowler of the Year honor for the second time in her career after previously accomplishing the feat during the 2019-20 season. This is Youker’s third All-Conference selection, as well. This season, the five-time ECC Bowler of the Week led the league in numerous statistical categories. Her overall frame average (20.45), traditional format frame average (20.47), Baker format frame average (20.45), strike percentage (54.4), fill percentage (84.3), and Baker double percentage (54.0) all were tops in the ECC.
Youker had help leading the Lakers as teammate Stretch was named the conference’s top rookie. A six-time ECC weekly honoree (two-time Bowler of the Week, four-time Rookie of the Week), Stretch’s name could also be found littered across the ECC leaderboard. She ranked third with a 19.16 overall frame average, second with a 44.4 strike percentage, fourth with an 82.3 fill percentage, and she led the conference with a 20.48 anchor bowler 10th frame scoring average, and 91.8 anchor bowler 10th frame fill percentage.
Machuga earns the Coach of the Year honor for the second straight year, this time as the sole recipient after sharing the award last season. Under Machuga’s guidance, the Lakers compiled a 75-37 record and currently hold a No. 14 ranking in the National Tenpin Coaches Association NCAA Top 25 poll.
Mercyhurst also tied for the most All-Conference selections with four honorees. Joining Youker and Stretch on the First Team is Samantha Strebel, while Samantha Schurr was a Second Team pick. Mollie Gizicki (Jr., Daemen) and Chloe Sromovski (Jr., Kutztown) round out the First Team honorees.
Second Team picks include Schurr, Paige Barkley (Jr., Roberts Wesleyan), Paige Bartosz (Sr., Daemen), Madison Gentes (Fr., Saint Anselm), Megan Hanaway (Jr., Kutztown), and Caitlyn Nowak (Sr., Daemen).
Third Team selections include Nicole Bergeron (Sr., Daemen), Mykenzie Burnett (Jr., Roberts Wesleyan), Olivia Hillman (Fr., Bryant), Amelia Ponto (Fr., Roberts Wesleyan), and Jessica Portela (So., Molloy).
2022-23 ECC Women's Bowling All-Conference
First Team
Mollie Gizicki, Daemen
Chloe Sromovski, Kutztown
Samantha Strebel, Mercyhurst
Jenna Stretch, Mercyhurst
Haley Youker, Mercyhurst
Second Team
Paige Barkley, Roberts Wesleyan
Paige Bartosz, Daemen
Madison Gentes, Saint Anselm
Megan Hanaway, Kutztown
Caitlyn Nowak, Daemen
Samantha Schurr, Mercyhurst
Third Team
Nicole Bergeron, Daemen
Mykenzie Burnett, Roberts Wesleyan
Olivia Hillman, Bryant
Amelia Ponto, Roberts Wesleyan
Jessica Portela, Molloy
* Six on Second Team due to a tie in the voting
Bowler of the Year: Haley Youker, Mercyhurst
Rookie of the Year: Jenna Stretch, Mercyhurst
Coach of the Year: Michael Machuga, Mercyhurst
