The Wichita State athletic department announced its official 16th team as women’s bowling on Friday afternoon. Shocker women’s bowling will continue to compete in intercollegiate tournaments this year before their official move to the NCAA in July 2024. 

The women’s bowling team started in 1961. The first national championship was held in 1975 and won by Wichita State. Since then, the program has won nine more national championships and five intercollegiate singles.

“This program has been competitive for over five decades, and we feel like we can be nationally competitive, early in this transition,” Athletic Director Kevin Saal said. “This portfolio edition helps us align with our Title IX and gender equity goals as well, which is very important as an institution as a student body evolves, we need to evolve as an athletics program as well.

Holly Harris has been the team’s head coach for four years and will continue in her role moving forward. 

“She is an unbelievable caretaker of this program, and she’s got great pride for (it) that came through in the process,” Saal said. 

Harris joined Wichita State bowling in 2010 as a student. She played four years and served as team captain for one year. During her run as a player, her team placed in the top 10 nationally all four years, and she was named a Collegiate All-American twice.

She transitioned to be a student assistant for two years and then an associate coach for Shocker Bowling Camps.

“This has been a dream of mine and many former Shockers for a long, long, long time,” Harris said.

She said the transition to the NCAA will allow the team to match the championship level program with the champion level resources.

“We’re looking forward to continuing the winning tradition of Shocker bowling in this year and many, many years to come,” Harris said.