Pittsburgh, Pa. – Fifth-year Shannon Small of the Duquesne University bowling is one of 10 finalists for the 2025 International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) Collegiate Bowler of the Year, presented by Storm Bowling.

The IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year, presented by Storm Bowling, is given each season to a male and female bowler who excels on the lanes in United States Bowling Congress (USBC) certified collegiate tournament and conference play. Players must have appeared in a cumulative of at least 32 games and ranked in the top 20 of either Average Differential or Average or have won a Tier 1 as an individual to be considered for the award. The award was established in 1987 to honor the sport's finest collegiate players, and winners for this year will be announced Wednesday, April 16, during the Night of Champions Banquet during the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) in Las Vegas, Nev.

Small, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., is the second member of the Dukes to be nominated for the top IBMA award, joining Olivia Farwell (2017-22) in 2022. Farwell would go on to earn STORM/IBMA All-America Honorable Mention honors in the voting.

The selection committee for the 2025 IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year, presented by Storm Bowling, is comprised of IBMA members who are bowling media as well as former college coaches and athletes. Two All-America teams will be selected from the 10 finalists of each gender, with the top vote getter being named the 2025 IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year.

In a vote of Northeast Conference (NEC) head coaches, Small was named the 2025 NEC Bowler of the Year as well as earned a spot on the All-NEC First Team. She joins Farwell, who was named NEC Bowler of the Year in 2019 and 2022, as well as Kiearra Saldi (2019-24), who was tabbed the 2024 NEC Bowler of the Year, in taking home the conference's top postseason accolade.

During the 2024-25 campaign, Small led the Dukes with an average frame score of 20.31 in 1,238 completed frames. She also produced team highs for Duquesne in fill percentage (88%), average first ball (9.04) and strike percentage (47.8%). Small also finished 484-for-554 in makeable spares, a success rate of 87.4 percent that paced the Dukes. Small ranks sixth in traditional average according to the USBC as the NCAA Regionals begin this week, having produced an average score 209.211 in 38 games. She also ranks 26th in NCAA Division I in Player Composite Performance Index (PCPI) at 88.120 percent.

As the anchor bowler for Duquesne in 2024-25, Small averaged 20.14 in the 10th frame while also registering an 88.4 percent fill percentage as well as a 49.2 percent strike percentage in the final frame.

Led by head coach Jody Fetterhoff, the Dukes finished with an overall record of 58-47 (.552) during the 2024-25 season, including a mark of 15-9 (.625) in the NEC. Duquesne advanced to its first final of the NEC Championship in program history, falling to No. 16 FDU, 2-1.

A closer look at the 10 finalists for the 2025 IBMA Collegiate Bowler of the Year ...
 

Name (Year)	Team	Hometown
Kristina Catoe (Gr.)	Pikeville	Mooresville, N.C.
Jaelle Hamman (Sr.)	Mount Mercy	Jarrell, Texas
Rachel Moore (So.)	Culver-Stockton	Keokuk, Iowa
Emily Newbauer (So.)	Viterbo	Albertville, Minn.
Katie Paris (Gr.)	Sam Houston State	Rapid City, S.D.
Brook Salzman (So.)	Mount Mercy	Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Chloe Siezega (Sr.)	Judson	Lockport, Ill.
Shannon Small (5th)	Duquesne	Pittsburgh, Pa.
Paige Wagner (Jr.)	Wichita State	Great Bend, Kansas
Ashtyn Woods (So.)	Wichita State	Santa Rosa, Calif.

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