Five Commodores Earn NTCA Honors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in program history, Vanderbilt has had five team members earn All-American recognition, led by first-team selection Maria Bulanova.

The squad, voted on by the National Ten Pin Coaches Association, also included Vanderbilt’s Adel Wahner on the second team, Samantha Gainor on the third team and Angelique Dalesandro and Mabel Cummins included on the 10-woman honorable mention roster.

Bulanova, a senior from Moscow, Russia, was a first-team choice for the third time and narrowly missed repeating as the Division I Player of the Year. She won two tournaments – the LadyJack Classic and the Northeast Invitational – and was second at the Mid-Winter Classic.

She was third nationally in overall scoring average and led the NCAA in the percentage of 200 games. She was voted the Southland Bowling League Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Wahner, a senior from Las Cruces, New Mexico, was the nation’s leading spare shooter for the second straight year. She led the NCAA in every major spare category, helping her achieve four top-15 finishes including an all-tournament berth at the Vegas Blue and White Classic.

Gainor, a junior from Chesterfield, Mich., repeated on the third team for the second straight season. Known as one of the NCAA’s top strikers, she led the nation in the set-up bowler strike category. She had a pair of top-15 tournament finishes, headed by a fifth-place showing in Las Vegas.

Dalesandro, a sophomore from Rolling Meadows, Illinois, was particularly effective in the traditional games during the season ranking 12th in scoring average. Dalesandro had three top-15 finishes, including making the all-tournament team at the Allstate Sugar Bowl by placing fourth.

Cummins, a native of Elburn, Illinois, was one of the nation’s best freshmen. She had three top-15 and five top-25 finishes, led by a seventh-place showing at Monmouth’s Hawk Flight Invitational.  Cummins was also among the NCAA’s top spare shooters, ranking 12th in makeable spares.

Vanderbilt’s previous high-water mark for All-America honors came in 2009 and 2010 when the Commodores landed four on the team.