Dec. 3, 2010
Vanderbilt Bowling Coach John Williamson has announced the signing of three high school student-athletes to the national letter of intent. The trios include Nicole Channin of Sparta, N.J., Liz Saffold of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and Natalie Goodman of O’Fallon, Ill.
“We think all three of these young women are good fits for Vanderbilt University and our bowling team,” says Williamson. “They bring a combination of strong academic and bowling backgrounds and will be good additions to our program.”
Channin won the highly competitive New Jersey state individual championship as a junior on her way to a first-team all-state berth. Nicole had the high game at the state meet with a 269 and the high series with a 757, averaging 236 over eight games. She was also the New Jersey North Sectional champion with a 714 series and 278 high game and was captain of her Sparta High School team as it won the NJAC and North Jersey Sectional championship. Nicole was a Junior Gold qualifier last summer and was also a second-team all-state as a sophomore.
Nicole is an honors student, making the Scholar’s Honor Roll every year and winning the Russian Olympiad Gold Medal three times. She is active in community and extra-curricular activities; she was appointed a member for the Junior States of America Youth Council and was an officer in the Human Rights Club and Habitat for Humanity. She is also a member of the Key Club and History Club and served as a Russian Elementary School Tutor.
Liz Saffold is a two-time MVP and captain of her Hoffman Estates High team. She won the 2010 Illinois State Youth Leaders tournament (Bloomington) and finished fifth at a similar event in Champaign. She was third at the2009 Stevenson Invite and had Top 10 finishes at the 2010 Rockford Guilford Invite and the Prospect Invite. She has a high game of 279, high series of 676 and high average of 195.
Saffold has been an annual member of her school’s “A” honor roll. She is also an active member of the school band as a member of the symphonic winds section. She earned the IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award for Bowling, is a member of International Thespian Society, a member of National Honor Society, a member of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, won the Spirit of the Hawk for Biology and is a three-year member of Madrigal Troope (Soprano/Tenor Recorder).
Natalie Goodman comes to Vanderbilt with a strong regional and national bowling background. She is a two-time Junior Gold competitor with a best finish of 60th in 2009 and she was in three Teen Masters with a best finish of fifth in 2010.
Goodman won the 2009 Illinois State scratch division and was also the top qualifier for the 2009 Junior Gold in Champaign with a 1,403 series. She was eighth in all events at the 2009-10 Illinois High School state finals with a 220 average and was seventh at the 2010 state finals scratch division.
Natalie was the captain of her O’Fallon High team and was runner-up for the 2009-10 Southern Illinois High School Bowler of the Year award and won the same award as a sophomore, the first time a second-year bowler had won that award. She has a high sanctioned average under sport conditions of 207 with a sport-series (4 games) of 904 and single game of 285.
