NEW CASTLE, Del. — The No. 25 Jennies Bowling team closed competition at the 2026 Sacred Heart University Northeast Classic on Sunday, Jan. 18, at Bowlerama, finishing the day 1-2 and concluding the weekend with an 85 overall record to place 24th in a highly competitive national field, highlighting their position among top college bowling programs.

Sunday's action began with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over (RV) Maryland Eastern Shore, as the Jennies rallied from a 3-1 deficit to secure the win. Central Missouri then dropped a narrow 4.5–3.5 decision to No. 23 Kutztown University, falling in the tiebreaker after also trailing 3-1. The Jennies closed the tournament with a second match-up against (RV) Maryland Eastern Shore, but came up short in a 4-3 loss after leading 3-1.

Central Missouri finished 24th overall in a field that featured the top 14 teams in the country and 25 of the top 30 nationally. No. 1 Jacksonville State University defeated No. 2 Vanderbilt University in the competition.

"The weekend was a great learning opportunity for our young team to compete against the nation's best," head coach Ron Holmes said. "As expected, the competition schedule was robust, and 10 of our 13 matches were against teams ranked in the top 30 in the country."

Over the three-day event, the Jennies recorded wins over (RV) William Smith College, (RV) Felician University, Roberts Wesleyan College, Morgan State University, Long Island University, Adelphi University, No. 20 Bryant University, and (RV) Maryland Eastern Shore.

Central Missouri returns to action Jan. 24–25 at the AU Eagle Classic in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Next week's competition will take place at Summit Lanes. The facility is owned by former Central Missouri alumni Sara Cox Strickland and Brian Strickland, with Sara Cox Strickland having competed on the Jennies' 2003 national championship team and NCAA national runner-up teams in 2004 and 2005.