Youngstown State bowlers Madyson Marx and Kirsten Moore have been named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the National Tenpin Coaches Association, the organization announced on Thursday night.
The juniors become the first two Penguins in program history to earn All-America honors from the NTCA. The awards were announced at the NCAA banquet in Las Vegas prior to the Final Four, which begins Friday morning.
"We are grateful for Madyson and Kirsten to receive this much-deserved recognition from the nation's coaches," said Youngstown State head coach Doug Kuberski. "It was a great season for us, and Madyson and Kirsten played a big role in our success. As juniors, they stepped up across the board and embraced new challenges and new roles. We are all thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment."
Marx set YSU's single-season records for pinfall, matches, average and 200 games in traditional play during the 2022-23 campaign. The junior from Maplewood, Minn., posted 11,948 pins over 57 matches, which resulted in a 209.61 average. That topped the previous record for average of 205.13 held by teammate Jade Cote by more than four pins. Marx broke 200 in 31 of her 57 games, which was two more than the previous school standard. Overall, Marx averaged 20.34 pins per frame and struck on 51.03% of her attempts, which were both the second-best marks in program history.
Marx had five top-10 individual finishes at tournaments during the regular season, which tied for the most in the Southland Bowling League. She became the program's second individual tournament champion when she won MVP honors at the Prairie View A&M Invitational. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the Big-Red Invitational as she placed sixth, and her other top-10 finishes were at the MOTIV Penguin Classic, the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic, and the Mid-Winter Invitational.
Moore also had one of the best single seasons in program history. The Tallmadge, Ohio, native averaged 202.77, which was the fourth-best mark in school history, in traditional play. She knocked down 11,355 pins in 56 games and broke 200 in 29 games, which were all second on the all-time list behind Marx. Moore also posted the second-highest Baker frame average ever by a Penguin at 20.27, and her 20.28 overall frame average was the third-highest in school history.
Moore was also a two-time all-tournament team selection during the season, and she had four top-10 finishes. Her best finish came in the season-opening MOTIV Penguin Classic where she placed fifth to earn All-Tournament Team honors, and she was also an all-tournament pick at the Northeast Classic when she finished ninth. Her other top-10 finishes were at the MOTIV Ladyjack Classic and the Big Red Invitational.
As a team, Youngstown State set school records with 83 wins and a .659 winning percentage in 2022-23. The Penguins placed fourth at the Southland Bowling League Championship and finished as the runners-up at the NCAA Lansing Regional.
