WESTMONT, Ill. – In competition that came down to the final frame in the seventh and final game of a tiebreaking series, top-seeded Marian claimed its second consecutive College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Bowling championship with wins over Carroll and Aurora and a 4-3 triumph over the Spartans in a winner-take-all Baker series at Suburbanite Bowl in Westmont, Ill.
 
It was a similar outcome to last season’s tournament when the Sabres avoided elimination with a win on Sunday morning, defeated Aurora in an afternoon mega match and then overcame the Spartans in the Best-of-7 Baker “if necessary” series.
 
Marian has now won back-to-back tournaments for the second time and has claimed four of the five CCIW Championships – 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025.
 
The Sabres stayed in contention in Sunday’s opening elimination match, besting #2 Carroll in the traditional series, 931-828, before producing an 879-877 margin in the Baker series. The decision advanced MU to a rematch with unbeaten and third-seeded Aurora.
 
In the sixth mega match of the tournament, Marian beat the Spartans in traditional play, 877-806. The Sabres rolled in the Baker format, 875-742, to tee up the final tiebreaking Baker series.
 
Aurora led the Best-of-Seven series, 1-0, before Marian responded with three straight wins fir a 3-1 cushion. AU won the next two to force a decisive seventh game. Marian won the final matchup, 190-189.
 
Marian’s Elana Rimer was the top individual scorer on Sunday with a 190.5 average across four games. Emilie Pleshar led Aurora with a 177.7 average for the day.

Prior to the championship match, Aurora’s Christine Ricci and Marian’s Delanie Vogt were named recipients of the Elite 26 award. The award is presented to the student-athlete who excels academically and athletically at the conference level in each of the CCIW's 26 sponsored sports.