MOLINE, Ill. — Carroll claimed the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Bowling Championship on Sunday at Highland Park Bowl in Moline, Ill., securing the first tournament title in program history. The Pioneers completed the weekend undefeated, finishing 3-0 and becoming the third different program to win the event since the conference began sponsoring women’s bowling.
 
In the title match, the Pioneers opened with an 835-734 win in traditional play before Marian answered with an 842-819 edge in Baker total pinfall. With the championship pushed to a deciding best-of-seven Baker series, Carroll secured the conference crown by taking the series, 4-3.
 
Sunday’s competition began with Marian and Carthage meeting in an elimination match, where the Sabres advanced to the championship round with a 2-0 sweep. Marian posted a 914-806 win in the traditional match and followed with a 954-703 advantage in Baker total pinfall to earn a rematch with Carroll. 
 
Individually, Carroll’s Hannah Bartlett led the field at the tournament with a 196.3 average across three traditional matches. Fellow Pioneers Samantha Sciortino averaged 184.0, Natalie Hirsch posted a 181.0 mark and Ava Butt recorded a 180.7 average to give Carroll four of the tournament’s top individual performers. 
 
Marian’s Delanie Vogt paced the Sabres with a 179.3 average over four matches, while Carthage’s Isabel Gonzalez turned in a 176.3 average across three matches. Augustana’s Kathryn Edwards led the Vikings with a 167.0 average in two matches. 
 
Overall, the tournament field combined for a 167.6 average during the championship.
 
Prior to Sunday’s final, Carroll junior Ava Butt was named the women’s bowling recipient of the CCIW Elite 26 award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average among participants in the final match of the tournament. Butt became the first-ever repeat winner of the CCIW Women’s Bowling Student-Athlete of the Year award last Wednesday.
 
Carroll entered Championship Sunday as the tournament’s lone unbeaten team after posting two wins on Saturday, opening with a 2-0 victory over Augustana behind a 1001-843 result in traditional play and a 928-863 advantage in Baker total pinfall before adding a 2-1 win over Marian. Against the Sabres, Carroll claimed the traditional match, 889-856, and completed a 4-0 sweep in the best-of-seven Baker series after Marian narrowly won Baker total pinfall, 937-936.

In Saturday’s elimination match, Carthage stayed alive with a 2-1 comeback victory over Augustana, responding to a 769-759 loss in traditional play with an 898-877 edge in Baker total pinfall and a 4-1 win in the best-of-seven Baker series to eliminate the Vikings.
 
The final tournament standings saw Carroll finish at 3-0, followed by Marian at 2-2, Carthage at 1-2 and Augustana at 0-2.