COLONIA, N.J. – The Kutztown Golden Bears led the way as the top pick according to the 2026-27 ECC Women’s Bowling Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's eight head coaches. Individually, Kutztown’s Madilyn Bogovic was named Preseason Bowler of the Year.
Kutztown tallied an ECC-high of 62 points, with six first place votes to lead the poll for the second straight season. The Golden Bears, which were the preseason favorites ahead of the 2025-26 season, finished 57-31 overall last year, with six victories over nationally ranked opponents. Kutztown entered the ECC Championship as the No. 2 seed where the team was defeated in Round 1, 2-1 to Molloy, before eliminating Adelphi, 2-1 in Round 2 to advance to the final day of the championship. In Round 3, the Golden Bears fell to Molloy again, 2-1, for a third-place finish. Kutztown appeared on all five of the National Tenpin Coaches Association Coaches Polls during 2025-26, ranking in three out of five polls, while receiving votes in both the preseason and end of season polls. Additionally, Kutztown was ranked in the NTCA DII/DIII Coaches Poll all year, ranking as high as sixth on February 10. The 2025 ECC Championship is the lone title in the Golden Bears history, while the program has made the championship final twice, also doing so in 2016.
2026 ECC runner-up, Molloy was tabbed second in the preseason poll, collecting 55 points and one first place vote. The Lions made their championship final run by taking down St. Anselm (4-2) and Daemen (4-1, 4-1) in Bracket 1, before eliminating Kutztown (2-1, 2-1) in Round 1 and Round 3. Molloy would eventually fall to No. 1 Bryant in the Championship match 2-0. Overall, Molloy recorded a 52-40 record 2025-26. The Lions have never won an ECC Championship but has played in the final match twice over the past four seasons, in 2026 and 2023.
Adelphi was selected third in the poll with a total of 46 points. The Panthers capped off the 2025-26 season with a fourth-place finish at the ECC Championship, the program’s best finish under head coach Arthur O’Connor. As the No. 4 seeded squad, Adelphi defeated No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0) and No. 8 D’Youville (4-1, 4-2) in Bracket 2, before dropping consecutive matches to top seeded Bryant (2-0) and No. 2 Kutztown (2-1) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively. On the season, the Panthers were 34-41 overall and the team increased their average by 12 pins per frame. Adelphi is a two-time ECC Champion, winning league crowns in 2016 and 2017, while last making the championship final back in 2022.
Rounding out the poll were Roberts Wesleyan (35), Daemen (32), D’Youville (29), Saint Anselm (20), and St. Thomas Aquinas (9).
A two-sport standout at Kutztown, Bogovic had one of the best seasons in program history as a freshman last season. A native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Bogovic was named the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-ECC First Team. She was recognized by the National Tenpin Coaches Association as a Second Team All-American and was the Division II Rookie of the Year, along with claiming All-Rookie First Team honors. Bogovic led all DII competition in baker double percentage (57.0 percent), strike percentage (54.6 percent), traditional frame average (21.1 pins) and baker frame average (21.25 pins) last season.
2026-27 ECC Women’s Bowling Preseason Poll
1. Kutztown - 62 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Molloy - 55 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Adelphi - 46 points
4. Roberts Wesleyan - 35 points
5. Daemen - 32 points
6. D’Youville - 29 points (1 first-place vote)
7. Saint Anselm - 20 points
8. St. Thomas Aquinas - 9 points
Bowler of the Year
Madilyn Bogovic - Kutztown
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.