BOWLING

they'll probably appreciate it more 10, 15, or 20 years down the road."

Not to be outdone, the Jax State bowling team captured the first national title for Jax State since moving up to Division I from Division II after the 1992-93 academic year and the first since the Division II football title in 1992. It is also the first title by a Jax State women's program since back-toback gymnastics championships in 1984 and 1985. "It's the most incredible thing and most certainly puts Jax State bowling on the map," coach Shannon O'Keefe said. "We are honored to bring this National Championship to Jax State."

At Jax State, making history is clearly a team sport. These are their stories:

'From upset to ecstatic'

The most important football game in Jax State history almost didn't happen. After a heartbreaking 17-20 loss to New Mexico two days after Thanksgiving, the Gamecocks boarded a plane for home, feeling their season was over. "For us seniors, it was even harder because that's not how you want to end your college career," said Perry Carter, senior wide receiver, who transferred to Jax State from the University of Louisiana Monroe. "When we loaded the plane, the whole team and staff was sad and upset."

About 40 minutes into the flight, Coach Rodriquez received a message that Jax State had been invited to play in the New Orleans Bowl. Coach Rodriquez stood up and made the announcement on the plane's intercom. "The plane went crazy," Carter said. "Everyone was screaming and recording. It was a great feeling and couldn't have come at a better time. We went from upset to ecstatic." Carter added, "We knew we made history, and we had a chance to make even greater history and finish the season with a win.

In their inaugural season playing in Division 1 Conference USA, the Gamecocks had already experienced success, going 8-4 and 6-2 in conference play. "Since I got to Jax State, I felt like we deserved to be playing on the FBS level because of the talent of guys that we had on the team in the previous years," said senior safety Jeremiah Harris, "We finally got our chance to prove that this year."

Jax State played eight nationally televised games - two on CBS Sports, five on ESPNU, and the bowl game on ESPN, with each televised game increasing both the profile of the program and the profile of the young men on the field. "Having a bigger platform and being able to showcase our talents on prime-time TV is a major deal that every kid and college athlete dreams of, especially when hoping to play at the next level," Carter said. "Not only did we beat the odds of critics who had us picked to finish second to last in our conference, but we also went on to finish third in the conference and win the first-ever bowl game in Jacksonville State History. That moment can never be taken away from us, and we accomplished all that in a one-year move," added

Carter.

Though it's impossible to define a legend while still living in the present tense, it's not hard to imagine that years from now, the fans, former players, and coaching staff will remember the December 16 New Orleans Bowl simply as "The Game." The Gamecocks were down 24-31 with less than two minutes left. They needed a touchdown to face overtime, and Carter knew the ball was coming to him. Carter said, "Right before the play started, I remember me and [Zion Webb, Gamecocks quarterback] locking eyes, so I was like, yeah, it's about to happen." Happen it did. Carter made the catch that sent the game to overtime, where Garrison Rippa, in his first career start, kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal. Carter went on to say, "The fans at JSU really showed up for us this season. We love and respect them all for being there for us every game - home and away – there's so much love to the fans of JSU."

For seniors like Harris, it allowed them to go out on top. "I was super excited because of what we went through throughout the season," Harris said. "To be able to set school history and be a part of the history is a great feeling. With it being my senior season, it felt even better because I had one more chance to play in front of the Gamecock fans and family."

Making history wasn't really on anyone's mind as the team celebrated their win on the field of the iconic Caesars Superdome, hoisting up the R+L Carriers New

Orleans Bowl trophy. "I think at that moment, I don't know if they thought of it as much as making history as they just thought it was a great day, especially for our seniors," Coach Rodriquez said."

You know, the work they put in and a great day for our fans because we had a great fan following at the game, and you can feel their impact and see their excitement after the game. I think for everybody associated with Jax State, it was just a whole lot of fun to experience that."

Few could put the bowl win and the entire season in perspective better than Athletic Director Greg Seitz, who has dedicated his 31-year professional life to Jax State sports. "I've been fortunate to see a lot of great wins at Jax State," Seitz said. I think when you look back over time in the coming years, we will certainly have more bowl wins, but we will never have another first FBS bowl win. I think that's what makes this win so special—it was the first FBS bowl win in school history, and I'm just excited that I had a frontrow seat to experience it."

With its first bowl win in the rearview, Coach Rodriquez and his staff are focused on maintaining that momentum and building toward the future. "Our facilities are getting upgraded, and that's going to happen very quickly," he said. "There's no question we're probably ahead of schedule. It usually takes a lot longer to get to that point, but at the same time, our expectations are now raised based on what happened last year, and I want it to be that way. I want our players to continue to stay humble and hungry," added Coach Rodriquez. 'Talent to spare'

When the Jax State Board of Trustees approved women's bowling as its 18th varsity sport in January 2023, Athletic Director Greg Seitz knew the type of coach he wanted to hire. "We need someone who can build a program from the ground up," Seitz said at the time, "which is not an easy task. Starting from scratch will present nine years. She was also named the National Ten Pin Coaches Association (NTCA) Coach of the Year in seven consecutive seasons. "When looking for a head coach to start our bowling program here at Jax State, Shannon exceeded our expectations," said Seitz when hiring O'Keefe. "Her career as a bowler and as a coach at the collegiate level is second to none, but she is also a some unique challenges."

Mission accomplished. That May, Seitz hired Shannon O'Keefe, one of the top names in professional bowling. O'Keefe came to Jax State from McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill.

After taking over the Bearcats in 2014, she led the team to four National Championships - two NCAA National Championships and two United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships – in top-notch person," Seitz said.

Few—except for the Gamecocks themselves—expected what happened next. On April 13, Jax State bowling won the NCAA national championship in its first year of existence. It is believed to be the first time in any sport that a team has won a national championship in its inaugural season.

"It's the most incredible thing, and we are honored to bring this national championship to Jax State," O'Keefe said.

O'Keefe has been incredibly proud of the response from the Jax State fans. "For us, Jax State is about eight times bigger than our previous institution," O'Keefe stated. "With that being said, the overwhelming support we have received since setting foot on campus has been incredible, and we are excited for the future and what's to come." That's because

Alabama, within 20 minutes, one of the girls raised her hand and asked, "What if we want to come with you?" First, the player had to enter the transfer portal before O'Keefe could discuss Jax State, and within 24 hours, all six were in the transfer portal.

"Bryan and I both have felt this is the highest compliment we have ever received as coaches," O'Keefe said. Among those transfers was

O'Keefe didn't come to Jax State alone. In addition to her husband, Bryan, who coached alongside her at McKendree University, O'Keefe had nine bowlers on the roster –including six players who joined her from McKendree.

"[Bryan and I] always wanted to give our girls a DI experience that their peers were getting," O'Keefe said, "and Jax State was the school that gave us that opportunity." After making their decision to leave Illinois for

Rebecca Hagerman, a 23-year-old graduate student from Loves Park, Illinois. "Shannon and Bryan are the reason I came to Jax State," she said. "That and all my best friends were coming as well. That helped. When they told me they were going to Jax State, I knew I had two choices: either I go with them, or I'm done with college bowling. I didn't want to be done, and I knew I couldn't imagine myself bowling with another set of girls or any other coaches," added Hagerman.

Anna Warkel, a 20-year-old graduate student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, also couldn't imagine playing for anyone else. "She is like a mother," Warkel said of O'Keefe. "She helps you when you're down and is always encouraging. She is truly one of the best people to know, and it's a privilege to bowl with her."

O'Keefe's coaching philosophy is defined by what she calls the four Cs. "We believe in loving our girls first," she said. "They are committed to our family, so it's our responsibility to make sure they have the support they need to be successful in life. We believe in the 4 C's - Connection, Culture, Coaching, and Confidence." Though many players came from another school, this national championship was for Jax State, explains Miranda Patterson, a 22-year-old graduate student from Redwood Valley, Calif. "It was incredible," Patterson said of winning the national championship. "I have been on two other national championship-winning teams, and this one felt like we were bringing this championship back to the community and university. We had everyone all in and behind us. I had people asking me every week on campus how we were doing throughout the season. The amount of support we have received from the community was amazing. The university deserves this championship," added Patterson."