Women's Bowling | 3/13/2026 11:39:00 PM

FORT WORTH, Texas – North Carolina A&T junior Payton Hartgrove will compete for an individual national championship in Wisconsin in April after qualifying for the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISC) sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) by finishing in the top five of the Fort Worth ISC sectionals on Friday at Cityview Lanes. Hartgrove qualified along with two bowlers from Wichita State – Sara Duque and Ashtyn Woods – along with Sam Houston State University's Denise Blankenzee and Newman's Kaylin Wahlmeirer.

Hartgrove finished fourth overall with a total pinfall of 1,300 to average 216.67 over six games bowled. Duque and Woods were the top two qualifiers, with Duque leading the way with a 1,354 total pinfall. Woods bowled a 1,310, followed by Blankenzee's 1,304, Payton, and Wahlmeirer's total pinfall of 1,291.

Hartgrove and the four other qualifiers will compete for the individual national bowling title at the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., April 13-18. Those five bowlers will face the five qualifiers, each of whom emerged from the Pittsburgh, Smyrna, and Addison sectionals. Hartgrove qualified for her first nationals. She is the fourth different bowler in the past three seasons to qualify for A&T. Maya Avilez qualified for two straight seasons. In addition to Hartgrove, the Aggies had some close calls.

Freshman Sara Giraldo placed eighth with a total pinfall of 1,247 to average 207.83 over six games. Two other Aggies finished in the top 15 out of the 138 bowlers who participated in the Fort Worth sectional. Junior Savannah Burgin placed 14th, finishing with a total pinfall of 1,238 (206.33). Sophomore Victorya White, an ISC qualifier from the sectionals last season, placed 15th with a total pinfall of 1,236 to average 206.0 over six games.

The Aggies will come together as a team the rest of their time in Texas, starting on Saturday, as they compete in sectional play for a chance to qualify for the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC). The top four teams from each section will compete for an ITC national championship sponsored by the USBC. The Aggies were the top qualifying team from the Allen Park, Mich., sectional last season and finished second at Allen Park the previous season. The Aggies won the ITC national championship in 2015.