By Marty Gordon
Emilee Horton has known bowling for most of her life. As a matter of fact, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say she was born with a bowling ball in her hand. Her father, Ronnie, is a professional bowler so his daughter has heard the crack of the pins from a very young age.
Now, Horton is taking that experience to college at Tusculum University with a partial scholarship,
“I chose Tusculum University because I feel the academics they provide will make me the most successful in the future. I also really like the treatment and attention the school gives to the sport,” Horton said.
Tusculum University is a private Presbyterian university with its main campus in Tusculum, Tenn., with a current enrollment of 1,260 students.
The NCAA Bowling Championship is a sanctioned women’s championship in college athletics. Unlike many NCAA sports, only one championship is held each season with teams from Division I, Division II, and Division III competing together.
The collegiate bowling season runs from late October through the end of March, and the National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship is held in April.
Last year, Tusculum University finished eighth at the Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) sectional qualifier. Of their 20 wins, seven came against nationally ranked opposition.
Tusculum enters this year as the 11th-ranked team in the country according to the preseason National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Division II/III Poll.
Horton started bowling when she was 7 after watching her dad compete professionally.
“I thought the way he could make the ball move was so cool, and I wanted to do it too,” she said.
Her highest scoring game is 279, her highest series mark is 690 with an average that most people only dream of (196).
She recently won a Tough Shots Tour tournament and came in second in the Pepsi Cola Tournament last year. Horton also qualified for the Junior Gold Championship all four years of high school and finished in the top one-third this past summer.
Horton plans to study business at Tusculum.
