native of Armenia, Colombia, has been lauded
as nothing short of “the best bowler in the world”
by some of those in the know. Guerrero is also
an Academic All-American.
Tucked away in the basement of the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State’s bowling program goes about its pin-busting business rather inconspicuously, even though the Shockers regularly compete for national championships.
So the fact that you’ve probably never heard of Clara Guerrero, a first-year player on the women’s team, is completely understandable.
Long-time coach Gordon Vadakin ’82, who uses his enthusiasm and talkative nature to publicize his teams whenever possible, describes her as the best-kept secret in Wichita.
Here’s why: Several years ago, Guerrero was selected as the best bowler in the world — yes, the world — by a well-respected website that covers and analyzes the sport.
Even though Guerrero won the 2000 International Player of the Year award from bowlingdigital.com, Vadakin reports that few people outside of the local bowling community are aware of her.
“It’s really something when you think about it,” he says. “We’ve got literally one of the best bowlers on the planet’s surface right here at Wichita State.”
WSU annually attracts the most talented players the sport has to offer, evidenced by the 87 All-Americans the program has produced, but Guerrero may be the top recruit Vadakin has ever landed.
The Armenia, Colombia, native has medaled in many of the prestigious international events: the FIQ World Championships, the Pan American Games, the AMF World Cup, the Tournament of Americas, and the list could go on.
After surviving the program’s rigorous tryouts, Guerrero was selected for the Shocker team in September 2003. She wasted little time making an impact, establishing a school record for spare accuracy (95 percent) during the three-week process. “She’s simply one of the best spare shooters I’ve ever seen,” Vadakin says. “Her percentage was just exceptional — whipped all the guys even.”
Guerrero is obviously a talented bowler, but perhaps more impressive is the dedication and work ethic she showed before reaching the lanes at Wichita State. It’s a story Vadakin loves to tell.
When Guerrero arrived in Wichita about a year and a half ago, she didn’t speak any English. So she enrolled in WSU’s intensive English program, learned the language and eventually passed the required competency exam. In January, Guerrero was named one of the team’s 12 Academic All-Americans.
“What an accomplishment from someone who literally started from scratch, with no knowledge of the language,” Vadakin says. “I’ve been just shocked by her level of commitment.”
Bowling at WSU is a dream come true of sorts for Guerrero, who began the sport when she was only 8. Guerrero’s parents were bowlers, and she lived only a couple blocks from one of her country’s few centers. “I remember walking there every day,” she recalls. “It was like my second home, you know.”
Sara Vargas ’01, another accomplished Shocker bowler from Colombia, helped recruit Guerrero to Wichita State. But Vadakin’s efforts were aided considerably by ESPN telecasts of former Shockers on the PBA tour. (Eleven are currently on tour.)
“I saw Wichita State bowlers on ESPN and I say to myself, ‘I have to go there,’” Guerrero says with a smile. “I knew Wichita State was excellent. We all come here to be No. 1 in the nation. But it’s not pressure, it’s just really nice to be on this team. I’m so proud to be here.”
Guerrero is surrounded by other talented bowlers on the women’s team, which won four consecutive events late in the regular season to assume the top spot in the bowling writers’ national poll.
Anita Manns, a junior from Austin, Texas, is a strong candidate for collegiate bowler of the year, Vadakin says. A fixture on all-tournament teams this season, Manns is included on collegebowling.com’s list of the nation’s top 10 players.
Proving she’s solid under pressure, she converted a 4-9 split to beat Nebraska in the finals of the Brunswick Coca-Cola Invitational in early February in Las Vegas.
“She’s a great spare shooter, super accurate,” Vadakin reports. “She’s very coachable, very loyal to what we’re doing here. We’re blessed to have her.”
Sophomore Olivia Sandham placed second at the 2004 USA Bowling National Amateur Championships in January to earn a spot on Team USA.
Both Shocker men and women began pursuit of national titles at sectional competition March 20-21 in Blue Springs, Mo. The top 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams earned entry into the sectional qualifiers. The national championships are slated for April 14-18 in Tulsa, Okla.
The Shocker women are perennially among the top teams in the country, but they haven’t won a national championship since 1994, a lengthy drought by WSU standards. “It’s been 10 years, and that’s a big focus for these ladies,” Vadakin says. “They’re very hungry. They know it’s time.”
Meanwhile, the men’s team will try to defend the national championship it won in dramatic fashion last season — the Shockers’ seventh title overall but the first since 1987. Sean Rash, an All-American and Team usa member, leads the No. 1-ranked team.
“He’s a very accomplished player,” Vadakin says. “This is looking ahead, but with his skills it’s going to be hard to keep him out of the winner’s circle on the PBA tour someday.”
