Juan Villa / Photo Editor

HAVING TWO OF ITS top players represent the nation on Team USA is nothing new for the Bulldog Bowling Club.

This year, Josh Blanchard and P.J. Haggerty will represent Fresno State and the entire country against the top bowlers from 96 countries across the globe.

Blanchard, a 19-year-old entrepreneurship major, earned a spot on Junior Team USA for the first time.

“The selection process for Junior Team USA was in July in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There’s a tournament with 1,100 guys and only eight make it,� Blanchard said. “I was fortunate to get one of those spots.�

While Blanchard qualified for Junior Team USA, Haggerty will compete on the official Team USA squad.

With his experience, the 21-year-old Haggerty is already a Team USA veteran.

“It’s a great honor making Team USA. It’s the best thing you can do in bowling,� Haggerty said. He earned the collegiate most valuable player of the year award for two years.

Blanchard and Haggerty credit much of their success to the coaches of the Bulldog Bowling Club, Glenn Carlson and Chris Preble.

“I was good when I got here, but I have brought my game to another level,� Blanchard said of head coach Carlson. “It was a great honor and I’ve become one of the elite players in the country because of what he’s done to my game.�

Haggerty, a senior criminology major, also mentioned his coaches as one reason he will join Adult Team USA this year. “I couldn’t have done it without them,� Haggerty said.

Preble, who has served as assistant coach for five years under Carlson, expressed nothing but praise for his two top athletes.

“They’re two of the hardest workers down here,� Preble said. “They’ve grown really close this year.�

Working very closely with his Team USA players, Preble described how each of them has grown during the last few years.

“Josh has been a sponge in the system. He has soaked up as much information as we’ve been able to give him,� Preble said, calling Blanchard one his “extremely self-motivated� players.

As for Haggerty, Preble recognized the important and distinct role he plays as a member of the club. “He’s our leader,� Preble said.
“P.J. is a very determined athlete, and he gets the kids fired up.�

Though he described bowling as “a very individual game,� Preble recognized the team spirit that accompanies the members when they attend tournaments in places such as Las Vegas and San Jose, Calif.

The Bulldog Bowling Club, one of the lesser-known organizations at Fresno State, has had nationally recognized players in the past.

“Last year we had three guys and one girl on Team USA. That’s unheard of, especially on one team in the country,� Blanchard explained. “We were ranked number one for two years straight and nobody ever hears about that.�

Haggerty said the bowling club gets very little media coverage. “I understand why we don’t get much exposure. I know some students don’t even go to the Student Union,� he said.

With a grand trophy case at the Student Union full of awards from countless bowling tournaments, Haggerty wondered why so many students are unaware of their success. “I wish people knew we had one of the top five teams in the country,� Haggerty said.

With much more traveling in store for the Bulldog Bowling Club, the boys anticipate a few more trophies to be added to the case.