GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's bowling team will open its inaugural campaign this Sunday as they compete at the St. Thomas More Classic in Erlanger, Kentucky.
The Pioneers have five tournaments on tap for this pandemic-shortened spring. Following this weekend's tournament, TU will compete at the Lincoln Memorial University Collegiate Challenge in Harrogate, Tennessee, Feb. 13-14. Tusculum will compete in a pair of events in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb. 20-21. TU will bowl in the Hoosier #1 and #2 on Feb. 20, followed on the next day at the Hoosier #3 and #4.
Tusculum will return to Indianapolis Mar. 27-28 to close out the regular season at the Columbia 300 Western Shootout.
This year's inaugural squad features eight student-athletes for Director of Bowling Shawn Flanary including three juniors and six freshmen.
Tyler Moore bowled at Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Tennessee where he was a four-time All-District first team selection and the 2018 Tennessee Mr. Bowler. He won the 2017 Individual State championship and led his Lebanon team to three TSSAA District titles. He was named the 2017 Tennessee Sports Awards Bowler of the Year and posted a 221.86 average in his senior campaign. He still holds the school record with his three-game series 824.
Local product Toney Franklin attended West Greene High School. The Mosheim, Tennessee junior lettered in five sports including soccer, cross country, golf, wrestling and baseball. Huntsville, Alabama junior Justin Byrd was a four-year lettermen at Buckhorn High School.
Gabe Taulbee, a freshman from Lebanon, Ohio, was an All-Conference standout at Lebanon High School where he posted a school-record average of 222.8. He was the 2019 GWOC West Division Athlete of the Year and owned the highest pin-fall of 43,756 in his 208 games.
Freshman Jared Vermillion (Kingsport, Tenn.) earned All-Conference accolades on four occasions while bowling at Dobyns-Bennett High School. He was the 2020 Conference Most Valuable Player and also lettered in soccer for the Indians.
Brandon Wolfe (Cherokee, N.C.) is a graduate of Cherokee High School where he was a three-time MBC Bowling Tournament Champion and back-to-back Dogwood League Champion. He graduated with high honors from Cherokee and is a member of AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society).
