Rutherford, N.J. - The Felician women's bowling team begins the 2026-2027 season on Saturday and Sunday at the Bud Whitman Memorial Invitational, hosted by Chestnut Hill. 

The Golden Falcons were picked first in the C.A.A.C. Women's Bowling Preseason Coaches Poll for the third consecutive year, receiving five of the six first-place votes. Felician is coming off an impressive 2025-2026 season, which saw the green and gold place second at the C.A.A.C. Championship. 

Felician was also picked 9th in the NTCA 2026-2027 Pre-Season DII & DIII Coaches Poll, receiving 60 points. The Golden Falcons finished last season ranked 30th in the NCAA RPI metric across all three divisions. 

The green and gold return six bowlers from last year's team and added two freshmen to bolster the roster. Charlet Villanueva placed second at the N.J. State Elks Association Youth Tournament, while Abby Gannon was a four-time regional qualifier and a state qualifier.

The two-day invitational kicks off Saturday and ends on Sunday at Bowlero in Deptford, N.J.