Bond Carrying the Torch for Husker Bowling

Randy York’s N-Sider

The most talented incoming Nebraska freshman bowler in the last 14 years is now carrying the Husker torch for national dominance, and she’s already learned a powerful lesson. One weekend after being named the MVP of Nebraska’s NCAA Championship women’s bowling team in St. Louis, first-year Husker Julia Bond lost the NCAA Intercollegiate Singles Championship in Wichita to a former Husker. A native of Aurora, Ill., Bond dominated Vanderbilt’s Robin Renslow, 222-179, in the Intercollegiate Singles semifinals before losing the title match to Emily Eckhoff on Saturday.

“Emily was on our 2012-13 team, but not on scholarship so she transferred to HastingsCollege,” Nebraska Coach Bill Straub said. “She’s a really good bowler and a really good person. Two years ago, (Nebraska’s) Kristi Mickelson won the same national singles competition, which is open to all college bowlers regardless of division.” Bond will benefit from the experience, especially since she has three more years of collegiate eligibility. “We haven’t had a player with Julia’s kind of accolades since Shannon Pluhowsky (the world’s No. 1-ranked women’s bowler) and that’s been 14 years ago,” Straub said of Bond. “Julia’s not only a star in the making; she’s a star now, and I think she’s ready to carry the torch for Husker bowling right now.”

Liz Kuhlkin Named Huskers’ First-Ever Best Female Athlete

Put Lizabeth Kuhlkin (pictured above) in the same  category. A three-time first-team All-America bowler from Schenectady, N.Y., and the winner of Nebraska’s first-ever Best Female Athlete Award, Kuhlkin knew how good Bond was before she ever set foot on UNL’s campus.

“Julia made the All-USA team,” Kuhlkin pointed out. “She’s a very mature individual, so you don’t have to tell her much. She’s 19 years old, but acts like she’s 25. She’s very talented and very good at keeping her equilibrium. She can be hard on herself sometimes, but I think that’s a good thing at her age. She understands her talent, and I know she’ll keep the Nebraska tradition alive. I was excited to see her development throughout her first year and excited to see it in years to come. We have a very talented team from top to bottom.”

Straub feels fortunate to have coached both nationally prominent bowlers on the same team – Kuhlkin as a senior leader and Bond as a freshman superstar who performed well in Nebraska’s national championship match two weekends ago. Both Husker bowlers are integral parts of the Huskers’ solid overall foundation despite taking different routes to the top. 

Bond Arrived at Nebraska Ultra-Talented; Kuhlkin Developed Hers

“We had a unique situation,” Straub said. “Liz was a developed star. She came here with skills that we thought would help us out. She did not draw a lot of accolades. She viewed herself not only as a player, but as a person in the program. She was not a starter to begin with. She identified with other players who were in a similar situation. They were not stars coming in.”

Bond (pictured above) arrived at Nebraska with fanfare and expectations from everyone who followed her stellar prep career in suburban Chicago. “She had so many accolades before she came our direction,” Straub said. “She came in here assuming that she was going to succeed. The only other player with that kind of success coming in was Shannon (Pluhowski).”

Straub would like to complement Bond’s talent with a steady performer like Kuhlkin. “We’d like someone who’s been there, done that,” he said. “There’s a growth process, and I think it’s something rewarding for that. Liz plays both sides in a productive way. She not only is able to do what others who are real skilled can do or what their particular tasks are, but she can identify with the person who struggles to get to that level. That makes her a mother figure in my mind.”

Liz Experienced Something She Calls Absolutely Amazing

Kuehlkin also extended her NCAA role this past week, competing in Kearney for statewide individual intercollegiate recognition that will continue. Before that, she was shocked eight days ago when she earned the Best Female Athlete Award. “I knew I was a finalist, but I really didn’t think I was going to win it,” Kuhlkin told me. “I got on the bus in St. Louis and worked on a speech on my laptop all the way back to Lincoln. I was really doing it for my sake to capture some of my feelings. I didn’t think I would actually be referring to it at the banquet Sunday night. It was great to be part of two national championships. The individual award was the cherry on top of it all. It just put the emotions I’ve experienced into something I'd call absolutely amazing.”

Bond marvels at Kuelkin’s work ethic and was glad to see her teammate win a major award at the 25th annual student-athlete recognition banquet at the downtown Lied Center for the performing arts. “We knew Liz was great and had a chance to win the Female Athlete of the Year,” Kuelkin told me. “We had goose bumps when they announced her name.”

“Liz did an excellent job accepting the award,” Straub said. “Her preparation was good. She never patted herself on the back. She just remembered what she accomplished and what her team accomplished and explained her life in the program and what it meant to be a Husker. It got emotional for Liz. She’s human. The crowd adopted her because they could feel what she was going through. I had tears like she did, and so did so many others who know Liz personally.”

If Bond Had Time, She Would Watch All Husker Sports

Kuhlkin’s goal is to bowl professionally. “I’m graduating this summer and will try to find some potential sponsors,” she said. “I’m going to move back to New York, live with my parents, save some money, get my feet on the ground, and hope to get a decent contract and go from there. I need to pay off some loans while I pursue my dream. If everything goes right with my contract, I’m hoping I can teach and coach others, too.”

Bond made her television debut on the national team championship two weekends ago. “It was very stressful,” she said. “A lot of friends texted me. My friends and family in Chicago were excited they mentioned my hometown on the telecast. It was a big deal to them.” Bond next will appear on the CBS Sports Network on Monday, May 4, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Her lopsided national title match loss was a milestone, but not a career highlight. The most talented Husker bowler in 14 years knows she was not at her best and understands there will be other opportunities. In the meantime, humility will cancel highlight and postpone history. It’s all part of the growth of a 19-year-old student-athlete loaded with talent, drive and ambition.

The only other sport Bond has played is badminton. “I’m a big Nebraska fan,” she told me. “I’ve gone to football, basketball, volleyball and baseball games. I want to go to some gymnastics meets. If I could, I’d watch all the sports here at Nebraska. This is an exciting place to be!”

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