Honors & Awards
- NTCA Bowler of the Year (2015)
- NTCA First-Team All-American (2013, 2014, 2015)
- NCAA Championship Most Valuable Bowler (2013)
- NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team (2013, 2015)
- Nebraska Best Female Athlete (All Sports, 2015)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2013, 2014, 2015)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2012; Spring 2013, 2014, 2015)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2014, 2015)
2014-15 (Senior)
One of the most prolific bowlers in Husker history, Lizabeth Kuhlkin capped off a tremendous senior season that culminated with winning an NCAA team title and National Tenpin Coaches Association Bowler-of-the-Year honors in 2015. Kuhlkin was the seventh Husker to capture the award, and the first since Cassandra Leuthold in 2010.
Kuhlkin compiled a staggering season pinfall average of 218.6 per game, leading NU to its fifth NCAA title and earning her first-team NTCA All-America honors for the third time in her career. In the championship tournament, Kuhlkin led the Huskers with a 216.1 game average with only 12 open frames.
Following the season, Kuhlkin won Nebraska's first Best Female Athlete Award, presented to NU's top women's athlete across all sports.
The 2013 MVP of the NCAA Championship match, Kuhlkin started the 2015 season with a bang, as she led the Huskers to a first-place finish at the Crusader Classic in Valparaiso, Ind. Kuhlkin performed valiantly, winning the individual competition with a 209.3 game average with a high score of 240. She also earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
Kuhlkin continued her winning ways at Nebraska’s Big Red Invite held at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln. Kuhlkin again earned a spot on the all-tournament team, compiling a 222.5 average to lead the Huskers to their second tournament victory of the season.
The hot-streak continued for Kuhlkin as the Huskers traveled to Texas to compete in the Track Kat Klash in Houston, as Kuhlkin led NU to its third consecutive tournament title to open the 2015 season. She was named to the all-tournament team with a 215.5 average and a high game of 277.
After nearly a month off from competition for the holidays, Kuhlkin and the Huskers traveled to Jonesboro, Ark., to compete in the Mid-Winter Classic at Arkansas State. Kuhlkin placed second in the individual competition, leading the Huskers to a third-place finish. Kuhlkin averaged 219.8 over the weekend with a high score of 258.
Kuhlkin powered NU to a team title the following week at the Prairie View A&M Invite with a steady 209.3 average. A week later, Kuhlkin added a 213 average at the Stephen F. Austin LadyJack Classic to finish 10th individually.
Kuhlkin put together a sizzling 234.3 average at the Central Missouri Women’s Invitational to win the individual competition and earn her fifth all-tournament spot of the season.
In the final regular-season tournament of her collegiate career, Kuhlkin helped lead the Huskers to an 11-3 match play record, including a 4-0 mark on the final day of competition. She finished 12th with a 213 average.
2013-14 (Junior)
Kuhlkin captured first-team All-America honors for the second straight season after leading Nebraska back to the NCAA Championship match for the second straight season.
Kuhlkin sealed NU's first win of the NCAA Tournament with a strong total pinfall of 247. She also led the Huskers to a victory over top-ranked Arkansas State with a 237.
The native of New York entered her third season as a Husker after an impressive summer where she earned a spot on the Junior U.S. National Team with an outstanding performance at the Junior Gold Tournament.
She captured all-tournament honors at three of the seven invitationals throughout the 2013-14 season, including the Crusader Classic in Valparaiso, Ind. (Nov. 8), the Central Missouri Invitational (Feb. 28- March 1), and the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn. (March 7-9).
Kuhlkin got off to a strong start as a junior by averaging an impressive 206 at the Big Red Invitational (Nov. 21-23). She finished second in the overall individual standings.
She continued her success at the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., where she won the individual competition and pushed the team to a 10-3 overall record at the tournament. She posted an impressive 222.8 average through five games (1,104 total pinfall) in the individual competition, including a high score of 258 in her first game.
Kuhlkin contributed to an outstanding win at the Central Missouri Invitational by finishing second in the individual standings to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. She posted a 224.4 average over the weekend, including a high score of 245.
She produced another strong performance at the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn., where Kuhlkin finished fifth overall in the individual standings. She averaged 210.2 in six traditional team games, including an impressive high score of 234. Kuhlkin earned a spot on the Music City Classic All-Tournament Team.
Kuhlkin continued her standout role off the lanes by capturing academic All-Big Ten honors and earning a spot on the inaugural Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She was also a member of the Nebraska Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
2012-13 (Sophomore)
Kuhlkin led Nebraska's run to the 2013 NCAA title as a first-team NTCA All-American and the Most Valuable Bowler of the NCAA Championships. She recorded a team-high 214.9 average throughout the season, before taking her game to an even higher level with a 219.8 average at the NCAA Championships.
During the 2012-13 regular season, Kuhlkin captured a team-best four all-tournament selections, including the Mid-Winter Classic (Jan. 11-13) where Kuhlkin bowled a 218.8 average with total pinfall of 1,094. At Nebraska's next tournament, the Prairie View A&M Invite (Feb. 1-3), Kuhlkin continued to dominate with a 209.8 average (1,049 total pinfall).
Kuhlkin helped the Huskers sweep the field at the Central Missouri Women’s Bowling Invitational (March 1-3), with a season-high average of 238.4. In the final tournament of the regular season, Kuhlkin powered the Huskers with a 221.8 average at the prestigious Music City Classic (March 15-17).
A standout in the classroom as well, Kuhlkin claimed academic All-Big Ten honors, while earning spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2012-13.
2011-12 (Freshman)
Kuhlkin was a significant contributor to Nebraska's third-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships. She recorded a 193 average with 73 pocket hits at the 2012 NCAA Championships.
Her postseason performance followed a strong regular season that included a career-best 217.8 average at the Prairie View A&M Invitational in Arlington, Texas. She added a 215.6 average at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln. Kuhlkin opened her collegiate career with a 202.4 average with 62 pocket hits at the Crusader Classic in Valparaiso, Ind.
She recorded a 197.4 pinfall average for her freshman year, bowling 43 games.
Before Nebraska
Kuhlkin graduated from Schalmont High School in New York as one of the most decorated youth bowlers in the nation. Kuhlkin bowled an 835 series and was honored as a Times-Union Female Athlete of the Month. In 2009-10, Kuhlkin was honored as the USBC youth female high average winner. Kuhlkin also was a member of the Schalmont Sabres Section II Class B State Championship team. Kuhlkin has been bowling since age six and also played softball at Schalmont.
Personal
The daughter of Mark and Ricki Kuhlkin, Lizabeth was born on Sept. 15, 1993. Lizabeth has one brother, Derek. Lizabeth is a criminology and criminal justice major at Nebraska and earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She is also a four-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.