Former Ephrata standout Elysia Current helped Wichita State’s women’s bowling team win the national championship a few weeks back. And she’s in line to win the national singles’ championship later this spring. Here is her story from my story in Monday’s New Era:

Elysia Current has come a long way from Dutch Lanes.

The 2003 Ephrata grad, who started bowling at age 7, has added the biggest prize to her crowded trophy case.

On April 21, she helped Witchita State’s women’s bowling team capture the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate championship.

It’s the second title in three years for the Shockers, traditionally one of the nation’s top programs. Witchita State was ranked first in the nation from the start of the season to the end.

“We’re all really excited about winning the national championship,” Current said in a phone interview from Witchita. “We all trained really, really hard mentally and physically over the last year for this. We were ready.”

Current, 22, began her college career at Penn State and transferred to Fairleigh-Dickinson before finally landing with Witchita State.

She hopes to become a professional bowler someday, and she’s well on her way.

Current was a USBC First-Team All-American this season after helping the Shockers capture their second title in three years.

Wichita State won the crown with a victory over McKendree College at Northrock Lanes in Wichita.

Current was an integral part of the Shockers’ run, usually playing No. 4 or No. 5 in the lineup.

She was named MVP of a pair of tournaments and made three all-tournament teams this season, averaging just under 200 per game.

“Elysia’s got very good balance, very good timing, very good leverage and a very good swing,” said Wichita State coach Gordon Vadakin, who has been in charge of the Shockers’ program since 1977.

“If you have all of those things, you’re a fundamentally sound, solid physical player, and that’s Elysia. She has no moving parts. She doesn’t throw the ball over the place.”

Current took the long road to Kansas, moving there after stops at two other schools.

So why Wichita State?

“Because it’s the best bowling school in the country,” said Current, a criminal justice major. “They were recruiting me early on, but I didn’t want to go that far away from home.

“After two years at Fairleigh-Dickinson I realized that I wanted to further my bowling career and I got in touch with Wichita State.”

Current earned the No. 3 seed out of 16 bowlers in the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Tournament, set for May 20-22 in Huntsville, Alabama.

She was seeded 11th in that tournament while bowling for Fairleigh-Dickinson last year, and she made it all the way to the finals before falling.

“I really hope to win it all this time and put that on my bowling resume,” Current said. “Finishing second was a huge accomplishment for me.”

It will also be a huge accomplishment for Current, she said, if she can become a professional bowler.

There is not a pro women’s tour at the moment, but there are some women’s pro events on tap for later this summer.

Current said becoming a pro bowler has been her goal since she was 10 years old.

For now, she’ll continue to roll as an amateur for Wichita State, where she has one more year of eligibility.