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Harding College has been to bowling inthe Arkansas I ntercollegiate Conferenceand the National Association of I n­tercollegiate Athletics about what UCLAhas been to basketball in the NCAA. For13 consecutive years the Bison keglershave won the NAIA Distri ct 17 title andhave participated in the NAIA nationalbowling championships in Kansas City.They have won four NAIA national titles- in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1975, underthe gu idance of Coach Ed Burt - haveplaced second two times, th ird two t imes,and fourth three times . Harding is theonly member of the AIC ever to win anational title. Other AIC schools haveparticipated in the final playoffs inbasketball and football but they havefailed to win the coveted NAIA Championship.Dominating the top four conferenceplaces, Harding captured its fourthconsecutive AIC title in 1977 and itstwelfth conference title in the 15 yearsthat bowling has been an AIC sport. Thelast two rounds, which were bowled atPark Plaza in Little Rock, were held inconjunction with the NAIA Di strict 17and Area IV roll-offs which the Bisonswon for the thirteenth straight year. KevinFisher, Charl es Howell, Rick Work, andBryan Davis were the four top bowlerswith season pinfalls of 4,604, . 4,475,4,460, and 4,444, respectively . The teamrall ied to place third in the nat ionaltournament in Kansas City.When this section was sent to theprinter, the 1978 team had completed itsfirst round of conference competitionwith a tremendous record of 3,090 pinfallfor an average of 206 per game for thef ive-man team. Coach Burt said, " It's aprivilege to be able to work with such agreat bunch of guys. They are willing towork and practice and they take pride inwhat they do." Burt requires each ·bowlerto roll at least three games a day, butmany bowl more.Bowling was added to AIC competitionfor the 1963 season and Harding entered ateam the first year with M. E. "Pinky"Berryhill, professor of physical educationand former Athletic Director as coach.Sparked by the leadership and performanceof senior Steve Smith, now onthe Harding mathematics faculty, the1963 team placed second in the AIC andqualified for the trip to Kansas City. The1964 team placed third in the AIC and didnot qualify for the nationals; however,the 1965 team began the current string of13 consecutive trips to Kansas City undera revised format that qualifies only eightteams for the national tournament. Amember of the 1965 and 1966 teams wasDennis Organ, now on the HardingEngli sh faculty, who received t he 1966AIC Cli ff Shaw Scholar-Athlete Award. In1966, Larry Yurcho and Johnny Beckplaced second in the national doublescompetition. During the f irst three years,"I am exceptionally proud of theboys that 1 have had on ourbowling teams over the years."[Coach Burt 1the College rented t ime from the WhiteCounty Lanes east of town for the team.In 1966, when the lanes closed, theCollege purchased the lanes, changed thename to College Bowl, and employed JoeStout to manage the Bowl and coach thebowling team which he did for one year.Although the 1967 team placed onlyfourth in the nationals, freshman Charl esBurt won the national singles title andteamed with Charles Webb to fini shsecond in the 'doubles competition.During his collegiate career, Burt ledHarding to four consecutive AICchampionships, four consecutive NAIADi strict 17 and Area IV titles, and oneNAIA national championship, in 1970,when he again won the national singlestitle. In 1969, he and Webb had againplaced second in doubles .• A four-timeparticipant in the national tournament,Bu rt is the only bowler ever to win theNAIA singles title twice. As a senior in1970, he averaged 202 .1 per game for the15-game tournament. Spanning four yearsof national competition, Burt averaged193.5 in 63 tournament games. O n thebasis of his outstanding collegiatebowling career, he was ind!:'cted into theNAIA Bowling Hall of Fame on April 14,1977 . He is now a registered pharmacist inLittle Rock.Ed Burt, father of Charles, who hadmanaged the Cooper Lanes in Batesvi llefor over seven years, was employed bythe College in October of 1967 to managethe College Bowl and to coach thebowling team when Stout returned toprofessional bowling. The Bowl wasclosed in the fall of 1973 when t heHammon Student Center was completedand the excellent 12 lanes in the StudentCenter became operative as the BisonLanes, serving both the College and thecommunity.Only two members of the 1970 teamwere back for 1971 , but the Bisons againwon the NAIA national title. DaveH.udson and Glen n Hanmer, newcomersto the team, won the doubles title. Threekeglers returned for 1972 and Hardingwon the national title for the thirdconsecutive year. Although Hudson had aphenomenal 3, 162 pinfall for the 15-gametournament, an average of 210.2 pergame, an NAIA individual record, he wasdefeated for the singles championship inthe two-game roll-off. In 1973, Hudson'ssenior year, he won the si ngles title in thetwo-game roll off although he rankedsecond at the close of the 15-gametournament.184 • Bowting