Australian bowler happy to return home to Wichita State

In 2010, Stephen Cowland departed Wichita State and went home to Australia. He returned in August to find new teammates and the remodeled Rhatigan Student Center, home of the bowling team.

“So it wasn’t even like stepping back in time,” he said. “It’s same-same, but different.”

Same coaches, same practice routines and the same high expectations. Cowland, 27, wasn’t going to bowl anywhere else after he spent four years in Australia completing his economics degree.

“They’re the best,” Cowland said. “I won two national titles when I was here before and there’s no other place I would come back to bowl for, definitely.”

WSU’s bowling teams start their season on Saturday at the MidStates Championships at Northrock Lanes and The Alley. Cowland, more mature, more committed, is happy to be a part of the team again.

In 2010, Cowland wanted to graduate in four years and he missed his girlfriend in Australia. Staying at WSU would have extended his graduation date by two years, so he returned home to Blackbutt and attended the nearby University of Wollongong. He kept his bowling sharp by competing in tournaments and with the Australian national team. But when he graduated, he couldn’t find a job and learned many employers wanted accounting skills.

“If economics has taught me anything, it’s demand and supply,” he said.

Adding an accounting degree would take two years in Australia or two at WSU, so he called the Shocker coaches early in 2014 and planned his return.

“As long as they still wanted me here, and apparently they did,” he said. “I got lucky. The chance to mix bowling and an education is a pretty good one.”

Shocker coaches welcomed him back, although they didn’t count on him until he showed up in August. The process of getting foreign students into the United States and into school can be complicated, even for a sport that doesn’t fall under NCAA rules for eligibility. Coaches kept in touch through Facebook and e-mail.

“It seemed like a longshot,” assistant coach Mark Lewis said. “It still wasn’t 100 percent until he walked in the door before school and said, ‘I’m here.’”

In Cowland’s first run at WSU, the lure of home pulled at him. Now that he is back, he plans to stay the next two seasons.

“He’s here mentally more than he was in his first stint,” Lewis said. “It wasn’t like someone who was from Iowa and could drive home for the weekend. Now he can say, ‘I’m here and I’m here because I really want to be,’ knowing how much he missed it. It feels like he’s ready.”

The Shockers picked up a newcomer already expert in the program’s expectations. He added four years of international experience and it made for an easy adjustment when he returned to WSU.

“By the time you get them to seniors is about the time they’re starting to play pretty good,” coach Gordon Vadakin said. “He’s brought a lot of stability to the team. He’s a tremendous team player and that hasn’t changed. He’ll do anything asked of him.”

Matt McNiel (29) is the oldest Shocker. Cowland doesn’t mind his role as one of the elders on the team.

“I was one of the older ones my first time around, so I was kind of used to that dynamic,” he said. “You see things where you want to say, ‘What are you doing?’ but I was 18 once and you understand.”

WSU’s men finished third last season in the Intercollegiate Team Championships and the women ninth. The national tournament (with team and singles competition) will be held in April at Northrock Lanes, and again in 2016.

This story was originally published October 10, 2014 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Australian bowler happy to return home to Wichita State."