Bree Powers '24 joins the Cougar bowling staff for the 2026-2027 season. Powers was a three-year contributor to the Columbia College bowling program under head coach Damon Helgevold.
A native of Belleville, Illinois, Powers helped build the Cougar program into what it is today and still holds a place among its all-time bowling leaders. She currently ranks 7th on the career average list, 5th in career total pinfall (18,552) and 5th in career games played (109). She also holds several single-season marks, ranking 2nd and 5th in single-season total pinfall with 8,121 (2023-2024) and 7,587 (2022-2023), respectively, and 3rd in single-event average at a Tier I tournament after shooting a 195.3 across six games at the 2023 Hoosier Classic.
A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and three-time NCBCA Academic All-American, Powers graduated early in the spring of 2024. She earned her first All-Tournament honor at the 2023 Avila Eagle Invite, where she placed second, and picked up her second All-Tournament Team selection later that season at the Mustang Invite in Sioux City, Iowa, placing fourth.
Her best season came in her final year with the Cougars, 2023-2024. In addition to her fourth-place, All-Tournament finish at the Mustang Invite, she led the team in average at 172.8, threw a team-high 47 games, knocked down 8,121 pins and averaged no worse than 170 across the final seven events of the season. She also helped lead Columbia to its second-ever USBC ITC Sectionals appearance — and first since 2021 — in Addison, Illinois.
Before coming to Columbia, Powers was a varsity letter winner at Mascoutah High School in Illinois, where she helped the team to a sixth-place finish at the Illinois State High School Bowling Tournament, its first top finish since 2006.
Bree currently resides in Fulton with her husband, Josh.
