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Belleville, Ill. – Lindenwood – Belleville announced that it has signed one of the top bowlers in the state, Clayton Wilke, to bowl next season with the university.
Wilke, who ranked 17th in the Illinois State Tournament in 2011, will join the inaugural program at Lindenwood – Belleville. “When we found out someone of Clayton's caliber was still available, he immediately became a must-have,” said Curtis Wilkerson, head bowling coach. “He is going to make a huge impact for us and put us in position to compete at a high level right away.”
Wilke’s departure from Highland will leave a noticeable void in the lineup there. In his high school career, Wilke was named All-Division in all four years, as well as All-Conference and team MVP in three consecutive seasons.
After being named team captain in his senior year, Wilke went on to average 217 for the season. He will join a first-year program that will build with youth. “We got a bit of a late start to our recruiting, but are very fortunate to have this type of young talent sign with us,” Wilkerson said.
The university expects to compete at a high level against extremely tough competition. “We’re very close in proximity to two schools that compete for national championships every year, Lindenwood St. Charles and McKendree,” mentioned Wilkerson. “We want to compete against this level of talent. To become better, you need to face the best and beat them. That is what we will be working toward, and Clayton Wilke will help us do that.”
Wilke is one of several local bowlers that will be on the team. LU – Belleville has focused on local talent and has signed several bowlers from the Metro East area, including Belleville, Edwardsville, Highland, Freeburg, and Granite City.
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