NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kutztown University jumped up two spots and cracked the top 10 in the National Tenpins Coaches Association Top 20 Poll for December 2012.
 
KU is 34-12 overall on the year and most recently went 10-2 to finish third at the Red Flash Invitational, hosted by Saint Francis (Pa.).  The Golden Bears were ranked 12 in the season's first poll.
 
Central Missouri tops the poll, climbing from No. 5 to the top spot and garnering 16 first place votes.  Maryland-Eastern Shore dropped one spot to second, garnering the final eight first place votes.  Vanderbilt, Sam Houston State and Fairleigh Dickinson round out the top five, respectively.
 
Kutztown is the third highest ranked team out of the Northeast Conference.  FDU ranks fifth, while Adelphi checks in at No. 8.  KU's 34 wins is tied with AU for third in college bowling, behind only Sam Houston State (46) and Central Arkansas (41).
 
The Golden Bears have been led this season by Brooke Bower (Camp Hill, PA/Cedar Cliff), with a season average of 206.182.  Christine Gordon (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) is hovering just under the 200 mark with a 2012-13 average of 196.192. 
 
KU is idle for winter break until returning for the Terrier New Year Knockdown on January 19-20 hosted by Saint Francis (N.Y.) in Brooklyn, N.Y.  After that, the Golden Bears return home for the KU Invitational on January 25-27.
 
2012-13 NTCA DECEMBER NATIONAL POLL

Rank	Institution	1st Place Votes	Points	PR
1.	University of Central Missouri	16	683	5
2.	Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore	8	659	1
3.	Vanderbilt University		546	4
4.	Sam Houston State University		510	8
5.	Fairleigh Dickinson University		498	3
6.	University of Nebraska		452	6
7.	Arkansas State University		448	2
8.	Adelphi University		346	15
9.	University of Wisconsin Whitewater		332	14
10.	Kutztown University		279	12
11.	Saint Francis University		260	19
12.	Sacred Heart University		222	7
13.	Stephen F. Austin		168	10
14.	Norfolk State University		152	11
15.	Valparaiso University		136	9
16.	Long Island University		102	NR
17.	New Jersey City University		76	13
18.	Saint Francis College		65	NR
19.	Bethune-Cookman University		34	17
20.	Alabama State University		30	NR

Also receiving points:
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ; McKendree University, Lebanon, IL; North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, NC; Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL; Delaware State University, Dover, DE; Ursuline University, Pepper Pike, OH; Bowie State University, Bowie, MD; Winston Salem State University, Winston Salem, NC; Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX;
 
Point system:
NTCA voters rank the top 20 teams on their ballot. Each position has a designated point value, ranging from 32 points for first place and one point for twentieth place. To be ranked teams need to equal or surpass the minimum vote criteria, which is one vote for every eight ballots submitted. In this poll, three votes were necessary. The actual ranking position is determined by using the adjusted point standings, which lists in priority order the total points a school has accumulated after the highest and lowest votes are dropped. 

The specific point values are:  1st place = 32 points, 2nd = 29, 3rd = 27, 4th = 25, 5th = 23, 6th = 21, 7th = 19, 8th = 17, 9th = 15, 10th = 13, 11th = 11, 12th = 9, 13th = 8, 14th = 7, 15th = 6, 16th = 5, 17th = 4, 18th = 3, 19th = 2, 20th = 1.