Brandon Bonta and Spencer Robarge grew up wanting to bowl for Wichita State. Now as they prepare to finish their collegiate careers as Shocker bowlers, they’re thrilled with their experience and happy to join a long line of Shockers guiding the next generation.  

“Leadership is always about, ‘How can I help the next guy up, as well as teach them the ways of Shocker bowling,’” Bonta said. “You become more of an asset to a team. Hopefully, for the guys who are here, I’ve created a path for them that can make them successful [so] they’re on the right track.” 

Robarge had a family connection to Shocker bowling. Even with that background, the transition to college challenged him. As his WSU career winds down, he savors giving advice that helps the freshmen navigate their new world, academically and athletically. 

“Freshman year, I was pretty wide-eyed and didn’t know what I was getting into,” Robarge said. “I just knew there were a bunch of guys who wanted to help me get better. Now, it’s my job and my duty to try to be that person for the younger kids. Try to pass on what was given to me when I got here.” 

Bonta and Robarge are preparing for their final days as Wichita State bowlers before they enter professional bowling. The Shockers, who finished third in 2024, begin the United States Bowling Congress' Intercollegiate Championships in Las Vegas with singles play on Tuesday. Team play starts Thursday.  

On the lanes, they helped WSU win the 2023 ITC title. They’ve stacked up individual awards such as All-American honors and as members of Junior Team USA. Robarge was named National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Rookie of the Year in 2022 and MVP of the All-American team in 2023 and 2024. Bonta was picked to the All-American first team in 2024 and second team in 2023. 

“Pretty dominant players,” WSU men’s coach Rick Steelsmith said. “You would put them up there with all the talented bowlers in the history of college bowling.”   

Bonta grew up in Wichita. Blake Demore, Robarge’s brother, bowled at Wichita State and the two are taking similar academic paths to a future in the bowling industry. 

“The year they came in was a big year for a lot of talent coming out of high school,” Steelsmith said. “In my mind, they were the top two out of that class.” 

Going to Wichita State was always the first choice. 

“(Denmore) was a business graduate, and that’s what drew me here,” Robarge said. “I knew the bowling was good.” 

Bonta won two Kansas high school championships at Wichita Northwest and his father started him on the lanes at 4. 

“It felt like a dream come true,” Bonta said. “Seeing all the great collegian bowlers, and then when they furthered their career into being a professional, from Wichita State, it made me want to become a Wichita State bowler.” 

For both, being a Wichita State bowler means passing on the program’s work ethic and standards. That applies to more than bowling practices, competing in as many tournaments as possible and team building. 

“Focusing on school before bowling is a big thing,” Robarge said. “Sometimes you’ve got to reel (freshmen) in and remind them that we’re students before athletes.” 

Alec Keplinger, who is on the PBA Tour, and Nick Sommer bowled on the 2023 champions and their example guided Robarge and Bonta. 

“They instilled a lot of really good information into me and were really good mentors,” Robarge said. “I learned to appreciate them a lot.” 

Bonta is a sport management major in WSU’s College of Applied Studies; he's planning to work on his master’s degree in sport management. He works in the Wichita State athletic department’s ticket office and wants to work in sports in the future, in addition to bowling professionally.  

Robarge is a business management and human resources major. His brother runs the pro shop at Century Lanes in Nixa, Missouri. While Robarge also plans to bowl on the PBA Tour, joining his brother in running a bowling center is also in his plans.  

At one recent practice, Steelsmith had to step away and he left Robarge in charge. That trust, Steelsmith said, is built over the decades of Shocker bowling. 

“It just kind of keeps rolling over, where the newcomers come in and they learn a little bit from the coaches and they learn from the upperclassmen,” Steelsmith said. “They have that model and they know what’s expected.” 

The model has worked well for Shocker bowling for more than 50 years. Bonta and Robarge are the latest Shockers to maintain that model. 

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

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