AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College bowler Jess Cunningham (Watervliet, N.Y./Watervliet) has been named the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week for matches held from October 26 through November 1, as announced today by the conference office from its headquarters in Central Islip, N.Y.

Cunningham, a 5-foot-5 freshman, is a member of Daemen's inaugural women's bowling team, and she helped the Wildcats to a split of their two matches last week, both on October 29 versus crosstown rival Medaille College.  The matches marked the first-ever matches hosted by Daemen at its home venue of Tansit Lanes in Williamsville, and the match results place Daemen at 4-9 overall this season.

In the Daemen win, a team-style 1618-1582 triumph, Cunningham bowled a match-best 217 in the second game, helping Daemen overcome a 21-pin deficit to pull out the win.  For the match, put up a team-best 186 average.

In earning this weekly accolade from the ECC, Cunningham becomes the first Daemen bowler to receive any kind of weekly recognition from the conference.  The ECC is in its first year of sponsoring women's bowling as a varsity sport at the NCAA Division II level, complete with a conference championship event which is slated for next March.

Cunningham and the Wildcat keglers return to the lanes on November 19 when they face Thiel College in Greenville Pa.