STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Wagner is set to open its 2026-2027 slate with a home meet, hosting the Bud Whitman Memorial to kick off a 10-meet schedule, capped off by the NEC Championships in March.
Parisi Takes the Helm
The Seahawks are led by first-year head coach Ian Parisi, who takes over the program from Richard Behan, the team's leader for the last two seasons of competition.
Wagner's new head coach brings a wealth of experience from across the bowling world, both as a player himself and a professional. He coached the Molloy Lions to over 200 NCAA wins across five seasons as head coach, following two years with the program as an assistant.
A Silver Level Coach through the United States Bowling Congress, Parisi also has extensive experience serving the sport at the national level. He recently completed a four-championship-cycle term on the NCAA Women's Bowling National Championship Committee.
Parisi led Molloy to a 52-40 record in the 2025-2026 season, making a strong push in the postseason to ultimately finish second in conference. The Lions went 8-4 at the NJ Open and finished third at the Golden Bear Invite. At the East Coast Conference Championships, Molloy ultimately finished as runners-up to the title.
A collegiate bowler himself, Parisi was a three-time Academic All-American at St. John's, where he graduated with a degree in sport management.
The Roster
Parisi returns three student-athletes from the 2025-2026 Wagner roster. Junior Rebekah Newman will be a veteran presence for the Seahawks, with sophomore Morgan Traver coming off a strong freshman campaign. Sophomore Rikayla Bingham returns this season, an unlikely addition of Wagner's track & field squad last season but a newcomer who is learning the ropes quickly.
Freshmen Kiara Lombardi and Leah Mazzoni round out the squad, a pair of Staten Island natives who arrived on Grymes Hill this fall.
Bud Whitman Memorial
Wagner opens its season hosting the Bud Whitman Memorial on Saturday, Oct. 10. The first of two meets the Seahawks host, this competition will be held at Bowlero Lanes in Deptford, New Jersey. Competition will wrap up on Sunday, Oct. 11.
The Remainder of 2026
From that opener, Wagner returns to Staten Island to host the Seahawk Classic at Rab's Country Lanes, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The first of two NEC meets will follow that, beginning Friday, Nov. 13 at Clearview Lanes in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. NEC Meet #1 will take place across three days.
FDU's Jersey Jamboree will mark the team's final meet of the calendar year, beginning Friday, Nov. 20 at Bowler City in Hackensack, New Jersey. The three-day meet will last through Sunday, Nov. 22.
NEC Competition
Following the NEC's first meet in November, NEC Meet #2 will begin Friday, Feb. 12 at Imperial Lanes in Milton, Pennsylvania. The meet will stretch through Sunday, Feb. 14.
The NEC Championship will begin Friday, March 19. Hosted at Hamilton Lanes in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, the meet will involve the top four teams in the conference.
Last season, Niagara and Duquense finished tied for the conference lead with a 17-7 record, but Duquesne actually won the NEC title, its first in program history. Monmouth (16-8) and Mercyhurst (13-11) rounded out the top four.
The NEC is set to release its preseason poll for women's bowling in the upcoming days.
