Claire Jacobson’s first season on Newman’s bowling team brought more recognition than she expected as a first-year student.
From New Prague, Minnesota, Jacobson has already made a name for herself after earning the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and First Team All-GLVC honors — awards that recognize the top newcomer and one of the best overall performers in the conference. She also picked up national recognition from two coaching organizations, placing her among the top first-year bowlers in the country.
“It’s hard to put into words my reaction and emotions after receiving all the awards I have gotten this year,” Jacobson said. “I am honored and excited to have been nominated and received all of them, and I honestly would never have expected it at the beginning of the season.”
Jacobson’s love for bowling began young. She started playing at the age of two and joined a league by age six.
“Literally the day I learned how to walk, my parents were having me push a ball down the lane,” she said.
When it came to attending Newman, Jacobson had other schools on the table and was undecided. It wasn’t until Newman coaches reached out to her at a major youth tournament that she decided to explore her options at Newman.
“I decided to give them a chance,” she said. “And it just felt right.”
She said it was the university’s small size and supportive environment that ultimately led to her choosing Newman, along with her connection to head bowling coach Billy Murphy.
“He’s basically like our second dad on the team,” Jacobson said. “We could tell him anything and he’d give us advice or if we have issues around campus … He’s truly the first person to jump and do anything that he needs to make sure that his girls are comfortable and safe.”
Beyond bowling
While Jacobson has already found success on the lanes, her real passion is working with kids. She’s majoring in elementary education and hopes to teach kindergarten.
“I just love kids,” she said. “It truly feels like it’s not working when you’re with them.”
During high school, she worked in a summer and after-school childcare program and later served as a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom. By her senior year, she was balancing school with 50 hours of work per week and up to 70 hours in the summer.
“I hope that as a teacher I can show kids love and patience and instill a love for learning and confidence within my students,” she said. “Every individual in our world has had a journey to get to where they are today. I want to be a part of that journey for my students.”
For her, she said there’s a direct connection between what she has learned as a student-athlete and going into education.
You learn how to work with people who grew up completely different than you,” Jacobson said. “It opens you up to a different world and how people grew up. I’m from rural Minnesota, but I have a teammate from California. We have nothing alike in how we grew up, but we have so much in common.”
Jacobson credits her team for her successful first season at Newman.
“It makes me appreciative of all the people who have helped me get to this point,” she said. “I really couldn’t have done it without Billy, my team or my family and friends who have allowed me to have this opportunity and supported me through it all.”
She said the bond she has with her teammates has been a pivotal part of the success so far.
“I’m so proud of this team. Truly, the way that we all work together is honestly so inspiring … we’re all there for each other. We’re all cheering each other on.”
Even with a strong start, Jacobson said she feels she has more to prove.
“There’s still more work to be done,” she said. “I know I’m capable of more.”
Newman’s degree in education
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