Saori Yoneda / Daily Staff The SJSU bowling team practiced in the Student Union Thursday. The team will travel to the national championships in Tulsa, Okla. today. photos by Saori Yoneda [Click to enlarge]

Earning respect can take years, but the San Jose State University Bowling Club has worked hard to make success happen.

Although the team won first place in the Western region, head coach Jason Rehfeld is looking for more wins this week at the national Intercollegiate Bowling Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

Rehfeld, a senior business administration major, was a team member from 1998-2002 and an All American award winner for the 2001-2002 season.

"We fly to Tulsa (today) for the qualifying trials during week and the tournament is on Saturday," Rehfeld said. "The tournament includes about 50 teams from the competing 200 to 250 schools that compete, and we're in eighth place nationally."

About 13 to 15 college teams participate in each of the Eastern, Central, Midwestern and Western regions.

The All American standing points are added by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association. Saturday's final will have the top four teams from each region.

The team is ready for the televised Friday and Saturday games scheduled on ESPN 2, he said.

"We practice as a team two days a week, and the guys work another two days outside of practice," Rehfeld said. "We practice using different parts of the lane, and we alternate lanes with spare drills. We also have pressure situations with everyone gathered along the side of the lane to create stress by making noise."

Rehfeld said the team members live and breathe bowling, and they are all planning for serious careers in business, but they take time out for other activities as well.

"We're pretty good friends," he said. "We're also big Giants fans, and we'll go together to a movie or dinner."

Rehfeld said they also earn their own money for the team to be able to travel and practice together, and they don't receive money from the school.

"We raised the money to go to Tulsa," he said. "We also paid our own way last year when we went to Buffalo, N.Y.

Rehfeld said the team members worked all year to hone their individual skills and to become a solid group.

"We have a number of good players," he said. "This year, we have two All American nominees: Phil Campit and Darren Francisco."

Campit, a junior business administration major, has the drive, interpersonal strength and professionalism that help to keep the team in sync, Rehfeld said.

"We work well together, travel together and we're friends," Campit said.