New Jersey City has been selected to host the 2010 NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship April 8-10 at Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, New Jersey.

It’s the first time New Jersey City will have hosted a national championship, though the Gothic Knights have hosted several sectional and regional NCAA basketball tournament events (the 1980 and 1986 regional finals, the 1990 and 2004 second rounds, and the 1995 and 1998 first rounds).

New Jersey City has hosted the annual Eastern College Athletic Conference women’s bowling championship since 2005.

The 2010 bowling championship will be the first held in the Mid-Atlantic region. The championship was twice held in Houston (2004, 2006) and Apopka, Florida (2005, 2007) before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, in 2008 and to the Detroit suburb of Canton in 2009.

Nebraska recently captured the 2009 title.

“It is a privilege to host this championship,” said Frank Parisi, NCAA Women’s Bowling Committee member and the four-time national coach of the year at New Jersey City. “The national committee is looking to large bowling areas to host the event, and the New Jersey area fits the criteria perfectly.”

New Jersey City is the first Division III institution to host the bowling championship. Other Division III institutions to host a National Collegiate championship have been Bates (skiing in 1976 and 1999), Brandeis (fencing in 1994, 1999 and 2004), Drew (fencing in 2002 and 2007), Middlebury (skiing in 1961, 1973, 1988 and 2001), Norwich (rifle in 1999 and skiing in 1954) and Springfield (men’s volleyball in 1995).