The Mount Mercy University bowling program has made great strides in its brief two-year history as a varsity sport.

High school bowlers from the Metro high schools have noticed and want to join.

The Mustangs have signed nine Metro bowlers for the 2013-14 school year, including former girls state champion Tara Trcka from Xavier and JUCO national champion Daniel Healy from Vincennes (Ind.) Junior College and Jefferson High School.

Mount Mercy Coach Glenn Healy is delighted with the haul as he continues to build the young program. The men's team is currently competing at the NAIA Division II national tournament and the women's team placed in the top six at its national event this year.

Healy was hoping his teams would crack the top-40 after three or four years, but both squads accomplished the feat this season in Year 2. Now more help is on the way.

"We're ahead of schedule," he said. "We're happy right now."

Nicole Petersen (Jefferson), Katlynn Palmer (Prairie), Nicole McMahon (Linn-Mar), Abbey Konzen (Xavier), Jessi Schoettmer (Kennedy), Courtney Snodgrass (Washington) and Trcka will be joining the women's team. Healy described Petersen and Trcka as "very highly rated recruits" and probably the two most promising bowlers in the class.

Andrew Prowse (Linn-Mar) and Daniel Healy, the coach's son, will be joining the men's team from the Metro area.

Mount Mercy had approximately 30 bowlers in the program this year. Coach Healy thinks the number will reach 50 for next season. He's allowed to have 25 players on each team.

"It will be pretty close to that this year," he said. "We're trying to expand the sport in as many ways as we can."

Healy said he has $56,000 in athletic scholarship money to award and said all of his bowlers will receive at least $1,000. "I don't take any walk-ons," he said. "I'll give everybody some money."