HOUSTON, TEXAS – North Carolina A&T had another stellar day at the Sam Houston Kat Klash bowling tournament hosted by Sam Houston State University (SHSU) at Emerald Bowl on Saturday. A day after going 5-0 in Baker play, the seventh-ranked Aggies had a 4-1 showing in traditional play.
The Aggies (18-4) will enter Sunday's bracket play as the No. 2 seed after sophomore Chloe Newberry led the Aggies with an eighth-place finish. She totaled 1,077 pins for a five-game average of 215.40 and had three 200-plus bowling games on the day.
Senior Lauren Tomaszewski placed 11th with 1,056 total pins for a five-game 211.20 average. Sophomore Melanie Katen contributed 1,017 pins to average 203.40 over five games to finish 14th. Junior Laura Garcia bowled in four games on Saturday for an average of 211.50.
A&T started the day with a 1,033-808 win over Alabama A&M. Katen came up huge in the win, bowling a career-high 259 to lead the Aggies. Tomaszewski added a score of 216, followed by Newberry's 212. Grace Stull, bowling in her first tournament of the season, came through with a 203.
The Aggies went over 1,000 pins again in their next matchup against host SHSU. But the Bearkats outdueled the Aggies 1,061-1,011 with Katen leading the Aggies for the second straight time, bowling a 221. Tomaszewski followed with a 216. Garcia entered the lineup for the first time and bowled a 206.
After the heartbreaking defeat, the Aggies did bounce back strong by defeating No. 24 Lincoln Memorial University (LMU), 1,065-889. Garcia bowled a career-high 258 to help the Aggies win. Tomaszewski aided with a 214, and Katen posted a 201.
After beating LMU, the Aggies met familiar foe Louisiana Tech. The two schools have a habit of forging closely contested battles, and Saturday was no different. The Aggies outlasted the eighth-ranked Bulldogs 967-955, led by Newberry's 206. Tomaszewski and Garcia contributed with 200 pins apiece.
Finally, the Aggies closed out Saturday with a decisive 1,049-897 win over Tulane. Newberry had a career game, posting an eye-catching 269 in the win. Stull also had a career game with a 216. Tomaszewski bowled 200 or better in every game on Saturday, including her 215 against 17th-ranked Tulane.
Stull assisted the Aggies with 986 pins for a five-game average of 197.20. Jada Bassette bowled a 143 against Alabama A&M in the first game.
On Friday, A&T's 5-0 day included a 1,068-1,027 win over No. 3 Nebraska. A&T finished the first day by bowling four consecutive 1,000-plus pins. The Aggies totaled 5,182 pins on the first day to place third with a 207.3 average.
A&T will start bracket play on Sunday against the No. 1 team in the nation in McKendree. The winner moves on to the championship match, while the loser faces the winner of SHSU and No. 15 Maryville. McKendree is 9-1 after the first two days and leads the tournament with 10,554 pins for a 10-game average of 211.1. The Aggies recorded 10,307 pins for a 10-game average of 206.1.
