Women's Bowling | 11/19/2023 11:59:00 PM
WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Sunday morning in Virginia shined brightly on the North Carolina A&T bowling team during the final day of the Hawk Classic hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Monmouth University at Bowling America.
The Aggies went 2-0 during the best-of-seven bracket play played in Baker format. They also had a traditional format win over the top-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll in the Vanderbilt Commodores. A&T went 10-3 in a tournament that featured 12 ranked teams. The Aggies, who finished fifth, finished their fall tournament schedule with a 37-10 (.787) record.
"Despite not achieving the outcome we wanted, we shouldn't be down on ourselves," said junior bowler Chloe Newberry. "It was a hard-fought tournament, where we made progress every day, with Sunday being one of the most exciting days since I've been a part of this team. The weekend provided us with valuable lessons that we look forward to applying in the upcoming spring semester."
A&T ranked fourth in the nation, sent a powerful message about how well the rest of the day would go very early on with its win over Vandy, 1,125-1,075. Graduate Katie Robb bowled spectacularly against the Commodores, posting a 255 total pinfall in the match. The Aggies also received vital contributions from Newberry, graduate Lauren Tomaszewski and junior Maya Avilez.
Newberry finished off Vandy with a 230, followed by Tomaszewski's 226 and Avilez's 225. The Aggies dominated traditional play over the weekend, going 5-1. After finishing off traditional play with a marquee win, the Aggies came into Sunday's bracket play as the No. 6 seed. They faced off against the seventh-seeded Merrimack Warriors, the 24th-ranked team in the country.
Merrimack entered the contest after a bracket play win over No. 23 Delaware State. But in the Warriors' first game against the Aggies, A&T sent another emphatic message with a resounding 299-206 win over the Warriors. A&T's 299 broke the program record for a single-game score in Baker format.
The two teams finished in a 280-280 tie in the second game before the Aggies captured Games 3 and 4 to take a 3 ½-1 ½ lead in the series. The Warriors kept the series alive with a 222-187 Game 5 win before the Aggies ended the contest by winning Game 6, 245-226. The Aggies posted an impressive 1,528 total pinfall in beating the Warriors 4 ½-2 ½ in the series. A&T's 255 average also set a new program mark for the best average in a Baker format game.
Next up for the Aggies after the win was No. 11 Duquesne. The Dukes took Game 1 with a narrow 218-214 win before the Aggies evened the series with a 205-186 victory. Another narrow 204-203 win gave the Dukes a 2-1 series before the Aggies took over by winning the final three games to defeat Duquesne 4-2. The Aggies had a 1,251 total pinfall in the series compared to the Dukes' 1,126, completing A&T's 3-0 day at the Hawk Classic.
The Aggies came into Sunday's play fueled by an impressive Saturday that saw A&T open traditional play with a 1,104-963 win over No. 20, the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Robb and Avilez both bowled 229s in the matchup. Newberry led the way with a 235, and Melanie Katen stepped in with a 214.
A&T improved to 2-0 on Saturday with a 985-916 win over the University of Wilmington (DE). Newberry led A&T again, this time bowling a 207, followed by Katen's 203 and Avilez's 201. The Aggies took down Bryant University next, defeating the Bulldogs 1,127-946. Robb had her best showing of the weekend in traditional play, posting a 265 in the win. Katen also had another excellent showing, putting up a 238, and Newberry played well again for the Aggies with her 233.
Youngstown State and A&T battled before the Aggies came away with a tough 1,098-1,073 win over the sixth-ranked Penguins. The Penguins could not overcome Newberry's 258. Newberry received help from Tomaszewski as she posted a 249. Avilez finished with a 227. Tenth-ranked Louisiana Tech prevented the Aggies from going 5-0 in traditional play on Saturday.
La Tech and A&T came into the matchup having already played four times this season, with each team winning twice. But the La Tech gained an advantage in the season series with a 1,080-1,045 win over the Aggies. Avilez produced a 257 to lead the way. Tomaszewski bowled a 225, and Robb finished with a 206. The Aggies finished traditional play with a 6,484 total pinfall.
The tournament started with Baker play on Friday as the Aggies went 3-2, opening the tournament with a No. 21 Lincoln Memorial, 1,004-980. The Aggies improved to 2-0 on the day with a 1,094-984 win over Adelphia. The Aggies then lost two in a row, the first to Hawk Classic tournament winner and seventh-ranked Jacksonville State, 1,131-1,061. Eighth-ranked Sam Houston State University (SHSU) defeated the Aggies 1,140-909 before the Aggies ended the day with a 1,150-996 win over 19th-ranked Central Missouri.
The Aggies posted a 5,218 total pinfall in Baker play on Friday. They had a 14,481 total pinfall for the tournament and went 6-3 against ranked opponents. The Hawk Classic marks the Aggies final tournament of the fall semester. They will return to action in 2024 when they travel north to participate in the SHU Northeast Classic hosted by Sacred Heart University in New Jersey, Jan. 19-21.
