Women's Bowling | 3/8/2024 11:01:00 PM
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – It was another remarkable day for a North Carolina A&T collegiate bowling program, which has had many remarkable days historically. On Friday at Thunderbowl Lanes, the Aggies qualified three bowlers for the 2024 Intercollegiate Singles Champions nationals.
Senior Melanie Katen and juniors Maya Avilez and Chloe Newberry are headed to nationals in Jeffersontown, Ky., April 15-20 to compete for a national championship at Kingpin Lanes. The Aggies took nine ladies to ISC sectionals on Friday. Only the top six scores qualify out of the 179 bowlers at Thunderbowl Lanes on Friday. There are four sectionals throughout the country. In addition to the sectional in Michigan, there was one in Smyrna, Tenn., Addison, Ill., and Fort Worth, Texas.
Katen led the Aggies in the Great Lakes State, posting a 1,331 total pinfall, finishing only five pins shy of sectional champion Kaylee Hitt of Vanderbilt. Katen's best output came in her second game when she posted a 267. Her lowest output came in Game 5 with a 190. Meanwhile, Hitt posted a 276 in her third game, with her low being a 201 in Game 4. Sacred Heart's Molly Chiesa finished three pins shy of Katen in third place with a 1,328.
Avilez had the fourth-highest totals on Friday. She bowled a 246 in Game 4 before producing the best score of any Aggie on Friday, a 270 in Game 5. When the day ended, she had a total pinfall of 1,313.
"It feels amazing to make it to the championships with Mel and Chloe," said Avilez. I'm over the moon about it. I tried to keep myself calm and occupy myself by doing a puzzle to focus my anxiety elsewhere. I just kept the ball in play, made quick moves, and played smart."
Newberry will join Katen and Avilez at nationals thanks to her clutch sixth and final game of 252. She started the day with a 228 in Game 1. She finished nine pins ahead of sixth-place Kristina Catoe of Pikesville and 10 ahead of Sacred Heart's Morgan Brunet, who fell just short of the top six.
"Today was a crazy day for me, full of ups and downs, and I'm so blessed to be put in this position," said Newberry. "To have Melanie and Maya by my side going into this makes it 10 times better. I am very proud of myself for staying patient throughout the games, just taking advantage of the good pairs and grinding the bad ones out. I've been working on staying focused and present the past couple of weeks, and it helped a lot today."
Graduate Katie Robb (1,234), Graduate Lauren Tomaszewski (1,206), senior Laura Garcia (1,200), sophomore Juliana Sams (1,188), junior Grace Stull (1,149), and freshman Savannah Burgin (1,026) also competed for A&T on Friday. The Aggies will stay in Michigan on Saturday and Sunday to compete in the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) Sectional, where they will try to qualify for an opportunity to win a national championship as a team.
