Women's Bowling | 10/17/2026 11:24:00 PM
STRUTHERS, Ohio – The ninth-ranked North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University bowling team went 3-2 at the 2026 Chelsea Gilliam Penguin Classic, hosted by Youngstown State at Holiday Bowl on Saturday.
The Aggies, ranked in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 poll, are 6-4 on the weekend with a total pinfall of 10,044. They enter Sunday's best-of-seven bracket play in Baker Format as the No. 7 seed and will open against eighth seed Sacred Heart, the nation's 10th-ranked team.
For the tournament, the Aggies average 200.9 pins over 50 games. Fifth-ranked Nebraska leads with a total pinfall of 10,791 and an average of 215.8. Top-ranked Jacksonville State (10,760), second-ranked Vanderbilt (10,526), sixth-ranked Youngstown State (10,160), and fourth-ranked Arkansas State (10,130) round out the top 5.
Individually on Saturday, senior
Payton Hartgrove led the Aggies with a 1,117 total pinfall, averaging 223.40 over five games. Junior
Victorya White placed 26
th in the 124-bowler field with a total pinfall of 1,009, averaging 201.80 over over games. Jax State's Ashlin Teves will win medalist honors after totaling 1,165 pins on Saturday.
The Aggies did not start strong on Saturday. The Aggies lost to 11
th-ranked Wright State to open traditional play, falling 946-864. Hartgrove led the Aggies with a total pinfall of 185, followed by White's 182. However, the Raiders received a 213 total pinfall from Mia Sayles to lead Wright State to victory. Sacred Heart was up next. The Pioneers narrowly escaped with a 982-923 win over the Aggies after Morgan Licausi posted a 237 total pinfall. Hartgrove nearly matched that total for A&T, finishing with a 233. Junior
Jasmine Hall stepped in and posted a 209 for the Aggies.
A&T took over from there, with the Aggies posting impressive scores to close out the competition. Thirteenth-ranked Maryville fell to the Aggies in a 1,086-1,004 high-scoring matchup. Hartgrove continued to impress, bowling a 232 to lead the way. White added a 241 for the Aggies, and Hall contributed a 199.
Hartgrove exceeded 200 pins again in A&T's contest against William Smith. She had her best showing of the young season, posting a 267 total pinfall to lead the Aggies to the 1,031-975 win over the Herons. White added a 211 total pinfall, senior
Savannah Burgin added 197, and sophomore
Charisse Graham posted 196.
A&T's matchup against 16
th-ranked Duquesne completed the Aggies' three-match win streak. All five Aggie bowlers finished with a 200 or better total pinfall in the 1,013-872 triumph. White led the way with a 208, but everyone else was close behind. Burgin bowled a 205, and Hartgrove, Graham, and Hall each bowled 200. Sunday's competition will begin at 8:25 a.m.
