GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T will enter Sunday's bracket play at its eighth annual Vernell Stallings Invitational at Triad Lanes as the No. 3 seed after another day of high pinfall count for the Aggies on Saturday during the second day of the tournament.
A&T totaled 4,873 pins on Saturday during traditional team matches to average 194.92. The Aggies, the 12th-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll, have a two-day total pinfall of 9,712. A&T went 3-2 on Saturday and has a 5-4 record overall heading into Sunday's Baker format best-of-seven bracket competition. The top-ranked team in the country, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, leads the tournament.
The Gamecocks are 10-0 overall and have a total pinfall of 10,773, including a 5,451 total pinfall on Saturday to average 215.5 for the tournament. The sixth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers are on their heels and will start Sunday's action against the Gamecocks. They go into bracket play 10-0 with a total pinfall of 10,148. Nebraska totaled 4,882 pins on Saturday, and the Cornhuskers' average for the tournament is 203.0.
Youngstown State, the eighth-ranked team in the nation and the defending NCAA national champions, will be the Aggies' opponent on Sunday when play starts at 8:25 a.m. on 21 Oak Branch Drive in Greensboro, NC.
Individually, four Aggies finished in the top 20 on Saturday, led by sophomore Victorya White, who totaled 1,042 pins to average 208.0 over five games. She is in sixth place, followed by freshman teammate Charisse Graham, who is in seventh place with a total pinfall of 1,009, averaging 201.80 over five games. Sophomore Jasmine Hall totaled 985 pins (199.20) to place 12th, and junior Savannah Burgin totaled 959 pins (191.80) over five games.
Hall led the Aggies during their first match on Saturday against Nebraska. Hall had a total pinfall of 213, but the Aggies could not overcome a 237 from Jillian Martin and a 204 from Haley Swindle in a 966-931 loss to the Cornhuskers. The Aggies bounced back with a 991-863 win over the Florida A&M Rattlers.
White led A&T against the Rattlers by posting a 218 total pinfall. Freshman Sara Giraldo entered the lineup to bowl a 203, and Hall and Graham bowled a 197 and a 194, respectively. The Aggies got another blowout in their third match of the day, beating Saint Anslem College 906-723. Burgin led A&T with a 213 total pinfall, followed by White's 203.
In their fourth match of the day, the Aggies continued to play well, posting their highest pinfall of the day by beating Lewis University 1,087-933. Graham had the Aggies' best game of the day, totaling 263 pins. White also had her best game of the day, totaling 226 pins, followed closely by Hall with a 212. Burgin contributed with a 196 total pinfall, and freshman Alexa Escamilla was inserted into the lineup and bowled a 190.
Jacksonville State ended the Aggies' hot streak with a 1,089-958 win. All five Gamecocks went over a 200 pinfall, led by Erin Klemencic's 233. Klemencic leads the tournament individually with a 1,160 total pinfall and an average of 232.0. White led A&T with a 207 total pinfall, followed by Hall's 206 total pinfall.
