SMYRNA, Tenn. – North Carolina A&T, the 12th-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll, went 1-2 on Sunday in best-of-seven bracket play to finish sixth at the annual Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University at the Smyrna Bowling Center.
The A&T Aggies went 8-5 over the weekend, and they came away from the Music City Classic 69-35 overall. The Aggies posted a total pinfall of 13,080, averaging 204.4 over 64 games. The Aggies totaled 2,837 over 15 games played on Sunday, averaging 189.3, as the teams played Baker format for the best-of-seven competitions.
Jacksonville State, the No. 1 team in the nation, won the tournament by sweeping 14th-ranked Sam Houston State University (SHSU) 4-0 in the championship match. The Gamecocks' total pinfall was 13,712 for an average of 214.3. They were followed by SHSU (14,019, 209.2), second-ranked Vanderbilt (13,714, 207.8), third-ranked Arkansas State (14,362, 208.1), and fifth-ranked Louisiana Tech (13,103, 198.5).
Sunday's competition for A&T started with Louisiana Tech. The Aggies bowled their way to the No. 5 seed over the first two days of the competition, while La Tech entered Sunday's Baker format play as the sixth seed. The Aggies and the Bulldogs have had some epic battles in past NCAA tournaments, and nothing changed on Sunday.
The two schools with 'technical' in their names battled twice on Sunday, starting with the Aggies winning the first best-of-seven, 4-1. A&T opened with a lineup that featured freshman Charisse Graham as the leadoff bowler, followed by senior Juliana Sams, sophomore Victorya White, sophomore Jasmine Hall, and junior anchor bowler Payton Hartgrove.
The Aggies took the first two games by a combined score of 414-318 before narrowly losing Game 3, 202-201. A&T overcame the disappointment emphatically, blowing out the Techsters 237-146 in Game 4 before closing out the match with a 191-185 win. Next, A&T went head-to-head against the tournament host, the Vanderbilt Commodores, for a chance to play for third place at Music City.
Sams served as the Aggies' leadoff bowler against the Commodores, followed by freshman Alexa Escamilla, Hall, White, and Hartgrove. The ladies kept it close throughout each of the first three games, but could not pull out any victories. Vanderbilt took a 3-0 lead with only a 22-pin advantage, 619-597. Vanderbilt pulled away in Game 4, winning 259-213. The loss put A&T back into a matchup against La Tech for a chance to take fifth place.
This La Tech got the better of A&T, winning the series 4-1. Graham returned to the leadoff spot in the second matchup against La Tech. Sams returned to the No. 2 spot, while Hartgrove moved from anchor to the No. 3 position, followed by Hall and White, who took over anchor duties. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead by out-pinning A&T 636-572. A&T avoided the sweep with a convincing 243-183 win before La Tech squeaked by with a 180-169 win in Game 5.
Hartgrove earned top individual honors for A&T over the weekend, placing 12th with a total pinfall of 1,078 and an average of 215.60 over five games bowled. Graham landed in the top 50 in a tournament that included 221 bowlers, finishing 36th with a total pinfall of 998, averaging 199.60 over five games. White placed 50th at a 971 total pinfall, averaging 194.20 over five games.
A&T will start its annual journey to seek a national championship from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) with the Fort Worth, Texas Sectional. The Fort Worth Sectional will be held March 13-15 at Cityview Lanes. The top four teams in each division will advance from their sectional and head to The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., April 13-18, for a chance to win an Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC). Individual A&T Aggies will also be competing to qualify for a chance to win the Individual Singles Championships in Wisconsin when they land in Fort Worth this week.
