Bearkat Bowling “Strikes” Again
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The No. 8 ranked Sam Houston State women’s bowling team added another trophy to its collection of 2012-13 tournament titles Saturday as the Bearkats took the title at the Southern Invitational.
Rolling 5-0 through the quad baker match competition Saturday, Sam Houston highlighted the day with victory over No. 1 ranked Central Missouri.
The event was held at the International Training & Research Center of Team USA.
The Bearkats ended the two-day event with nine victories in 10 matches to up their season record to 72-21.
Saturday, Sam Houston defeated Tulane 857-705, Central Missouri 774-733, Southern 771-605, Texas Southern 837-790 and Florida A&M 919-770.
“Our ladies did a great job of taking care of business today,” Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen said. “Nothing was easy, even after the big win over Central Missouri. Texas Southern was up by 45 pins through two games but we came firing back. We were down 46 pins in the last match as well but rallied for the win.”
“We still have a lot of matches to take care of but this was a perfect way to kick off February for us with a bang.”
The Sam Houston women’s bowling team rolled to a 4-1 start in team match play Friday on the first day of the Southern Invitational in Arlington.
The Bearkats began the day with a 1049-728 win over host Southern University. Sam Houston followed up with victories over Tulane 974-910, Texas Southern 1005-816 and Florida A&M 1055-866.
In the final match of the day, No. 1 ranked Central Missouri edged past the Kats by only seven pins in a 999-992 duel.
Bearkat Bowlers On A “Roll” With Fourth Tournament Win
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston’s No. 4 ranked women’s bowling team bagged another first place trophy Sunday, winning the team title at the Frederick Underwood Classic in Laurel, Maryland.
The tournament was hosted by Bowie State at the AMF Laurel Bowling Center.
In best-of-seven bracket play Sunday, Sam Houston defeated No. 19 Bethune-Cookman 4-3, Chowan 4-0 and North Carolina A&T 4-0 in the finals.
“Today was an important day for us not only from a competitive stand point but more mental,” head coach Brad Hagen said. “We needed to make shots, manage the emotions, and gear down. Everyone had a piece of today’s success and despite a few silly losses a lot of good came out of this weekend.”
“We have a lot of work to do and still have 50+ matches so its officially time to lock down the focus and take care of business if we want a legit shot at a nationals selection. This team has the heart to get it done.”
Sam Houston ended the tournament with an 11-2 record.
Saturday in traditional team match action, the Kat bowlers defeated Howard 1,046-882, Lincoln University 898-637, Chowan 1,019-686 and Virginia Union 1,011-755.
The only loss came in the second match of the day as Sam Houston feel to North Carolina Central 970-943.
In Friday’s quad baker team play results, the Bearkats started with a 900-781 win over Alabama-Birmingham.
The Kats defeated Coppin State 850-500 and Salem International 740-535 before falling to Bowie State 770-762.
Sam Houston bounced back to down Morgan State 771-690 in the day’s final match.
Sam Houston now stands 63-19 in dual match play for the season.
During the fall semester, the Kats won tournament championships at the Tulane Invitational, the Alabama A&M tournament and the Track Kat Klash in Huntsville and finished as team runner-up at the Bethune-Cookman tournament.
Bearkat Bowlers Wins Second Tournament
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The Sam Houston women’s bowling team earned its second tournament championship in three tries Sunday, taking the title at the Hornet Invitational in Montgomery, Alabama.
After going 5-0 on Saturday in tradition team matches, the Bearkats won all three best of seven baker contests Sunday. Sam Houston averaged 200.9 pins on the final day of action and boasted a 198.0 overall pin average for the event.
The tournament was played at the Brunswick Zone bowling lanes.
Earlier this season, Sam Houston won the Tulane Invitational and was the runner-up in their second outing at the Bethune-Cookman tournament in Florida.
The Kats now stand 26-5 in dual matches this season.
“Today was another great day for us,” head coach Brad Hagen said. ” I can’t be more happy with all of the right things we’re doing in tournament play. All the hard work and hours these girls are putting in on the lanes are really paying dividends.”
Saturday’s 5-0 performance marked the third tournament in a row for the No. 8 ranked Bearkats to go unbeaten on the first day of competition.
SHSU defeated Jackson State 962-832, Alabama State 1034-908, No. 16 Alabama A&M 1005-977, Tulane 1027-826 and Alabama-Birmingham 922-809.
Sunday, Sam Houston came back from 3-1 down to defeat Alabama A&M 4-3 then knocked off Tulane 4-1 and Alabama State 4-1.
Following Sunday’s final round, the Kats stood in first place followed by Alabama State in second, Alabama A&M in third, Ala-Birmingham fourth, Tulane fifth and Jackson State sixth.
In traditional team play Saturday, Kimi Davidson of Sam Houston produced the top individual performance with a 232.6 average in five matches.
Other Bearkat scores and standings included Neishka Cardona second 215.2, Michelle Secours sixth 196.6, Anna Groce 10th 184.0, Becca Pittser 29th 163.0 and Erin Brown 33rd 159.5.
Bearkat Bowlers Wins Tulane Invitational
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Knocking off No. 2 ranked Arkansas State twice in three meetings, the Sam Houston women’s bowling team swept to an 11-1 record and the team championship at the Tulane Invitational in Kenner, La., this weekend.
The title marks the first time in the program’s three-year history the Bearkats have started the season by bringing home the championship trophy in an intercollegiate tournament.
With a perfect 9-0 mark during the first two days of the event in team baker and team individual matches Friday and Saturday, respectively, the Kats drew one of the top two seeds in best-of-seven bracket play Sunday.
Arkansas State defeated SHSU 4-3 in the opening match of bracket action Sunday. The Kats bounced back for a 4-3 win over Jackson State then topped Arkansas State in the bracket play rematch 4-3 in the finals to hoist the championship trophy.
Stephen F. Austin and Jackson State finished third and fourth in the 11-team event behind runner-up Arkansas State.
“Sunday was about continuing to maintain our composure, fill frames, and focus on finishing what we started,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said. “We wanted to come to Tulane and make a statement and we did. This team is acting as they’ve been together for years and it’s paying off major dividends.”
Senior Michelle Secours and juniors Neishka Cardona and Kimi Davidson are the only returning players from last year’s squad that finished No. 9 in the final national rankings. Transfers Rebecca Pittser and Kelsey Smith and freshmen Erin Brown, Anna Groce and Hannah Harrison are newcomers for the Kats this year.
“I can’t be more proud or commend the girls enough on how well they acomposed themselves through out this event as well as staying in the moment,” Hagen added.
Saturday the team rolled up victories in total pins team play over Jackson State (978-823), No. 10-ranked Stephen F. Austin (865-852), Louisiana Tech (949-894), No. 2 Arkansas State (1002-965) and No. 17 Prairie View A&M 908-821.
Friday the Bearkats were 4-0 in team baker matches, knocking down 3761 pins. Sam Houston defeated Bethune-Cookman 766-638, North Carolina A&T 665-655, Grambling 836-542 and Southern 698-582. The Bearkats also rolled a score of 784 in their bye round due to the odd number of teams in the field.
Following the top four finishers in the tournament were North Carolina A&T in fifth, Prairie View A&M in sixth, Bethune Cookman seventh, Louisiana Tech eighth, Tulane ninth, Southern 10th and Grambling 11th.