Decision Day
3/29/2011 5:39:00 PM | Women's Bowling
Wednesday, March 30 is decision day for the inaugural Sam Houston women's bowling team.
The NCAA Division I women's bowling national committee will announce the eight teams selected to play in the 2011 NCAA championship tournament Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen and his players are hopeful the Bearkats will be one of those eight teams.
"We feel like we've done everything we can to put ourselves in a position to be selected," Hagen said. "It's up to the committee now."
Strength of schedule certainly will be a factor that favors the Kats. Sam Houston participated in eight tournaments across the country between October and March. In seven of those events, more than half the field consisted of squads listed in the national top 20.
Sam Houston won one tournament, placed in the top three in four others and finished no lower than eighth in any of their appearances.
The 2011 NCAA Division I Women's Bowling Championship will be hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission on April 14-16 at the Skore Lanes in Taylor, Michigan.
All eight berths in the national tournament are at-large selections. The selection criteria are overall won-lost record, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, overall strength of schedule and overall RPI.
"We are all so nervous and excited," freshman Neishka Cardona from Carolina, Puerto Rico, said. "We'll be watching the selection show on the internet. Apparently they announce the teams in alphabetical order. When they get down to the S's it's going to be something."
Cardona just returned from the Concecabol 2011 tournament in Guatemala where she part of a Puerto Rico National Junior Team that won seven medals including gold in the team competition. Cardona produced an averaged a pin count of 185 and earned four medals.
Sam Houston finished the regular season with a match record of 68 victories and 35 losses. The Bearkats stood No. 9 in the last National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) women's bowling rankings announced March 17. The NTCA conducts monthly polls that rank and list the top 20 NCAA women's bowling during the regular season.
Fairleigh-Dickinson University of Teaneck, NJ, the defending NCAA Division I champions, owns the top spot in the poll. Maryland-Eastern Shore is ranked second. Central Missouri, Vanderbilt and Nebraska rank third through fifth.
The Bearkats own at least one victory over every team in the top 10 except for New Jersey City. Sam Houston is 37-28 this year against squads ranked in the top 20.
"Whatever happens, I'm proud to the job our girls have done this year," Hagen said.
