No. 6 Bearkats Open Play Friday at Tulane
10/17/2013 12:22:00 PM | Women's Bowling
The No. 6-ranked Sam Houston women's bowling team opens the program's fourth season of action this weekend.
The Bearkats travel to Kenner, La., to participate in the All State Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational hosted by Tulane.
Sam Houston is the event's defending champion. The Kats won 11 of their 12 matches in last year's event, defeated then No. 2 ranked Arkansas State in the finals.
The SHSU bowlers are one of four nationally ranked squads in the 11-team field at the All Star Lanes in Kenner.
No. 9 Stephen F. Austin, No. 19 Prairie View A&M and No. 20 Bethune-Cookman join the No. 6 Kats. Also in the field are Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Florida A&M, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Texas Southern and host Tulane
The Bearkats return six bowlers from last year's squad that rolled up 102 dual match victories and earned Sam Houston's second NCAA Elite Eight berth in the program's three-season history. The squad won five regular season tournament champions.
Seniors Neishka Cardona and Kimi Davidson, members of all three previous Bearkat squads, are the team's leaders. Davidson produced a 205.2 average last year in tradition team matches while Cardona posted a 198.2 mean.
“Neishka and Kimi are our program's first four-year seniors,” Hagen said. “They know what it takes to get to the NCAA and will provide outstanding leadership for us. We've have a solid group of veteran players and we've helped ourselves in recruiting.”
Other players back from last year's squad that posted 42 victories over top 25 teams include Erin Brown, Anna Groce, and Rebecca Pittser. Joining the squad are Janine Kuwahara, Madeleine McDuff and Jeanette Van Gundy.
