Bearkats challenge top teams in Arkansas
1/15/2015 10:07:00 AM | Women's Bowling
Ten top 20 ranked teams will challenge Sam Houston State for the title at the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Arkansas, this weekend.
The annual event is being hosted by No. 3 Arkansas State at the Jonesboro Bowling Center. Sam Houston finished as the runner-up in the Mid-Winter Invitational last year on the way to the 2014 NCAA Division I national championship. The second place performance last season in Jonesboro was the Kats' highest in the Arkansas State tournament in the SHSU bowling program's four-year history.
Other top 20 squads competing this weekend include No. 1 Nebraska, No. 4 Central Missouri, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 Maryland-Eastern Shore, No. 13 McKendree, No. 15 Valparaiso and No. 20 Tulane.
Sam Houston is ranked fifth nationally after compiling a 51-20 won-loss record during their five tournaments this fall.
The 51 victories in dual match play stand as the highest total by any of the squads in the NTCA top 20. The Bearkats compiled a 27-16 record against top 20 teams during the fall semester.
Sam Houston's top performances included a team championship at the Tulane Invitational, a runner-up finish at the FDU Jersey Jamboree and the Crusader Classic and a third place at the UMES Hawk Classic.
“Overall it was a great first half with a young team,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said. “The first half was all about surviving the gauntlet, building up some momentum for the spring and learning from everything as a team. We stayed positive through some adverse times. Now we've got to gear up for a challenging schedule in the spring.”
The Bearkats have at least one victory over 16 of the teams in the top 20.
The teams will compete in five total pin baker games on Friday and six traditional team matches on Saturday. Total pins from the first two days will determine the seeding for best-of-seven baker bracket play on Sunday.
