SHSU faces strong field at Prairie View Invt.
1/29/2015 5:00:00 PM | Women's Bowling
The Panthers are hosting the event at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington.
No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 3 Arkansas State, No. 4 Central Missouri, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 Maryland-Eastern Shore and No. 10 North Carolina A&T join the No. 5 ranked Bearkats in the event.
No. 15 Valparaiso also in the field along with unranked host team Prairie View A&M
“The tournament is another opportunity to for us pick up big wins and some momentum in our quest to earn another NCAA national tournament berth,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said.
Sam Houston brings a 58-26 overall dual match record into the weekend's event. The Bearkats are 36-24 against teams ranked among the top 20. The women are 14-17 versus the top 10. Nebraska, Arkansas State and Wisconsin-Whitewater are the only top 10 teams that do not have a loss to the Kats yet this season.
Sam Houston's top performances so far have included a team championship at the Tulane Invitational, runner-up finishes at the FDU Jersey Jamboree and the Crusader Classic and a third place at the UMES Hawk Classic.
The teams will compete in five total pin baker games on Friday and five 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.
Janine Kuwahara sports the Kats' best tradition team pin fall average with a 199.0 mean in 41 matches.
Other individual averages for the SHSU women include Carrie Hopkinson (197.8 in 16 matches), Anna Groce (195.7 in 44 matches), Heather Penatzer (194.2 in 43 matches), Erin Brown (188.8 in 27 matches), Stephanie Zavala (185.7 in 37 matches) and Becca Pittser (184.5 in 17 matches).
