Bowlers Take Aim at Music City Classic
3/5/2015 11:50:00 AM | Women's Bowling
With selections for the 2015 NCAA Championships in Saint Louis, Mo., just around the corner, the defending national champion Sam Houston women's bowling team will look to pick up more wins over nationally-ranked opponents this weekend in Tennessee.
Vanderbilt will host a field of 29 at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic at the Smyrna Bowling Center just outside Memphis, Tenn. Each of the top 17 squads in the nation will be in Smyrna.
Top 10 teams competing include Nebraska (#1), Fairleigh Dickinson (#2), Arkansas State (#3), Saint Francis Brooklyn (#4), Stephen F. Austin (#5), Vanderbilt (#6), Sam Houston (#7), Maryland-Eastern Shore (#8), Wisconsin-Whitewater (#9) and North Carolina A&T (#10).
Other top 20 squads in the field are McKendree (#11), Sacred Heart (#12), Saint Francis Pa. (#13), Saint Francis NY (#14), LIU (#15), UAB (#16) and Valparaiso (#17).
Unranked competitors in the tournament include Adelphi, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Bethune Cookman, Florida A&M, Howard, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Monmouth, Prairie View A&M, Saint Peter's and Tulane.
“The tournament has grown to be one of the largest, if not the largest, competitive fields of the season,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen. “It's another great opportunity for us to pick up some quality wins.”
Last year host Vanderbilt defeated top-rated Arkansas State to win tournament title. Each of the four seasons since Sam Houston began its women's bowling program, the Kats have traveled to Smyrna. The Bearkats finished eighth in the Music City Classic in 2011 and 2012, seventh in 2013 and ninth last year.
Tournament play begins at 9:40 Friday morning with six five-game Baker matches. Saturday at 9:30 a.m. the entrants ccompete in six traditional team matches.
Total pin count from the first two days of action will determine seedings for final bracket best of seven Baker play that kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
Sam Houston brings a 76-35 won-loss record during their eight tournaments this season. The Bearkats own a 43-29 record against the current NTCA top 20.
The SHSU women have gone 31-7 in team Baker matches, 34-16 in traditional team play and 11-12 on Sundays in best-of-seven Baker bracket action.
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.
Janine Kuwahara owns the SHSU women's top average in traditional team action with a 201.3 mark. Other squad averages include Carrie Hopkinson (197.8), Anna Groce (197.3), Heather Penatzer (197.1), Erin Brown (189.6), Stephanie Zavala (184.6) and Becca Pittser (181.6).
