Mid-Winter Invitational This Weekend
1/14/2016 9:52:00 AM | Women's Bowling
After a successful fall schedule which saw Sam Houston bowling team roll up a 48-21 dual match record and earn a No. 4 national ranking in the December National Ten Pins Coaches Association rankings, the Bearkats begin their spring semester schedule this weekend in Arkansas.
The women are one of 14 teams competing in the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational at the Jonesboro Bowling Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Sam Houston has competed in the event in each of its five seasons of intercollegiate bowling. The Kats' best finish came in 2014 when Sam Houston was the tournament runner-up after a loss to host Arkansas State in the finals. The Sam women placed ninth last year.
Sam Houston is one of 10 ranked squads in the field. All of the top five teams will attend led by No. 1 Arkansas State (tournament host), No. 2 Nebraska (NCAA defending national champion) and No. 3 Vanderbilt and Central Missouri (tied with SHSU for No. 4 in the December rankings). Also attending are No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 McKendree, No. 10 Maryland-Eastern Shore and No. 15 Valparaiso.
The Bearkats played in five major tournaments during October and November. Sam Houston won the Tulane Invitational, was the runner-up as host of the TRACK Kat Klash in Houston, placed fourth at the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawk Classic, fifth at the New Jersey Jamboree and compiled an 8-6 record at Nebraska's Big Red Classic in which no overall team championship was awarded.
Sam Houston stands 38-16 against teams ranked among the top 25 this year and 18-11 against the top 10. Arkansas State holds a 4-0 advantage over the Kats, but Sam Houston went 4-3 against Nebraska, 2-1 with Vanderbilt and 3-0 against the UCM Mules in the squad's meetings with the other three teams rated among the top five.
Janine Kuwahara leads Sam Houston is total pins following this fall's action in traditional team play. Kuwahara owns a 207.51 average. Other Bearkat averages include Heather Penatzer (202.09), Anna Groce (200.36), Carrie Hopkinson (198.65), Erin Brown (189.29), Stephanie Zavala (188.88), Maydsen Keller (183.29) and Randi Speiler (175.33).
The Mid-Winter Invitational will feature five total pinfall baker matches on Friday and five traditional team games on Saturday. Total pin counts from the first two days will set the pairings for best-of-seven baker bracket play to decide the tournament championship on Sunday.
