NCAA Bowling: Kats get feel for new facility
4/12/2017 3:55:00 PM | Women's Bowling
Except it isn't.
This year's championship event will be housed in the Raising Cane's River Center in Baton Rouge, a convention center, and not a traditional bowling facility as it has been in the past.
“The surface is pristine, the conditions are pristine,” said head coach Brad Hagen. “Those that can avoid getting caught up in the big area, open environment, high ceiling, different echoes are going to have a good weekend. That's what we are going to talk about tonight. We are going to have to manage the emotions, and keep the blinders on and focus on what is in front of us.”
In conjunction with the United States Bowling Congress, this year's championship is being held in a convention center hall that will feature brighter lights, more space and stadium style seating.
Junior Stephanie Zavala and the rest of the Bearkats got their first look at the new facility during Wednesday's practice session.
“Once we got out there, it really wasn't different,” Zavala said. “The approaches are the same, it's the same distance to the pins. We walked in and we were in shock, but once we stepped on that approach it was back to business.”
The Bearkats enter the championship as the No. 4 overall seed in the 8-team field. Winners of the 2014 title, the Bearkats are looking to get back, falling in the semifinals in 2015 and losing in the second round last year.
Hagen will lean in the experience of his upper classmen Janine Kuwahara who is competing in her fourth NCAA Championships and Zavala and Heather Penatzer who are competing for the third time.
“2014 was a great run for us, and one of the big things we had was some upperclassmen experience, which is something we also have this year,” Hagen said. “This team is a lot deeper than that team was and that will help. If we can relax and stay in the moment and just go out and compete, I think it could be a great weekend for us.”
Thursday's competition will feature five qualifying matches beginning at 12:50. Friday will be the final two qualifying matches with the double elimination bracket play starting Friday afternoon.
All matches will be streamed on NCAA.com and the finals Saturday night will be televised live on ESPNU.
