Feb. 3, 2008
JONESBORO, Ark. – Some days you drink champagne, other days you stomp the grapes.
There were no joyous toasts here this weekend, at least not by the Vanderbilt bowling team as it struggled through an uninspired performance en route to a ninth place finish at Arkansas State’s Mid-Winter Invitational.
The Commodores went 3-2 Sunday in a series of four-game Baker sets. They finished the tournament 832 pins behind Maryland-Eastern Shore’s winning total while compiling a 9-5 record. To illustrate how momentum can change, last November Vanderbilt finished about 900 pins ahead of MES while winning that school’s own tourney.
Vanderbilt opened Sunday with a loss to Minnesota-Mankato (810-742) before rattling off wins against Delaware State (799-696), Bethune-Cookman (737-736) and Fairleigh Dickinson (804-783). They ended the event losing to Sacred Heart (776-662), the runner-up in the tournament.
“It was one of those weekends we might be best to forget,” said Coach John Williamson. “It actually could have been worse; we needed some good fortune to edge Bethune-Cookman by one pin. We’ll get back on track; we’ve got good bowlers and, more important, good people on this team. We won’t stay down long.”
The team returns to competition Feb. 16-17 in Baltimore at the Morgan State Invitational.
