Oct. 26, 2017
Vanderbilt travels to Fairview Heights, Ill., for McKendree University’s Brunswick Bearcat Open, played Friday through Sunday on the St. Clair Bowl lanes. It is the Commodores’ first tournament of the season.
Tourney format: The first of five Baker games begin Friday morning at 9:40 (CDT). Saturday’s five team games start at 9:30 a.m. and the best-of-seven championship bracket Baker games commence Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
24 Competing teams: Arkansas State, Aurora, Central Missouri, Drury, Fairleigh Dickinson, Lincoln Memorial, Lincoln, Maryville, McKendree, Monmouth, Nebraska, North Carolina A&T, North Central College, Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston, St. Francis Brooklyn, St. Francis (PA), Stephen F. Austin, UAB, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Vanderbilt, Valparaiso, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Youngstown
About the tournament: This is just the second Bearcat Open and will be the first time Vandy has competed.
Power packed field: Defending national champion and host McKendree will give everyone a good barometer of where they are at this point in the new year. Indeed there are nine of the pre-season Top 10 competing (only #9 Sacred Heart is absent) so there is no doubting the power this initial tournament contains.
Following the tournament: The Commodores will stream live on their YouTube channel, offering viewers a much better picture – assuming the Wi-Fi at each tournament venue is adequate. This is found on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv_VG66iqKMhXy0vlDdm5DA (and may require you do a quick sign up at no cost or obligation). Facebook and Twitter accounts @Vandy Bowling will carry score updates.
Commodores traveling six
Maria Bulanova: A first-team All-America and Rookie of the Year in 2016. She ranked high in many categories including third in overall scoring average at 20.97.
Samantha Gainor: The lone newcomer on the first travel squad. She was a 2015 Dexter High School All-American.
Jordan Newham: One of the team’s most experienced bowlers after two years in the lineup. She had 19.07 team and 18.20 Baker frame averages as a sophomore.
Kristin Quah: Twice has earned All-America mention and was a CoSIDA academic all-district honoree last year with a double major in biomedical and electrical engineering. She also was voted by her teammates as the Harry Stoddard Award recipient for best combining the many favorable traits of the late Smyrna Bowling Center general manager.
Emily Rigney: The left-handed Aussie came on strong the second half of her freshman season, making the all-tournament team at Monmouth’s event. She had 18.85 team and 19.05 Baker frame averages.
Adel Wahner: One of the nation’s premier spare converters, ranking fifth as a freshman in spare conversions including splits (75.5%) and 17th in 9-count spares (92%).
No White Out Yet: Those snazzy white spare balls with the Anchor Down logo you may have noticed recently on social media won’t be in action until the Commodores can become comfortable with them in practice sessions.
