Feb. 4, 2007
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| Freshman Josie Earnest (pictured fourth from left) rolled a tournament-high 268 and earned all-tournament honors. |
JONESBORO, AR—Vanderbilt’s bowlers enjoyed an undefeated Sunday to finish the NCAA Mid-Winter Classic with an 8-1 dual record, the best mark in the 17-team field as all others suffered at least two losses.
However, the team champion was crowned based on total pin fall and the Commodores were fifth to first-place Fairleigh Dickinson in the closely bunched field.
“We made up about 300 pins on the field today, quite an accomplishment, but we had simply dug too deep a hole for ourselves yesterday to escape,” said Coach John Williamson. “Our dual wins against both Fairleigh Dickinson and New Jersey City will mean more in the NCAA seeding formula than the standings and pin fall so we did salvage something after our slow start.”
Josie Earnest led the way for Vanderbilt, rolling a blistering 268 in the win over fourth-rated New Jersey City. That score was the high game for all bowlers in the competition and helped earn the Vandalia, Ill., product all-tournament honors.
Saturday’s lane conditions seemed to mystify the Commodores, who totaled season-low scores but Sunday they came back much stronger.
“I don’t know if the lanes changed that much or if we simply had a better grasp of the task before us,” Williamson noted. “We were able to string some games together but it was mainly a grind-it-out kind of day. I was pleased we rebounded as we did but we left a lot of makeable spares standing so it was not close to our best effort.”
Vanderbilt, now 46-10 for the year, travels to Morgan State for its next tournament Feb. 17-18.
Top 5 Teams
Fairleigh Dickinson 9084
New Jersey City 9076
Nebraska 9042
Central Missouri 8938
Vanderbilt 8935
Sunday’s Vanderbilt Action
Vanderbilt 921 Fairleigh Dickinson 883
Karen Grygiel 167
Mandy Keily 173
Josie Earnest 191
Tara Kane 203
Michelle Peloquin 187
Vanderbilt 988 New Jersey City 939
Grygiel 196
Keily 181
Earnest 268*
Kane 168
Peloquin 175
Bye Game (884 total)
Grygiel 191
Keily 157
Earnest 182
Kane 158
Peloquin 196
Vanderbilt 962 Morgan State 806
Grygiel 171
Keily 182
Earnest 233
Kane 183
Peloquin 93
Baker Game versus Alabama A & M (VU 703 A & M 671)
VU 181 A & M 180
A & M 176 VU 175
A & M 198 VU 156
VU 191 A & M 117
* high game of tournament
