Bowlers Retain No. 1 Ranking

Nov. 30, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s bowling team kept a firm grip on the nation’s No. 1 ranking in the newest national poll of the National Ten Pin Coaches Association. The Commodores travel to Jackson, Miss., Friday to prepare for the weekend’s Capital City Classic.

Vanderbilt, 27-6, garnered 14 of the 18 first place votes cast in the November poll with second rated Nebraska getting the other four votes. The two teams are the headliners in a 10-team field this weekend with the Commodores entering as defending champions.

“We are expecting scores to be high across the board which often makes a tournament difficult to predict,” Coach John Williamson says. “It will be good competition and we are looking forward to it.”

Vanderbilt is coming off an impressive victory two weeks ago at the Hawk Classic in Delaware. Karen Grygiel won Most Valuable Player honors there with a 230 average.

Five team games begin the tournament at noon Saturday at the Cotton Bowl Lanes in Jackson. Sunday has five Baker games (four games/total pin fall) to wrap up the event.

Competing teams include Alabama State, Arkansas State, Grambling, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi Valley State, Nebraska, Southern and Vanderbilt.

ATCA Top 10:

1. Vanderbilt University 27 – 6 – 0 564 (14)

2. University of Nebraska 21 – 6 – 0 524 (4)

3. Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore 31 – 6 – 0 428

4. University of Central Missouri 24 – 7 – 0 420

5. Sacred Heart University 17 – 4 – 0 408

6. Fairleigh Dickinson University 23 – 11 – 0 406

7. New Jersey City University 21 – 13 – 0 298

8. Delaware State University 25 – 4 – 0 285

9. Arkansas State University 17 – 6 – 0 280

10. Alabama A&M University 29 – 8 – 0 272