March 4, 2007
BESSEMER, AL—Vanderbilt’s second-ranked bowling team won its third tournament championship of the season Sunday, besting 10 other programs to win Alabama A&M’s Holiday Classic. In the process, Vanderbilt went 5-0 on Sunday in team games and was 8-1 on the weekend, pushing its record to 62-13 for the season.
Kaitlin Reynolds, who had performed as the team’s “sixth man” during much of the season, earned All-Tournament honors after averaging over 195 in nine games. She placed second in final individual standings to Central Missouri’s Bryanna Caldwell, who averaged 200.1.
“I actually didn’t know I was that high in individually until one of my teammates mentioned it,” Reynolds said. “I was much more concerned about our team winning and we did, which to me was the only goal down here. I came into today pretty confident after a good day yesterday and although I didn’t have any big games, I was pretty even and just focused on spare conversions.”
The Commodores had led by just four pins after Saturday’s first set of five games and the standings were nip and tuck throughout Sunday. Vanderbilt concluded play Sunday with its second-best score of the day – 920 – over the baffling lanes and that was ample to out-distance Arkansas State by 28 pins.
“It was nice to win a tournament when I don’t think we performed particularly well,” said Coach John Williamson. “We had too many valleys to celebrate too much but I hope we never get to the point where winning isn’t fun and doesn’t feel good because it is fun to win. It says something for our program to reach a point where we can win without everything clicking on all cylinders. But we have to bowl better than this down the stretch and we will.”
The championship is Vanderbilt’s third of the season. The Commodores won back-to-back events last fall at the Hawk Classic at Maryland-Eastern Shore and the Mississippi Valley Invitational.
Vanderbilt’s next action is its lone home event of the season, the Columbia 300 Music City Classic March 17-18. It will be held at the Smyrna Bowling Center.
Top Five Teams
Vanderbilt 9288
Arkansas State 9260
Central Missouri 9183
Sacred Heart 9172
Alabama A&M 9096
Sunday’s Vanderbilt Results
Vanderbilt 898 South Carolina State 809
Michelle Peloquin 181
Kaitlin Reynolds 209
Karen Grygiel 155
Tara Kane 159
Josie Earnest 194
Vanderbilt 874 Wisconsin-Whitewater 808
Peloquin 192
Reynolds 170
Grygiel 158
Kane 172
Earnest 182
Vanderbilt 959 Delaware State 720
Peloquin 189
Reynolds 194
Grygiel 191
Mandy Keily 170
Earnest 215
Vanderbilt 872 Morgan State 842
Peloquin 156
Reynolds 193
Grygiel 158
Kane 183
Earnest 182
Vanderbilt 920 Central Missouri 857
Peloquin 190
Reynolds 212
Grygiel 177
Kane 171
Earnest 170
