March 15, 2009
Individual Results | Win/Loss Record | Team Standings | Saturday’s Baker Games
SMYRNA, Tenn. — Vanderbilt bowling’s stellar senior class finished their regular season careers in style, leading the No. 1 rated Commodores to victory in the fifth annual Columbia 300 Music City Classic Sunday afternoon.
Vanderbilt swept through three strong opponents with relative ease to take the championship trophy in their own event for the first time. The win was also its fifth of the year, also a school record.
The Commodores beat No. 2 rated Nebraska in the title game after having topped New Jersey City and Arkansas State in the championship bracket. They used consistently strong scores to keep their opponents on edge.
“We showed what we can do today,” said a happy senior, Michelle Peloquin. “We don’t see this best four-of-seven format much during the regular season but it’s the way the nationals are decided. It is hard to simulate the setting in practice so this is a great stepping stone. We bowled three very good teams and that says a lot for our effort today.”
While the seniors were honored afterward as the most successful class in Vanderbilt athletic history, it was junior Josie Earnest who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player and was also winner of the tournament’s high score of 246. Earnest averaged a torrid 217 in six games to separate herself from this large and talented field.
“We have been working on our Baker play the past eight weeks,” said VU Coach John Williamson. “We talk about closing frames and staying clean. By doing so we forced our opponents to make shots and when you keep applying pressure it often works to your advantage.”
On a day when all Commodores performed well, Williamson noted that junior Ashley Belden came through in the No. 3 spot of his Baker rotation.
“Ashley did her job, she carried out her role,” he noted. “We needed her to fill frames and she did just that.”
The Commodores made good use of senior Tara Kane, who was often inserted into the lineup as a substitute for Earnest to finish games.
“We had two purposes in subbing Tara in,” Williamson explained. “First, we wanted to keep her engaged in the action as she is a key member of this team. Secondly, Josie was being troubled by an in-grown finger nail so Tara’s good work allowed Josie to take a few throws off.”
Karen Grygiel, yet another senior, often sparked rallies from her lead-off spot. The Brick, N.J. product was thinking beyond this tournament as soon as it was over.
“We were very confident today so it was a matter of relaxing and picking up spares,” she said. “This was a great set-up for the NCAA’s; we wanted to put forth a good effort and we gained a big confidence boost doing so.”
Peloquin pointed to the first game of the New Jersey City match as a turning point in the day. The Commodores had just won four in a row to best Arkansas State in the opener when they found themselves in a struggle with the No. 1 seeded Knights.
Both teams were struggling to get their bearings and Vandy was able to post just a 157 total, by far its lowest production of an otherwise robust day. However, New Jersey City was having its own problems and the game was decided when the NJC anchor surprisingly failed to convert a spare in the tenth, giving VU a fortunate 157-148 win.
The all-tournament team consisted of the top five individual finishers (listed in a near-by link on this site).
Fairleigh Dickinson finished third, New Jersey City fourth, Arkansas State fifth, Alabama A & M sixth, Delaware State seventh, Central Missouri eighth, Sacred Heart ninth and Minnesota State tenth in the 23 team field.
The NCAA Championship is coming in mid-April in Detroit.
Vanderbilt’s Sunday Results (Best 4 of 7 Baker Games)
Vanderbilt 4 Arkansas State 1
AS 205-195
VU 191-179
VU 194-148
VU 204-147
VU 198-194
Vanderbilt 4 New Jersey City 0
VU 157-148
VU 202-146
VU 206-185
VU 199-187
Vanderbilt 4 Nebraska 1
VU 235-160
VU 192-156
NU 248-175
VU 225-181
VU 203-200
