Nov. 3, 2011
Watch Live Webcast of New Jersey Jamboree
Tournament Season Begins: Vanderbilt travels to the New Jersey Jamboree Thursday, an 18-team tournament hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University at the Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park.
Participating Teams: Adelphi, Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Hampton, Howard, Kutztown, Long Island, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Monmouth, Morgan State, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (Pa), Salem International, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Vanderbilt.
Tourney Format: Friday’s competition begins at 12:30 p.m. with five, 4-game Baker matches with total pin fall the criteria. Saturday moves to five traditional games with play starting at 12:20 p.m. and Sunday a championship bracket will be established (by pin fall) with play beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Vanderbilt Traveling Party: The Commodores will take six women on the trip. They are seniors Brittni Hamilton and Samantha Hesley, juniors Jessica Earnest and Sarah O’Brien and freshmen Nicole Mosesso and Natalie Goodman.
Enlarged Itinerary: While the tournament is Job 1, the Commodores will take advantage of their proximity to New York City by adding an educational component to this early season trip. They plan to go into the Big Apple by train Friday evening to see the World Trade Center area and other points of interest.
Unknown Territory: Vanderbilt, rated No. 2 in the first national poll, is coming off a crisp performance two weeks ago at the Alabama Tri Meet. The field includes top-rated Maryland-Eastern Shore, which is rebuilding after the loss of three talented seniors from its NCAA champion team of last spring. The same is true of host FDU, which was No. 1 most of last year with a senior-laden lineup.
Coach Williamson says: “At this early point in the year we are a lot more interested in how we will perform than what the other teams do or don’t do. There are always good teams at this tournament and the champion will need to bowl well.”
Recent New Jersey Jamboree History: A year ago Vanderbilt finished fourth at this event and in 2008 the Commodores won the tournament, coming out of the loser’s bracket on the final day.
