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1/19/2006 Vanderbilt’s bowling team comes off a lengthy holiday break this weekend to compete at the Ozark Women’s Invitational, hosted by Central Missouri State University. The Commodores carry a 17-13 record into the weekend and will face a strong eight-team field that includes Nebraska, Minnesota State and Arkansas State in addition to the host, who was the national runner-up a year ago. The tournament will be played Saturday and Sunday but Coach John Williamson has scheduled five dual matches Friday, knowing that the added experience will help his team. “Some of the best teams in college bowling will be in Warrensburg,” says Coach John Williamson, “and we are looking forward to see how we stack up at this point in the season.” Vanderbilt expects to get a positive bounce in its lineup after gaining the full-time services of Mandy Keily, who missed all but the last day of the fall campaign due to an NCAA eligibility ruling. With the talented Colorado southpaw ready from the outset, it is the first tournament all year in which the Commodores enter with their five highest averages in the lineup.
Williamson said there has been a theme to recent practice sessions. “We are striving to gain a consistency,” he says. “During the fall we had games in which we cracked 1,000 and would then turn around the next game and have a letdown. That is probably the mark of a freshman-dominated lineup but we need to find focus and consistency if we want to realize our potential. Good teams have a certain mental toughness that prevents them from roller-coaster scoring and that is where we need to be.” The Black and Gold will travel with a squad of six. Freshmen Michelle Peloquin, Tara Kane, Kaitlin Reynolds, Karen Grygiel and Keily will be joined by junior Christine Luce. Peloquin carries the second highest average in the NCAA at 214 over 22 fall games to lead the team. The Enfield, Ct., product also has set a school record with a 750 series against Alabama A & M. Kane became Vanderbilt’s first individual champion when she won at Arkansas State and the Pennsylvania native also holds the school record with a 267 effort. She averages 201 entering the spring schedule, ninth best in NCAA circles. Reynolds is next with a 197 average, followed closely by Grygiel at 193. Luce averaged 162 in one fall tournament appearance. |
