Jan. 18, 2007
John Williamson |
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Vanderbilt’s bowling team ends its seven-week off-season Friday with a series of dual matches and the Central Missouri University Invitational.
The Commodores had finished the fall portion of their schedule red-hot, winning two consecutive tournaments and climbing into the No. 2 spot in the latest poll of the National Ten Pin Coaches Association. However, Coach John Williamson is wary.
“We’ve talked all fall about staying focused and being consistent and I thought we did a pretty good job of that up to our break,” he says. “We have to recapture that intensity as we move forward after the holidays and semester break. To be honest, I haven’t been convinced we’re there yet based on the week of practices we’ve had. This will be something I pay close attention to in Missouri.”
Vanderbilt will bowl five games against Arkansas State, host Central Missouri, Elmhurst, Fontbonne and Minnesota State-Mankato Friday afternoon in Warrensburg before moving Saturday to Springfield for the actual tournament, where Nebraska and Southern join the field. That tournament runs Saturday and Sunday.
The Black and Gold carry a 28-4 record into the weekend, having won 22 of its last 23 games. Freshman Josie Earnest, who last week placed a strong 19th in an elite field of 77 at the USBC Team USA Trials in Reno, Nev., leads a very balanced Commodore lineup with a 194 average. She will be joined on the trip by Michelle Peloquin, Kaitlin Reynolds, Tara Kane, Karen Grygiel, Mandy Keily and Ashley Belden.