June 12, 2016
Vanderbilt’s bowling team is in the midst of an Australian tour. Today sophomore Jordan Newham records her memories of the team’s activities in the great city of Melbourne.
Hello everyone!
Today was the third day of our trip around Australia and it was a great one. This morning we had the opportunity to explore the Queen Victoria Markets. This is a popular area for the people of Melbourne to come shop for just about anything. As I was walking around with a few others there was a plethora of things to get, from Australian food to clothing. It was a great way to start off the day. Everyone was very excited to get souvenirs for themselves and everyone back home.
Following the marketplace, we headed off to the Oz Tenpin Center at Chirnside Park for the match play rounds of the Schweppes Melbourne Tenpin Cup – promoted locally as having “Australia’s Greatest Bowlers”. The event has been ongoing since 1973 and the field included a number of professional men and women.
After 12 grueling games of qualifying yesterday we had five past and present Commodores advance to match play including Josie Earnest, Giselle Poss, Kristin Quah, Robyn Renslow, and myself. After another very long day and nine more games, we had all five of us advancing Dores finish in the top eight. It was an absolutely amazing experience getting to compete in a different country. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we all had a great time bowling Down Under.
After the award ceremonies finished we visited with the men’s tournament champion and three-time PBA Player of the Year, Jason Belmonte, who joined us in some photographs. This was just yet another great experience that we’ve gained here in Australia.
Finally after leaving the bowling center after a long day, we headed to downtown Melbourne to go to the Eureka Sky Deck. We traveled up 88 floors to see the amazing views of all of Melbourne. Being able to look out and see the views of this beautiful city for miles was incredible.
Following this we were on our own for dinner. Some of us decided to go to one of the many “lane ways” that Melbourne is known for. These are graffiti-filled side streets that are packed with awesome restaurants and shops. After a few nights downtown I think it’s safe to say that these small “lane ways” have the best food!
Sending in for the night and ready for another awesome day of exploring tomorrow! –Jordan Newham
(Editor’s Note: Jordan was too modest to mention that she placed second in the Tenpin Cup standings. For those interested in tournament details, they can be found online under the Melbourne Tenpin Cup 2016.)
