Vandy rolls to Monmouth championship

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Feb. 28, 2016

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ—Vanderbilt literally survived a bruising final match to win the Monmouth Hawk Flight Invite, capping a dominating weekend at the Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes.

The third-ranked Commodores, 88-30 on the season, beat fourth rated Sam Houston State in the title match to finish the three-day tourney with an 11-1 record. It was their second championship of the season, both coming on these same lanes.

Vanderbilt appeared to have the seventh and deciding Baker game well under control with All-American Robyn Renslow bowling in the fourth spot on a string of strikes. However, Renslow’s ball struck her inside ankle and ricocheted immediately into the gutter, costing Vandy somewhere between 17 and 20 pins.

The Californian senior, now sporting a welt on the ankle, composed herself to convert a crucial spare and Kristin Quah followed with a spare/strike in the 10th to salvage a 216-216 tie that forced a modified Baker play-off (5 frames).

The VU lineup of Giselle Poss, Amanda Fry, Newham and Renslow each calmly threw strikes and Quah added a spare to prevail by 15 pins. Quah and Newham – both freshmen – made the all-tournament team but Coach John Williamson was quick to point out that the title was a team accomplishment.

“We were over plus-1,000 pins (over a 200 average is considered plus) and teams don’t do that without everyone bowling well,” Williamson said. “We thought the shot was one we could score on all weekend but there is a difference between thinking you can and actually executing.”

Vandy’s lineup of Poss, Fry, Newham, Renslow and Quah was a bit different than previous ones but Williamson said not to read too much into it.

“We are always looking to put people into the best situations for success,” he said, “and Kristin had a tremendous look and ball reaction.”

He was obviously pleased with Newham, who made her first all-tournament team with a 226 average, striking on 26 of her 31 attempts in Baker play.

“Jordan has been working really hard and was extremely successful here,” he said. “It is nice to see hard work rewarded.”

Quah won the individual title with her 238 average. (note: on the PDF standings some individuals bowled six games due to the number of teams entered, VU bowled just five team games) In January Kristin was second at the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Classic.

Vanderbilt had opened the day by beating Sam Houston in team play and then romped by host Monmouth in the semi-finals, 4-1. The Commodores topped the 1,100 mark in eight of their 12 tournament contests – an average of over 220 per game.

The Commodores are now off until they host the Columbia 300 Music City Classic – one of the nation’s largest collegiate tournaments – March 18-20 at the Smyrna Bowling Center.