(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 28)—The McKendree University women’s bowling team won its first tournament of the 2009-10 season by taking top honors as the Kegel/ISBPA Collegiate Classic. The two-day tournament was held Saturday and Sunday in Addison, Ill.
The Bearcats rolled to second place in the qualifying rounds, which consisted of six team games followed by 10 Baker games. McKendree reached the knockout round, where they had the highest team scores in the quarterfinal and semifinal round to reach the championship match against Wichita State University. The Bearcats then cruised past Wichita State in the final two games, 180-157 and 211-185, to bring home the title.
McKendree had a second team reach the knockout round, but was eliminated in the first round of tournament play.
Sophomore Brandi Branka (Momence, Ill./Bishop McNamara) and freshman Marilyn Gawlik (Schaumburg, Ill./Schuamburg) each placed in the top 10 of the tournament. Branka was fifth out of 155 bowlers with a six-game average of 197.3. Gawlik averaged 189.3 in her six-game block to grab 10th place for the Bearcats.
McKendree will return to action Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Boilermaker Classic, which is hosted by Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind.
-McK-