Topeka, Kan. – Freshman Brianna Merner (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) helped lead the Saint Xavier University women's bowling team into the eight-team tournament championship of the NAIA-BCA Invite this weekend in Topeka, Kan. On the first day of the tournament on Friday, Merner was the top individual finisher for the Cougars, placing 14^th overall with 933 pins over five games for an average of 186.6. She hit a high of 196 pins in game five. Merner, along with her teammates, totaled 4,396 pins for a ninth place draw out of 20 teams. On Saturday, SXU competed in the Baker Games format, collecting 4,366 pins to move up to eighth with a combined pin score of 8,762 to advance to the tournament championship bracket on Sunday. Saint Xavier took on No. 2 seed SCAD Savannah (Ga.) in the quarterfinals, losing if four games in the best-of-seven match-up (159-172, 167-170, 159-202, 170-210). SCAD Savannah would win the tournament after defeating No. 9 seed McPherson University (Kan.) in seven games (174-191, 214-144, 201-157, 188-191, 236-202, 157-212, 213-180).

• Sophomore Jade Gabor (Newark, Ohio/Newark) finished in the Top 20 with her score of 925 for a 17^th place draw. In five games, she averaged 185.0 pins with a high of 213 pins in game three. Gabor also hit 200 pins in game four.
• Junior Abigail Miller (Lockport, Ill./Joliet JC/Lockport Township) was right behind her teammate, placing 18^th with a total of 923 pins in five games. She averaged a score of 184.6 with a high of 223 pins in game four.
• Junior Breanna Pimentel (Northlake, Ill./West Leyden) was 42^nd overall with her score of 841 pins in five games. She rolled an average of 168.2, hitting a high of 205 pins in game five.
• Senior Emma Zalud (Bolingbrook, Ill./Downers Grove South) competed in four games, coming away with a total of 610 pins for a 152.5 average. She hit a high of 167 pins in game one.
• Joining their teammates on Saturday, rotating into the 20 Baker Games were sophomore Elizabeth Voss (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) and freshman Ashley Baeza (Cicero, Ill./Morton East).

Saint Xavier takes part in the two-day Ebonite Warhawk Open that begins on Saturday, December 6 in Addison, Ill.