Sterling Heights, Mich. – The Saint Xavier University women's bowling team finished in a tie for seventh place out of 12 teams after being eliminated on day two of the NAIA Women's Bowling National Championship Tournament Friday afternoon at Five Star Lanes in Sterling Heights, Mich. On day one, the teams bowed 24 Baker Games to establish the seeding for the championship tournament. The Cougars earned a bye to the second day by collecting 4,963 pins, the third-highest total, to claim the No. 3 seed.
SXU faced No. 6 Concordia University-Ann Arbor (Mich.) Friday morning after the Cardinals defeated No. 11 Culver-Stockton College (Mo.), four games to three, on Thursday. CUAA came away with the victory in six games (157-181, 166-200, 171-187, 176-160, 174-169, 180-225) to drop Saint Xavier into the elimination bracket. The Cougars stayed alive in the tournament by eliminating No. 5 Milligan University (Tenn.) in five games (246-212, 200-190, 206-231, 238-215, 213-148). The tournament run ended with a 4-2 defeat (199-148, 178-237, 128-221, 195-205, 197-192, 216-244) to No. 2 seed Mount Mercy University (Iowa).
Only three teams remain in contention for the NAIA Women's Bowling National Championship as No. 8 seeded Spring Arbor University (Mich.) is the lone unbeaten team, as of this writing, and they will play the winner of the Concordia-Mount Mercy for the Red Banner Saturday afternoon.
- SXU had seven bowlers compete at the national championship: fifth-year senior Barbara Lunsford (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West), senior Monica Darrow (Elgin, Ill./South Elgin), senior Megan Gillson (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community), junior Emma Zalud (Bolingbrook, Ill./Downers Grove South), sophomore Breanna Pimentel (Northlake, Ill./West Leyden), freshman Jade Gabor (Newark, Ohio/Newark) and freshman Elizabeth Voss (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West).
Saint Xavier returns to action at the Intercollegiate Team Championships at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, Nev. with competition starting on Thursday, April 17 at 10:00 am central.
