WEEK of: FEBRUARY 4-10, 2008
Sophomore CANDICE D’ANGELO (Coram, NY/Longwood (NY) is the NJCU Women's Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career after she posted one of the top tournament averages in program history, and was named Most Valuable Player of the Capital Classic hosted by Delaware State University in Dover, DE, as she placed first overall of 92 bowlers. Her 1,140 pinfall was 47 better than any other athlete in the field, and her 228.0 average was nearly 10 pins per game higher than the second place competitor. It is the third time this year that an NJCU kegler has been named MVP of a tournament.
Individually, D’Angelo had the highest tournament average this season by an NJCU bowler, finishing with a five-game pinfall of 1,140 (256-246-206-246-186), for a 228.0 average. Her three-game series of 708 was also an NJCU season high. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
But it wasn't just a week of bowling for D'Angelo. After she sang the national anthem at the 2007 NCAA Championship, she was asked to perform again prior to the tournament. When the microphone in mid-verse, she went on, and received a standing ovation.
After singing the national anthem for the tournament crowd, she went out and bowled stars and strikes for the Gothic Knights,with the best performance of her career.
Behind her high scores, the No. 6 ranked NJCU (65-26) women’s bowling team went 4-1 overall on day one of the tournament, finishing 6-4 for the weekend. NJCU placed second of 14 schools in total pinfall before finishing fourth after losing in the semifinals. The Knights won the first four matches of the tournament to extend its winning streak to 13 straight—two shy of the school record set in December—before dropping the final match.
NJCU knocked off #17 St. Francis College, 966-905, to improve to 6-1 this year against the Terriers, as D’Angelo bowled a career-high 256. In the second match, NJCU defeated an opponent by at least 300 pins for the sixth time this season, crushing crushed Coppin State University, 1017-710, as D’Angelo bagged a 246. In match three, NJCU met Hampton University for the first time this year, defeating the Pirates, 923-874, as D’Angelo rolled a 206.
In a battle of North Jersey, and perhaps the regions’ top two bowling powers, NJCU had the best performance of the season, defeating #5 FDU in an offensive slugfest, 1,111-1,037, for a 74-pin win. The 1,111 pinfall was the highest by the Knights this season and marked the seventh time in program history NJCU has bowled 1,100+ in a traditional game, including the second time against FDU (1,118, October 28, 2006). D’Angelo threw a 246.
On the season, D’Angelo is fourth on the team with a 188.67 average, with 8,113 pins in 43 games. She has 13 games of 200, and three of 225+ with a high of 256. All three games over 225 happened at the Capital Classic. Her 118 Baker games are third most on the club. It was the second time this year she has placed in the Top 10 in an event. She was 10th at the Jeannette Lee Invitational in December.
