QUALIFYING ROUND RECAPS (April 8, 2010)
Courtesy: Ralph Ventre, Assistant Director of Communications, Northeast Conference
OVERVIEW: Defending champion Nebraska sits atop the eight-team field following the opening day of the 2010 NCAA Bowling Championship. The Huskers won all seven traditional team matches they played and will own the top seed when double-elimination championship bracket play commences on Friday as a result. The first day of competition consisted strictly of head-to-head traditional team matches with the results determining one’s seeding. Arkansas State claimed the No. 2 seed by virtue of its 5-2 record. Vanderbilt (4-3) and New Jersey City (4-3) posted identical marks, but the former claimed the No. 3 seed by virtue of its head-to-head win over NJCU. Fairleigh Dickinson (3-4), which won it all here in 2006, earned the No. 5 seed. Maryland-Eastern Shore’s 49-pin victory over Delaware State earned the Hawks the No. 6 seed and bumped the Hornets into the No. 7 spot, as both teams posted 2-5 records. Central Missouri (1-6) rounds out the seeding.
Arkansas State sophomore Samantha Santoro posted the highest seven-game traditional average (221.0) of any individual competitor at the championship meet. Santoro’s near-perfect 290 game in the first match of the day held up as the tournament high. Maryland-Eastern Shore junior Maria Rodriguez (220.9) was second on the leader board. Her 1546 total pinfall over seven games was one pin off Santoro’s pace. The third and fourth individual performers were key reasons why Nebraska posted a perfect 7-0 record. Sophomore Valerie Calberry (213.1) and senior Cassie Leuthold (212.3) led a quartet of Huskers in the Top 15. Fairleigh Dickinson’s Danielle McEwan was the lone freshman to crack the Top 10. McEwan’s 204.0 average ranked seventh.
ROUND 1:
Arkansas State 1073, Delaware State 1011
Arkansas State out-dueled Delaware State in an opening round qualifying match that saw both teams break the 1,000-pin barrier. Sophomore Samantha Santoro bowled a 290 game in the Red Wolves’ 1073-1011 victory. After sparing the first frame, Santoro rolled a strike in each of her next 11 shots. Delaware State, which stands four wins away from 100 for the season, was one of four teams to crack 1,000 pins in the first round as three of its five starters – Kalyn Washburn (223), Adriana Jaime (212), Brooke Peterson (209) – bowled 200-plus games.
Nebraska 989, Maryland-Eastern Shore 916
Defending NCAA champion Nebraska won its first qualifying match of the day by outlasting Maryland-Eastern Shore, 989-916. Three Huskers rolled games in excess of 210. Senior Cassandra Leuthold (213) led the way followed by junior Katie Ann Sopp (212), and sophomore Valerie Calberry (211). Junior Kristina Frahm 237 was the lone UMES bowler to reach 200. The team’s second-highest individual score came from sophomore Paula Vilas (182).
Fairleigh Dickinson 1047, Vanderbilt 958
Fairleigh Dickinson exceeded 1,000 pins in its first match of the qualifying round, a 1047-958 triumph over Vanderbilt. Sophomore Joely Carrillo led the Knights to victory in what was a battle of former NCAA champions. Carrillo flirted with a perfect game, opening with seven consecutive strikes before finishing with a score of 252. She was one of three Knights over the 200-pin mark, joining freshman Danielle McEwan (215) and sophomore Tracy Ganjoin (214).
Central Missouri 1054, New Jersey City 978
Central Missouri opened the qualifying round by topping New Jersey City, 1054-978. Accounting for the second-highest team score during the first round of qualifying, CMU saw three of its bowlers roll games in excess of 220. Freshman Natalie Jimenez (224) spearheaded the effort followed by junior Theresa Christopher (223) and sophomore Kim Wallace (221). NJCU senior Candice D’Angelo matched Jimenez’s 224, but was the lone Gothic Knight to exceed 200. Both teams are making their seventh consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship.
New Jersey City 962, Delaware State 905
New Jersey City picked up its first victory by downing Delaware State, 962-905, in the second round of preliminary play. Four Gothic Knights bowled at least 185, while only Angela Reynolds (220) could claim the same for Delaware State. Senior Jenn Marmo’s 212 game was tops for New Jersey City. NJCU senior Candice D’Angelo followed up her first round game of 224 by rolling a 193 against the Hornets. The Gothic Knights’ victory was their first of the season over Delaware State, which owned a perfect 4-0 record in head-to-head meetings prior to Thursday.
Fairleigh Dickinson 1085, Maryland-Eastern Shore 1066
Posting the highest team score in the second round of traditional matches, Fairleigh Dickinson won again. The Knights, who also eclipsed the 1,000-pin mark in their opening match against Vanderbilt, outlasted Maryland-Eastern Shore in a tight 1085-1066 decision. Each of FDU’s five bowlers accounted for a score of at least 196. Senior Nichole Toto, who was not in the Knights’ lineup during the opening round, came off the bench to roll a team-high 257. FDU freshman Danielle McEwan topped her 213 game from the first round by rolling a 223. Meanwhile, UMES accounted for the round third-highest team score despite suffering a defeat. Hawks’ junior Kristina Frahm (236) eclipsed the 235-pin mark once again, while junior Maria Rodriguez bounced back from her opening round 172 game by turning in a 246.
Nebraska 1081, Vanderbilt 890
Nebraska landed a convincing victory over Vanderbilt in the second qualifying round. The defending champion Huskers notched their second straight win by downing the Commodores by a 191-pin margin. A pair of sophomores carried the load for the Huskers. Valerie Calberry bowled a 256, only to see her teammate Danielle Van Meer top that mark by rolling a 258. Kayla Rhoades (200) reached the 200-pin mark for the second straight game to lead Vanderbilt.
Arkansas State 927, Central Missouri 926
Arkansas State defeated Central Missouri by the slimmest of margin thanks to the clutch efforts of anchor bowler Samantha Santoro. With her team trailing heading into the 10
th frame, Santoro doubled to put Ark. St. on the cusp of victory. She knocked down four pins with her final ball to account for the 927-926 final score. Marissa Martinek bowled a 226, her second straight game over 200, to lead Arkansas State. CMU’s Natalie Jimenez rolled a team-high 224, identically matching her first round performance.
ROUND 3:
Maryland-Eastern Shore 1082, Delaware State 1000
Maryland-Eastern Shore defeated a familiar opponent in round three of traditional team play. The Hawks topped fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Delaware State by 82 pins. Junior Maria Rodriguez matched the 246 she bowled in the previous round to lead UMES. Her freshman teammate T’Nia Falbo was right behind, turning in a 245 game. Delaware State reached the 1,000-pin mark for the second time in their first three matches, but remained winless heading into the fourth round. DSU senior Kalyn Washburn accounted for a match high 254.
New Jersey City 954, Fairleigh Dickinson 926
The two Northeast Conference members in the NCAA Championship field squared off in the third round of qualifying matches. New Jersey City handed Fairleigh Dickinson its first loss of the day by downing its Garden State rival, 954-926. NJCU senior Candice D’Angelo spearheaded the Gothic Knights’ winning effort for the second time in their first three matches, accounting for a team-high 211. Senior Jenn Marmo (208) and sophomore Jennifer Daunno (202) were also over 200 for NJCU, which evened its season series with FDU at 5-5. Senior Nichole Toto, who accounted for a 257 in the Knights’ second round win over UMES, bowled a 203 game to lead FDU for the second straight match.
Nebraska 1173, Arkansas State 953
Nebraska rolled to its third straight victory, this time by a 220-pin margin over Arkansas State. The Huskers’ 1,173 traditional team score is believed to be the highest in the seven years of the NCAA Bowling Championship. All five Nebraska bowlers accounted for games in excess of 200. Sophomore Valerie Calberry, who bowled no lower than a 211 in any of the first three rounds, turned in a team-high 280 followed by senior Cassandra Leuthold’s 267 game. Arkansas State received a 224 game from sophomore Samantha Santoro.
Vanderbilt 973, Central Missouri 957
Vanderbilt broke into the win column by notching a 973-957 win over Central Missouri in the third round of traditional team matches. Commodores’ senior Josie Earnest turned in a match-high 246 game that proved to be the difference. Freshman Kim Knapp’s 211 led CMU, while fellow rookie Natalie Jimenez (201) bowled her third straight 200-plus game.
ROUND 4:
Maryland-Eastern Shore 1030, Central Missouri 981
After dropping its first two matches in qualifying play, Maryland-Eastern Shore made it two wins in a row when it defeated Central Missouri by 49 pins in Round 4. Helping the Hawks to their third consecutive traditional team score in excess of 1,000, junior Maria Rodriguez bowled a team-high 222. Sophomore Paula Vilas (219) and junior Kristina Frahm (212) also bowled 200-plus games for UMES. Despite the defeat, Central Missouri’s Kelli Schroeder (255) accounted for the highest individual score of the match.
Nebraska 1109, New Jersey City 939
Nebraska remained unbeaten through the first session of traditional team play. The Huskers outscored New Jersey City by 170 pins to win their fourth straight match. Accounting for the team’s second consecutive 1,100-plus traditional score, all five Nebraska ladies broke the 200-pin mark. Nebraska Junior Katie Ann Sopp accounted for the match’s high game of 235. Huskers’ sophomore Valerie Calberry continued her torrid play by turning in a 227. New Jersey City, which was coming off a win over Northeast Conference rival Fairleigh Dickinson, received a team-high 222 from senior Nicole Drejerwski.
Arkansas State 1091, Fairleigh Dickinson 954
Arkansas State became the second-fastest team to three wins by posting a 137-pin victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. Proving to be too much for FDU to overcome, four Red Wolves posted 200-plus games. Complimenting junior Emily Fravel’s match high of 246, senior Lindsey Dunn came off the bench to bowl a 244 game. Four-time NTCA All-American Erica Perez was the lone FDU bowler to eclipse 200 in the match, turning in a 221.
Vanderbilt 1009, Delaware State 941
Vanderbilt evened its opening day record at 2-2 by handing Delaware State a 1,009-941 defeat. After producing a combined pinfall of 318 over her first two games, sophomore Brittni Hamilton exploded for a near-perfect 279 to carry the Commodores. Nicole Bower, who came off the bench in Round 3, turned in a 212 game to lead Delaware State, which is still in search of its first win.
ROUND 5:
Nebraska 1071, Fairleigh Dickinson 1006
Fairleigh Dickinson produced a traditional team pinfall in excess of 1,000 for the third time in five matches, but it was not enough to cool off scalding-hot Nebraska. The Huskers won their fifth consecutive match, defeating FDU by a 1071-1006 margin. Senior Cassandra Leuthold spearheaded Nebraska’s effort for the second time on the day, unleashing a match-best 277 game. Fairleigh Dickinson freshman Danielle McEwan, who already had games of 223 and 213 to her credit, bowled a team-high 226.
Vanderbilt 1056, Maryland-Eastern Shore 1021
Vanderbilt topped Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1056-1021, to earn its third win. The Commodores’ pinfall was the second highest of Round 5. Maryland-Eastern Shore posted the third-highest mark, but couldn’t overcome a Vanderbilt lineup that saw all five of its bowlers turn in nothing less than a 194 game. Sophomore Brittni Hamilton led the Commodores’ effort, following up her 279 game from the prior round with a 244 against the Hawks. UMES sophomore Paula Vilas produced her highest game (246) of the tournament thus far.
Delaware State 976, Central Missouri 937
Delaware State nailed down its elusive first win when it topped Central Missouri by a 39 pins. Junior Angela Reynolds’ match-high 220 game was a driving force behind the victory. The loss was Central Missouri’s fourth straight following the Jennies’ first round triumph over New Jersey City. CMU junior Theresa Christopher accounted for a team-high 212 game, her second-best effort of the first five rounds.
New Jersey City 994, Arkansas State 962
New Jersey City became the second team to knock off Arkansas State, picking up its third win in the process, while moving into second place overall. NJCU received a strong effort from both a battle-tested veteran and the lone rookie on its roster. Senior Nicole Drejerwski bowled a 212 game, her second consecutive 200-plus performance, but it was freshman Kelly Daunno who accounted for the team-high 215. Arkansas State sophomore Samantha Santoro (225) recorded her fourth game in excess of 220.
ROUND 6:
Delaware State 981, Fairleigh Dickinson 921
Delaware State won its second consecutive match following an 0-4 start by knocking off Fairleigh Dickinson, 981-921. Hornets’ junior Angela Reynolds (204) rolled her second straight 200-plus game to compliment another huge effort from senior Kalyn Washburn (225). Fairleigh Dickinson bowled its lowest traditional score of the day, but received another 200-plus game from rookie Danielle McEwan (226).
Nebraska 975, Central Missouri 964
Nebraska cooled down a bit in Round 6, but still managed to defeat Central Missouri. The Huskers’ 975-964 victory marked the first time in five consecutive matches that Nebraska produced a team pinfall below 1071. Danielle van der Meer led Nebraska by turning a 218 game, her fifth consecutive performance of 215 or better. Bowling her first game of the day, CMU’s Amanda Mulcahy turned in a team-high 235.
New Jersey City 1044, Maryland-Eastern Shore 1011
New Jersey City broke the 1,000-pin barrier for the first time in six matches to defeat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1044-1011. The two teams accounted for the two highest pinfalls of Round 6. A trio of Gothic Knights posted games over 230. Senior Jenn Marmo (235) produced her highest pinfall of the tournament thus far to lead the way. Senior Nicole Drejerwski made it three consecutive 200-plus performances by rolling a 233. Sophomore Jennifer Daunno was right behind with a 232 game. UMES junior Maria Rodriguez continued her tear by rolling a 223 game, her fifth consecutive 220-plus effort.
Arkansas State 976, Vanderbilt 950
Arkansas State won a battle that featured two three-win teams, downing Vanderbilt, 976-950, for its fourth victory. Sophomore Samantha Santoro (224) led Arkansas State in pinfall for the fourth time in six matches. Freshman teammate Rachel Gittings, who had not bowled since Round 2, turned in a 223 game. Vanderbilt senior Josie Earnest’s 224 game was her fourth effort to exceed the 200-pin mark.
ROUND 7:
Nebraska 883, Delaware State 777
Nebraska completed a perfect run through the first day of competition. Upping their record to 7-0, the Huskers downed Delaware State by a 106-pin margin. Nebraska did not have a single bowler reach the 200-pin mark for the first time all day, but was able to grind out the victory over a DSU team that accounted for its lowest pinfall in seven matches.
Fairleigh Dickinson 1013, Central Missouri 923
Fairleigh Dickinson snapped its four-match losing streak and closed out the opening day of competition on a high note. The Knights produced the highest traditional team score (1,013) in Round 7 on their way to defeating Central Missouri by 90 pins. Looking more like a seasoned veteran rather than a freshman, Danielle McEwan saved her best game for last. She accounted for a match-high 231, her fourth effort in excess of 210. Seeing her first action of the day, sophomore Meghan Kelly turned in a 207 game for FDU.
Vanderbilt 1004, New Jersey City 877
Vanderbilt totaled the second-highest pinfall of Round 7 in its 1004-877 defeat of New Jersey City. One of four Commodores to bowl at least 205, Vandy sophomore Brittni Hamilton accounted for a match-high 225 game. The Gothic Knights’ 877 score was its only sub-900 showing of the day. Despite the team’s defeat, NJCU senior Nicole Drejerwski maintained a hot hand. Her 210 game was her fourth consecutive 200-plus effort.
Arkansas State 940, Maryland-Eastern Shore 907
Arkansas State posted its fifth win of the day by downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 940-907, in the first day’s final round of matches. The victory allowed Arkansas State to jump up to the No. 2 seed for championship bracket play. ASU sophomore Samantha Santoro closed out an outstanding day by turning in a 192 game, only her second sub-200 effort in seven matches on Thursday. UMES junior Maria Rodriguez’s team-high 215 game, was her sixth straight 200-plus performance.
