Bowling Heads To Pennsylvania For 2016 Kutztown Invitational
1/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
2016 Kutztown Invitational
Friday, January 22 – Sunday, January 24
Heister Lanes | Reading, Pa.
Opening Frame
Stephen F. Austin returns to the lanes, competing in its second tournament in as many weekends. The Ladyjacks will battle both a strong field and an impending winter storm, competing in the 2016 Kutztown Invitational at Heister Lanes in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Tournament Information
Getting underway Friday, January 22nd, the three-day event will follow the typical tournament format, beginning with six five-game baker style matches on Friday morning. Saturday’s action will feature six team games, leading up to Sunday’s three best-of-seven baker style bracket play.
Participating Teams
The Kutztown Invitational is traditionally one of the largest tournaments of the season and this year’s event will be no exception as 28 teams are expected to participate this weekend. Including the eighth-ranked Ladyjacks, 20 of the 28 teams in the tournament field are ranked in the latest NTCA coaches poll, highlighted by third-ranked Vanderbilt, fourth-ranked Central Missouri, sixth-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater, seventh-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson, ninth-ranked McKendree and 10th-ranked Maryland Eastern Shore. Delware State (T-11th), North Carolina A&T (T-11th), St. Francis (Pa.) (13th), Valparaiso (15th), host Kutztown (16th), Monmouth (T-17th), Norfolk State (T-17th), St. Francis (N.Y.) (19th) and Tulane (T-19th) are all ranked among the top-20 with Sacred Heart (22nd), Adelphi (23rd), Franklin Pierce (24th), Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Hampton, Medaille, Morgan State, Penn State-Altoona and Pitt-Bradford rounding out the field.
Ladyjacks Against The Field
SFA has become familiar with quite a few of this weekend’s participants as the Ladyjacks have compiled a 14-14 record against possible weekend foes in 2015-16. SFA’s best mark has come against North Carolina A&T, boasting a 3-1 record, while also recording a pair of wins over Central Missouri (2-2). 15 of this weekend’s teams have gone head-to-head with the Ladyjacks while 12 others have yet to square off against SFA this season.
SFA Travel Squad
Head coach Amber Lemke will once again travel the majority of her roster this weekend, led by sophomore Stephanie Schwartz who placed eighth at last weekend’s event and leads the team with a 210.1 average. Freshman Paige Beeney has also been strong in her Ladyjack debut, registering a 194.3 average, with sophomore Kelsi Anderson bowling a 189.9 this season. SFA will have to make due without two of its top bowlers, however, as juniors Paige Kraushaar and Kiara Grant will not make the trip due to academic commitments.
Ladyjacks At Kutztown Invitational
The Kutztown Invitational has been a staple of the Ladyjack schedule since the program was formed SFA heads to the event for the seventh-straight season. The Ladyjacks have finished in the top-10 in each of their seven trips to Pennsylvania, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in 2014. Last season, SFA posted an 11-3 record at the event finishing seventh overall, as Paige Kraushaar finished second in the individual standings with a 220.5 scoring average.
Last Time Out
SFA posted a 9-4 record, including six wins over nationally-ranked teams, at the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational last weekend in Jonesboro, Arkansas, finishing sixth among the 14-team field. The Ladyjacks went 4-1 over the opening day of competition, then won two of its final three matches in bracket play to slide into sixth. Stephanie Schwartz finished eighth in the individual standings with a 212.8 average, highlighted by a season-best 267 in the win over Valparaiso.
Schwartz Captures U.S. Amateur Title
Sophomore Stephanie Schwartz captured the 2016 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Women’s Amateur Championship last week, earning the distinction as the top female amateur in the nation. The win earns Schwartz a spot on the U.S. National Team as well as qualifying for Junior Team USA for the third-straight season. Schwartz will now get the chance to compete and train with Team USA at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. One of 12 members of Team USA 2016, Schwartz will compete to earn a spot to represent the U.S. in both the Junior Championships and World Cup later this year.
Looking Ahead
After a trip out east, SFA continues its challenging spring schedule by competing in its third tournament in as many weekends. The Ladyjacks won’t have to travel far, however, as SFA will make the trek to the DFW Metroplex to compete in the Prairie View A&M Invitational in Arlington, Texas, January 29-31.
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