Ladyjacks Head to Louisiana For 2016 Southland Bowling Championships
3/24/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
2016 Southland Bowling League Championships
Friday, March 25 – Saturday, March 26, 2016
All Star Lanes | Kenner, La.
Opening Frame
Fifth-ranked Stephen F. Austin begins its final push towards the postseason, competing in the 2016 Southland Bowling League Championships, being held Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26 in Kenner, Louisiana.
Tournament Information
The 2016 SBL Championships will follow a similar format to last year’s event, featuring a double elimination best-of-seven baker style. The tournament gets underway on Friday, March 25, at 9:30 a.m. The Ladyjacks are the number four overall seed and will face fifth-seeded Monmouth in the opening round. Four rounds will be held Friday, leading into the championship matches on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 9:35 a.m.
Tournament Seedings
The seedings for the 2016 SBL Championships were based solely off the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RBI) rankings. The SBL once again should prove to be the toughest conference in the nation as the top four seeds (Arkansas State, Vanderbilt, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin) are ranked second through fifth in the latest NTCA poll. Monmouth is the number five seed with Tulane, Valparaiso and Louisiana Tech rounding out the seedings.
Ladyjacks Against the Field
SFA is familiar with all seven teams in this weekend’s championship as the Ladyjacks have competed against each of them this season, posting an overall record of 13-11 (.542). The Ladyjacks have had a lot of success against the bottom half of the bracket, posting a 9-0 record against seeds five through eight, but have struggled against the top three, going a combined 4-11 against Arkansas State, Vanderbilt and Sam Houston State this season.
| Arkansas State | 0-1 | .000 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2-0 | 1.000 |
| Monmouth | 2-0 | 1.000 |
| Sam Houston State | 2-5 | .286 |
| Tulane | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| Valparaiso | 2-0 | 1.000 |
| Vanderbilt | 2-5 | .286 |
Ladyjack Travel Squad
Head coach Amber Lemke will have her entire roster in the Big Easy this weekend as SFA looks to begin its quest for a conference championship. Sophomore Stephanie Schwartz continues to lead the Ladyjacks with a 210.85 average and is coming off a third-place showing at the Vanderbilt Music City Classic, earning her fifth all-tournament honor of the season. Senior Danielle Lynn prepares for her final SBL Championship with a 196.73 record while freshman Paige Beeney will experience her first, ranking third on the team with a 194.74 average. Junior Paige Kraushaar (193.89), freshman Dakotah Hazlewood (192.00) and junior Kiara Grant (191.89) also enter the weekend averaging over 190 per game.
SFA at the SBL Championships
2016 marks the second year of the Southland Bowling League Championships as the league was formed during the 2014-15 season. In last year’s event, SFA finished fifth overall, posting a 1-2 record. The Ladyjacks fell to Monmouth 4-1 in the opening match of the day before outlasting Tulane 4-3 to keep their championship hopes alive. But SFA fell to Sam Houston State 4-2 in round three, eliminating the Ladyjacks from title contention.
Last Time Out
Fifth-ranked SFA closed out the regular season portion of its 2015-16 schedule with a fourth-place showing at the Vanderbilt Music City Classic in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Ladyjacks went 11-4 on the weekend, including a 5-1 mark in baker play, 4-2 in team matches and 2-1 in bracket play. Sophomore Stephanie Schwartz had another solid outing, posting a 207.50 average and finishing tied for third in the individual standings, marking her fifth all-tournament team honor of the year.
The Streaks Continue
With its performance in middle Tennessee this past weekend, SFA maintained a pair of impressive streaks. After going 11-4 on the weekend, the Ladyjacks upped their season record to 79-39, ranking second all-time in program history for wins in a season and are just three victories shy of matching last season’s 82 wins. With its fourth-place showing, SFA also upped its streak of top-10 team finishes to 30 consecutive tournaments, a streak dating back to the 2011-12 season.
Looking Ahead
Following this weekend’s action, the Ladyjacks will then await to see if they are one of the eight programs selected to compete in the 2016 NCAA Championships in North Brunswick, New Jersey April 14-16. The NCAA Bowling Selection Show will be held at 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 30th as SFA looks to defend its national runner-up showing in 2015.
-SFA-
