Ladyjacks Open 2017 at Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational
1/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
2017 Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational
Friday, January 13 – Sunday, January 15, 2017
Hijinx Family Entertainment Center | Jonesboro, Ark.
Tournament Updates: @SFA_Bowling
Opening Frame
After a month-long hiatus for winter break, Stephen F. Austin returns to the lanes for the first time in the calendar year of 2017. The Ladyjacks will make their annual trek to Jonesboro, Arkansas, for the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational this weekend.
Tournament Information
The 2017 Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational will follow the typical event format, beginning with five baker style matches on Friday, January 13, getting underway at 11:30 a.m. Qualifying continues on Saturday, January 14, with five traditional team matches, starting at 9:30 a.m., with seeding determining the rankings for Sunday’s three best-of-seven bracket matches.
Tournament Field
The fifth-ranked Ladyjacks will go up against another competitive field, sitting as one of 18 teams vying for the tournament title. It will feature some of the best teams in the nation as eight of the top-10 teams in the latest NTCA poll will be in action, including host Arkansas State (No. 1), Nebraska (No. 3), McKendree (No. 4), Vanderbilt (No. 6), Central Missouri (No. 8), Monmouth (No. 9) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (No. 10). Two other ranked teams will also compete in Alabama-Birmingham (No. 23) and Valparaiso (No. 24) with Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Drury, Jackson State, Lincoln, Lincoln Memorial, Louisiana Tech and Maryville rounding out the field.
Ladyjacks Against the Field
This weekend’s event will feature some programs SFA has become quite familiar so far this season as the Ladyjacks have posted an 18-10 (.643) record against the field. SFA has recorded a pair of wins each against Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas State, Jackson State, Lincoln Memorial, Monmouth, Nebraska and Vanderbilt this season. On the year, SFA has posted a 46-19 overall record, including a 22-3 mark in baker play.
Ladyjack Travel Squad
SFA head coach Amber Lemke will travel the full Ladyjack squad to Arkansas as SFA looks to add to its resume for another trip to the NCAA Championships. Junior Stephanie Schwartz continues to lead SFA with a 214.78 average and 18 games of 200 or better, followed by sophomore Dakotah Hazlewood’s 205.26 average and 11 200-plus games. Three other Ladyjacks recorded averages in the 190s during the fall season, including senior Paige Kraushaar (199.29), junior Kelsi Anderson (194.39) and junior Morgan Reising (192.62).
SFA at the Mid-Winter Invitational
A staple in SFA’s schedule since the program’s inception, the Ladyjacks will make their eighth appearance in the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational as SFA has finished in the top-10 in each of the previous seven trips. The Ladyjacks finished fifth three-straight seasons (2013, 2014 and 2015) and posted a sixth-place showing in 2016, going 9-4 through the three-day event.
Last Time Out
Stephen F. Austin closed out a busy fall season with a runner-up showing at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ladyjacks posted a 9-3 record, advancing to the championship match where they dropped a 4-1 decision to host Tulane. Sophomore Dakotah Hazlewood picked up all-tournament honors after posting a 222.60 average with junior Stephanie Schwartz finishing 10th overall with a 215.5 average in individual matches.
Ladyjack Streaks Continue
With its performance at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational, SFA kept one impressive streak going and is on the verge of extending another. SFA improved to 46-19 on the year, leaving the Ladyjacks four victories shy of their seventh-straight season of at least 50 victories. SFA placed second in New Orleans and extended its streak of consecutive top-10 team finishes to 37-straight tournaments as well, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
Looking Ahead
This weekend’s tournament is the first of five NCAA events for the Ladyjacks over the next few months. The next two events will both take place in the Lone Star state, beginning with the 2017 Prairie View A&M Invitational, being held January 27-29 at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington.
-SFA-
