Bowling Posts Strong Showing at ITC Sectional, Qualifies for Nationals

ITC Sectional Fourth Block Results | Third Block Results | Second Block Results
First Block Results ISC | ISC Sectional Qualifier Results

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Stephen F. Austin women's bowling team qualified to compete for the Kerm Helmer Cup at the 2018 Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) after a strong performance at the United States Bowling Congress' (USBC) ITC sectional qualifier this past weekend in Fairview Heights, Illinois. Bowling Friday-Sunday, March 9-11 at the St. Clair Bowl, the Ladyjacks finished third at the ITC sectional and are now one of 16 women's teams who will travel to Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Nebraska, Thursday-Saturday, April 19-21 in hopes of claiming the coveted title at the USBC collegiate season's pinnacle event.

For the third consecutive year senior Stephanie Schwartz (Racine, Wis.) qualified for the 2018 Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISC) on Friday, March 9 at the ISC sectional qualifier in Fairview Heights. Her first-place finish at the event gives her the opportunity to claim an individual national title among a field of 24 bowlers at the ISC, also held at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln Tuesday and Wednesday, April 17-18.

Bowling a total of 64 Baker games over the two days, SFA had to finish among the top-four teams in total pinfall in order to advance to the 16-team national ITC. Competing among an 18-team field at the sectional event, the Ladyjacks stood in third place after the opening block of 16 games with a pinfall total of 3,250. SFA moved up to second place in games 17-32, claiming an additional 3,329 pins for a total of 6,579. After the third block of games Sunday, where the Ladyjacks added another 3,247 pins to their total, SFA remained in second place with a cumulative total of 9,826. The Ladyjacks finished out the weekend's play by tallying 3,229 pins in the final 16 games, placing third with a 64-game pinfall total of 13,055. SFA finished ahead of St. Ambrose University (12,798) as Lindenwood earned the top spot with a pinfall total of 12,424. Grand View University earned 13,061 total pins, barely edging the Ladyjacks and qualifying for the ITC with a second-place finish at the sectional.

Three-time National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) First-Team All-American Schwartz had a fantastic day of play at the ISC qualifier Friday. She finished atop of the field of 168 total bowlers, averaging a 242.17 score in six games bowled. Tallying 1,453 total pins in the six games, Schwartz posted games of 231, 209, 250, 216, 299 and 248. Her game six score of 299 coming just one pin shy of an unblemished game. One of seven bowlers from the Fairview Heights sectional to advance to the national ISC, Schwartz was joined by Mount Mercy University's Cassidy Courey (1,349), Nebraska's Julia Bond (1,343), Campbellsville University's Crystal Land (1,302), Lindenwood's Shelly Goodwin (1,279), Nebraska's Kelly Belzeski (1,273) and Lindenwood's Amanda Garavet (1,267).

Both the ITC and ISC finals in April will be taped and televised on the CBS Sports Network in May.

Ranked sixth nationally in the latest NTCA top-25 poll, the Ladyjacks' regular season comes to a close this weekend at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic in Smyrna, Tennessee, held Friday-Sunday, March 16-18 at the Smyrna Bowling Center.

Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack bowling throughout the 2017-18 season.

-SFA-

Schedule

Bowling Posts Strong Showing at ITC Sectional, Qualifies for Nationals

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Schwartz

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