CINCINNATI, Ohio - The women's bowling team had their strongest showing so far this season finishing sixth out of 22 teams in the Hoinke Bearcat Open. The team started strong winning their first two matches defeating Martin Methodist 850-788 and Wright State University "A", ranked seventh in the nation, 954-818.
In the third match, bowling against Lindenwood University "B" they would lose a very close match 937-939. Adrian would go on to win their next two matches against Wright State University "C" 854-792 and Campbellsville University 911-851. In their last match of the day, Adrian would shoot their lowest game and lost to Bethel College 837-902.
"Heading into that last game we were in third place," said head coach Jody Fetterhoff. "Unfortunately, our last game dropped us down to fifth place. However, we were still only 65 pins out of third and nine pins from fourth place. Our goal heading into day two was to finish in the top six, so that we could make the match play finals."
The second day of the tournament the teams bowled on the PBA Viper Pattern which is 37 feet of oil much shorter than the PBA Shark Pattern which is 44 feet of oil that was bowled on in the previous day. In the first match, Adrian would tie 19th-ranked Bellarmine University 860-860. Adrian would go on to lose their next two matches to Campbellsville University 807-891 and Wright State University "A" 923-931. Despite not bowling as well the second day, Adrian finished sixth after nine team games earning them the sixth-seed in the best-of-five baker match play finals, where they would face third-seeded Marian University "A" (ranked 22nd nationally). Marian quickly went up two games to none, but Adrian fought back winning the next two games to tie up the series. In the final game, Marian got hot and fired off a 233 game eliminating Adrian.
Freshmen Emily Gesell and Chelsea Essenmacher led the way for Adrian averaging 188 and 180 for the tournament. Gesell finished ninth overall and Essenmacher placed 22nd in a field of 129 bowlers. Sophomores Shannon McKowen and Kristen Marcis also bowled well averaging 177 and 175. The team averaged an 881 for nine games, which is 36 pins higher than their average from their last tournament. As a team they bowled four games over 900 this tournament when in the previous seven tournaments they had only shot a total of three.
"The team has improved so much since the beginning of the season and this tournament they really came together and bowled great," said Fetterhoff. "This is a great start to our spring season and gives us some confidence heading into our biggest tournament so far. Next week the team travels to South Bend, Indiana to bowl in the Blue & Gold tournament. It's our first and only tier 1 tournament this season. There will be over 46 women's teams competing and most of the top ranked teams will be there."
