INDIANAPOLIS--The nationally-ranked Adrian College women's bowling team brought home a national championship after a historic run through the 2016 Collegiate Club Championships held here at All Star Bowl over the weekend.
The Bulldogs, who entered their final event of the season, were ranked 26th in the latest national poll. Adrian also was ranked third in the Collegiate Club rankings and making its third appearance in this national tournament.
The top-16 women's teams in the Collegiate Club rankings qualify for this tournament. The Bulldogs edged top-seeded Wright State University, 185-184, in the fifth game to capture the championship series, 3-2.
"This was by far the best tournament of the year for our team," Coach John Essenmacher III, who is in his first season at Adrian, said. "Every girl that was here had a role in winning this title. They all came together and showed everyone that Adrian College Bowling is a great bowling school and will be for a long time."
Adrian started off great in pool play defeating the first four teams it faced on Saturday. The only stumble of the day happened against Division II Bellarmine University, but the Bulldogs still won their pool with a 5-1 record to earn a first-round bye.
In Round 2, Adrian swept Division I Ball State University, 3-0, to stay in the winners' bracket going into Sunday. Division II Saginaw Valley State was the next opponent and Adrian won 3-games-to-1.
The next match was for the right to remain in the winners' bracket and compete for a national championship. But the Bulldogs would square off against Wright State, which came in nationally No. 3-ranked and No. 1 in the Collegiate Club standings.
Adrian had little success throwing a lot of splits and quickly trailed 2-games-to-none. The Bulldogs, however, quickly regrouped and claimed the next three games to win the series, 3-2, to complete one of the best comebacks of the season for the squad. Adrian advanced to the championship round series.
The Raiders defeated Bellarmine in the losers' bracket to get their way back into the championship round to meet Adrian a second time.
It would not be an easy task for Adrian to beat Wright State again, but the Bulldogs had the upper-hand coming from the winners' bracket.
The final series went back and forth as the teams were tied 2-2 heading into the final game. It came down to the 10th frame in the decisive fifth game where Jennifer Kelly had to double to win the title. The sophomore from Clinton Township, Mich. (Chippewa Valley High School) stepped up and made two clutch shots to clinch the championship victory for Adrian.
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(Editor's note: Photos provided.)
