INDIANAPOLIS--The Adrian College women's bowling team was unable to repeat its 2016 Collegiate Club Championship title, but the Bulldogs were still able to end the season strong with a national runner-up finish in the 2017 event here at the All-Star Bowl on Sunday.

The Bulldogs went 3-3 in pool play which put the team in a tough bracket to start match play.

The team bowled great in the first match defeating Minnesota State Mankato 3-0. Next up, Adrian lost to Bellarmine University 3-1, putting it in the contender's bracket to start on Sunday.

The Bulldogs started off the day with a great mindset and opened by beating Grand Canyon University 2-0. Then they bowled West Texas A&M University and won 2-0. The next round was against Division I Bowling Green State University, which beat Adrian twice in pool play on Saturday. The Bulldogs, however, got revenge and knocked out the Falcons 2-1.

Saginaw Valley State was the next opponent and the Bulldogs eliminated the Cardinals, 2-0, to claim the contenders' bracket.

With that result, the Bulldogs made it back to the national championship match where they would square off against Bellarmine again--first in a best-3-of-5 to force a winner-take-all best-2-of-3. The Knights came out strong to take the first game, but the Bulldogs roared back to win three in a row to force another round. Adrian, however, ran out of steam and fell to Bellarmine 2-0 to unseat the Bulldogs as the national champion.

The 'Dogs entered the weekend ranked third in the nation by the Club Team Bowling Coaches' Association. 

Adrian second-year head coach John Essenmacher III stated: "I am so proud of this team. They could have just given up after a tough first day, but they all came together on the second to fight for a second national crown."

Adrian's season has come to a close.

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