(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 23)—The McKendree University women's bowling team kicked off its 2012-13 season by taking seventh place out of 19 teams last weekend at the Kegel/ISBPA Collegiate Classic. The two-day event was held Saturday and Sunday at Landmark Lanes in Peoria.
 
The Bearcats sat in seventh place following a six-game team block. McKendree remained in seventh following 10 Baker-format games, finishing the qualifying rounds with 7,051 pins. That finish guaranteed the Bearcats a spot in the two-game knockout elimination bracket. As a team, McKendree could only muster 338 pins over the two games and were eliminated in seventh place.
 
Individually, McKendree was bolstered by a pair of top-20 performances. Senior Christine Gill (Lakewood, CO/Lakewood) opened tournament play by taking fifth place in a field of 130 bowlers. Gill ended the six-game block with 1,180 pins for an average of 196.7. Sophomore Jodi Gawlik (Schaumburg, IL/Schaumburg) ended the weekend in 16^th place in the individual standings. Gawlik collected 1,111 pins for a 185.2 average.
 
The McKendree women will be involved in a pair of events this coming weekend. Part of the squad will be in Lafayette, Ind., for the Boilermaker Classic, while the remainder of the team will host the McKendree Duals/S.I. Elite in Belleville.