(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 14)—The McKendree University women's bowling team made its first appearance on the lanes in 2019 over the weekend at the Mid-Winter Invitational hosted by Arkansas State University.
 
A total of 21 teams descended upon Jonesboro, Ark., for the three-day tournament. When the dust settled following Sunday's bracket play, the Bearcats managed to grab a third-place finish at the event, posting a 9-3 record in match play. McKendree, the No. 1-ranked team in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, improved its season record to 38-12 overall.
 
On Friday, McKendree opened its stay at the Mid-Winter Invitational with five Baker matches. The Bearcats went 4-1 to start the tournament. After being edged by the University of Central Missouri by 19 pins in the first match of the day, McKendree closed with four consecutive victories. The run began with an impressive decision over Grambling State University before chalking up wins over Valparaiso University, Louisiana Tech and Lincoln Memorial University to finish off day one action.
 
Saturday's action consisted of traditional play of four games as McKendree earned a bye for one match. After opening the day with a win over Jackson State University, the Bearcats topped 1,000 pins in back-to-back matches to defeat both Sam Houston State University and host Arkansas State. McKendree dropped its final match of the day versus Vanderbilt University to close qualifying play with a 7-2 match record.
 
Armed with the No. 3 seed in the 21-team field, McKendree began its run through bracket play with a match against fourth-seeded Stephen F. Austin State University. Bowling in a best-of-seven Baker format, the Bearcats took the first game before the Ladyjacks rallied to win the final four games to grab a 4-1 decision. McKendree rebounded in the second round with a 4-2 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham to set up a rematch with Stephen F. Austin for third place at the Mid-Winter Invitational.
 
This time, McKendree was able to turn the tables on the Ladyjacks. After Stephen F. Austin took the first game by just 10 pins, the Bearcats came roaring back. McKendree posted convincing wins of 239-174 and 224-177 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. After slipping past the Ladyjacks by 15 pins in game four for a 3-1 advantage, McKendree finished off the 4-1 win by taking game five, 192-160.
 
Senior Lauren Pate (Inver Groves Heights, MN/Simley) was the top individual performer for McKendree at the Mid-Winter Invitational. Pate finished seventh in the field of 128 bowlers by collecting 1,030 pins for a 206 average in a five-game block. That included a high of 230 in game four. Junior Breanna Clemmer (Clover, SC/Clover) also notched a top-20 finish on the weekend, taking 18^th place overall with 980 pins for a 196 average.
 
Up next for McKendree will be the team's first appearance at the Columbia 300 Saints Invitational hosted by Maryville University Jan. 25-27 in Chesterfield, Mo.