(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 18)—The McKendree University women's bowling turned in a second-place finish on Sunday at the conclusion of the Stormin' Ladyjack Classic, a three-day tournament hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University in Dallas, Texas.
 
The Bearcats worked their way through the field, and used a strong start on Sunday to reach the title match. McKendree closed the weekend with a match record of 8-5 to push their season mark to 64-25. The Bearcats will return to action March 1-3 at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln. Neb. The University of Nebraska will serve as the host of the event, which will be contested at Sun Valley Lanes.
 
On Friday, McKendree posted a 3-2 record over its five Baker contests. The Bearcats opened with a victory over Arkansas State University before Vanderbilt University edged McKendree by just 19 pins in the second contest. The Bearcats bounced back with wins over Adelphi University and host Stephen F. Austin before Tulane University defeated McKendree in the final match of the day.
 
In Saturday's traditional play, McKendree won three of its five contests. The University of Nebraska slid past the Bearcats to open the day before McKendree responded with victories against the University of Central Missouri and North Carolina A&T State University. After the University of Wisconsin Whitewater took the fourth match of the day, the Bearcats stormed past Louisiana Tech by 114 pins to build momentum heading into Sunday's play.
 
McKendree saved its best for last in the first traditional match that opened Sunday's play. The Bearcats shot 1,061 as a team to dominate Sam Houston State University, 1,061-925. McKendree took the No. 4 seed into bracket play on Sunday and met top-seeded Nebraska in the best-of-seven Baker match. The Huskers took the first two games before the Bearcats roared back by winning the next three to take a 3-2 lead in the contest. After Nebraska won game six, McKendree controlled the deciding seventh game, winning by a margin of 254-198.
 
The victory over Nebraska put the Bearcats into the tournament finals against Vanderbilt. McKendree found itself facing a 2-0 deficit before winning games three and four to tie the match. But the Commodores won game five and held the Bearcats at bay in the sixth game, 195-180, to post a 4-2 match victory.
 
Junior Breanna Clemmer (Clover, SC/Clover) collected her third consecutive All-Tournament finish at the Stormin' Ladyjack Classic. Clemmer placed third in the field of 90 participants with 1,246 pins for a 207.67 average over her six-game block. She finished strong, posting her high game of 268 in the sixth and final contest.
 
Senior Ashley Dunn (Palmdale, CA/Quartz Hill) (pictured) registered an eighth place finish at the Stormin' Ladyjack Classic with 1,220 pins for a 203.33 average. Dunn rolled a high of 247 in game five. Junior Taylor Bailey (Joliet, IL/Joliet West) also notched a top-20 effort as she took 16^th in the field with 1,187 pins for a 197.83 average.