DEPTFORD, N.J. – The No. 2 ranked McKendree University women's bowling team concluded play here Sunday by finishing as the runner-up after falling 4-2 to fifth-ranked and No. 2 seeded Vanderbilt in the championship match of the 2022 Northeast Classic that was co-hosted by Long Island University and Sacred Heart University and was held at Bowlero Deptford.
McKendree's NCAA women's team has now competed in four tournaments this season and they haven't finished lower than second in any of them as they have recorded three runner-up finishes and took home the championship at the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic to open the 2022 calendar year.
After posting a 9-1 record in the first two days of the 18-team event that featured 17 nationally ranked teams, the Bearcats were the No. 1 seed in Sunday's championship bracket, which was a best-of-seven Baker format.
In Sunday's first match of bracket play against No. 2 seeded Vanderbilt, the Bearcats would defeat the Commodores, 4-0 (203-180, 231-180, 210-176, 235-203) to earn an automatic spot in the championship final match. In the second match of bracket play, the Bearcats won 4-0 over 20th-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater (257-145, 194-190, 236-197, 185-184), before once again facing Vanderbilt in the championship match.
Against Vanderbilt, who the Bearcats defeated to win the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic, McKendree lost the first game, 256-233, before winning the next two games, 220-203 and 225-198 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Vandy would then win the next three games (237-163, 179-151, 213-192) to post the come-from-behind victory and earn its second tournament title of the 2021-22 season.
Eighth-ranked Youngstown State defeated No. 1 ranked Sam Houston, 4-2, for third place, while ninth-ranked Mount St. Mary's picked up a 4-0 win over 12th-ranked Duquesne for fifth place and 10th-ranked Stephen F. Austin defeated fourth-ranked North Carolina A&T, 4-0 in the seventh-place match.
For the event, McKendree posted a tournament-best 11-2 record and recorded a total pinfall of 13,656 as they averaged 213.4 in 64 total games. Tournament champion Vanderbilt went 7-6 at the event and posted a total pinfall of 13,586 and averaged 209.0 in 65 games.
Along with finishing as the tournament's runner-up team, the Bearcats also had two of the Top 10 individuals during Saturday's traditional play as fifth-year senior
Britaney Myers (Mechanicsville, N.Y./Stillwater) finished third overall with a total pinfall of 1,177 and she averaged 235.40 per game to earn First-Team All-Tournament honors. In addition to Myers, senior
Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas/Prosper) was eighth among all individuals as she recorded a total pinfall of 1,118 and averaged 233.60 per game to earn Second-Team All-Tournament honors.
Two other Bearcats – junior
Rebecca Hagerman (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) and junior
Kayla Smith (Salem, Ill./Salem) – each finished in the Top 15 overall as Hagerman just missed All-Tournament Team honors after finishing 11th overall with a total pinfall of 1,097 and an average of 219.40 per game, while Smith, who was the individual champion at the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic, finished 15th overall as she tallied a pinfall of 1,077 and averaged 215.40 per game.
In Friday's five Baker matches, the Bearcats went 5-0 and then posted a 4-1 record in Saturday's traditional matches, including earning a 1,096-1,011 win over No. 1 ranked Sam Houston. McKendree's lone loss came in its fourth traditional game as they fell 1,089-1,052 to 25th-ranked Monmouth University.
The Bearcats will return to the lanes next weekend (Jan. 28-30) as they travel to Arlington, Texas, to compete in the Prairie View A&M Invitational, which will be held at Bowling ITRC.
