HOUSTON, Texas – The No. 1 ranked McKendree University women's bowling team will return to the lanes this weekend here as they compete at the Track Kat Klash hosted by fifth-ranked Sam Houston State University and held at the Emerald Bowl.
A total of 19 teams, including 13 teams ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, will be competing at this weekend's event. The list of teams joining the Bearcats, who are the defending NCAA National Champions, are No. 3 Nebraska, No. 5 Sam Houston State, No. 7 North Carolina A&T, No. 8 Louisiana Tech, No. 12 Delaware State, No. 14 Maryland Eastern Shore, No. 15 Maryville, No. 17 Tulane, No. 20 Lewis, No. 21 Central Missouri, No. 23 Monmouth, No. 24 Lincoln Memorial, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern, UAB and Upper Iowa.
This is the 12th season of the Kat Klash and Nebraska is the defending champion of the event. McKendree captured the tournament title in 2018. In addition to Nebraska and McKendree, the other champions of the event are Sam Houston State (2011, 2012, 2016), Arkansas State (2013), Nebraska (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2022) and Vanderbilt (2020).
The Emerald Bowl is serving as the host venue for the event for seven seasons. The very first women's bowling national championships in 2004 was held at the Emerald Bowl as Nebraska took home the title with a win over Central Missouri and in 2006, they also hosted the NCAA Championships and Fairleigh Dickinson defeated Alabama A&M to earn the title.
McKendree and the other 19 teams will begin the tournament on Friday at 9:55 a.m. with five sets of five-game Baker matches, followed by five traditional matches on Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. The combined results from Friday's Baker matches and Saturday's traditional games will determine the seeding the Sunday's bracket-play championship as each team will play three best-of-seven Baker matches beginning at 8:20 a.m.
In Friday's Baker play format, the Bearcats will face No. 8 Louisiana Tech, No. 17 Tulane, Alabama A&M, No. 5 Sam Houston State and No. 24 Lincoln Memorial. In Saturday's traditional games, the Bearcats will face Southern (La.) University, Prairie View A&M, Alabama State, No. 3 Nebraska and Texas Southern.
Track Kat Klash Teams Competing:
No. 1 McKendree
No. 3 Nebraska
No. 5 Sam Houston
No. 7 North Carolina A&T
No. 8 Louisiana Tech
No. 12 Delaware State
No. 14 University of Maryland Eastern Shore
No. 15 Maryville
No. 17 Tulane
No. 20 Lewis
No. 21 Central Missouri
No. 23 Monmouth
No. 24 Lincoln Memorial
Alabama A&M
Alabama State University
Prairie View A&M University
Southern University
Texas Southern
University of Alabama Birmingham
Upper Iowa
