JONESBORO, Ark. – The McKendree University women's bowling team concluded play here Sunday with a ninth-place finish overall after posting a 7-6 record at the Mid-Winter Invitational presented by Kalmer Solutions and held at the Hijinx Family Entertainment Center.
 
For the three-day event hosted by Arkansas State University, the top-ranked Bearcats finished with a total pinfall of 13,495 and averaged 205.1 pins in 68 games. The Bearcats went 3-2 in Friday's Baker-style games, while posting a 4-1 record in Saturday's traditional style games and then going 1-2 in Sunday's bracket play to earn their ninth place finish out of 18 teams.
 
The Bearcats opened the bracket-play portion on Sunday with a 4-1 loss to Sacred Heart in the first round, before suffering a 4-3 loss in the second round of bracket play to ninth-ranked Youngstown State. In the ninth place match to conclude the event, McKendree picked up a 4-2 win over 15th-ranked Tulane.
 
No. 3 ranked Nebraksa would take home the team title as they defeated No. 22 ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-3, in the title match. Seventh-ranked Arkansas State defeated No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, 4-1 in the third place match.
 
Junior Maranda Pattison (Redwood Valley, Calif./Ukiah Independent) earned All-Tournament Team honors after finishing fourth in the individual standings following Saturday's traditional games. Pattison recorded a total pinfall of 1,140 and an average of 228.0 per game and bowled over 200 in all five games, including a high of 254 against Lewis.
 
The Bearcats will return to action next weekend (Feb. 25-27) at the Big Red Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska at the Holiday Bowl in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska's final match in Sunday's bracket play will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.