LAS VEGAS, Nev. - McKendree University women's bowling completed its NCAA Championship run on Friday evening, taking fourth place in the double-elimination tournament. The Bearcats appeared in their third consecutive national championship tournament after winning the title in 2022 and placing third in 2021.  

The Final Four kicked off on Friday morning as No.1-seeded McKendree faced No.4 Nebraska in the primary round. The Huskers provided the Bearcats quite the challenge as Nebraska prevailed with a 1,134-1,037 win in the traditional match and a 1,193-1,031 victory in the Baker portion. For McKendree, junior Isabel Allen led the way with an average score of 216.  

In the second round, the Bearcats took on No.2-seeded Vanderbilt who had fallen 2-0 to Arkansas State earlier in the day. The Commodores showed a solid performance, ultimately defeating McKendree 1,075-1,049 in the traditional match and 1,082-1,054 in the Baker match. Allen was the top bowler again for McKendree with an average of 237.0. 

Vanderbilt would go on to be crowned the NCAA National Champion after defeating Nebraska in the semifinals and Arkansas State in the championship round.  

McKendree head coach Shannon O'Keefe on the championships: 
"We are so proud of the girls and the fight that they showed for one another. Even though we didn't win the championship, this will still go down as one of the most successful seasons in NCAA bowling history. That is definitely something to be proud of."  

The Bearcats held a No.1 national ranking for the entirety of the 2022-23 season and accumulated a 103-19 overall record.  

The last tournament for McKendree's season will be the USBC Intercollegiate Bowling Team Championships on April 20-22 as the Bearcats return to Las Vegas, Nev., and the South Point Hotel.