READING, PA (January 31, 2010) - The Kutztown University bowling team wrapped up it's final day of the KU Invitational at Heister Lanes with a fourth place finish. Junior Kayla Jones (Johnstown, PA/Westmont-Hilltop) and Valparaiso's Natalie Cortese shared the tournament's title of Most Valuable Player, after the pair tied for first place with a 220.67 average and 1,324 pins.
“I didn't make the All-Tournament team at last year's KU Invitational,” Jones said, “I do kind of
feel like I had the advantage with being at home though, but I'm very happy that I made it this year.”
Also making the All-Tournament team was Martha Perez (University of Maryland-Eastern Shore) with a 217 average and 1,302 pins. Joely Carrillo (Fairleigh Dickinson), Nicole Drejerwski (New Jersey City) and Jenn Marmo (New Jersey City), who each had a 216.33 average and 1,298 pins.
Kutztown went 0-2 in the two baker matches, falling to Northeast Conference (NEC) rival New Jersey City (802-707) and Valparaiso (823-775), but the Golden Bears held onto the fourth seed entering the playoffs.
The playoffs consisted of two-rounds of best-of-seven baker matches. Kutztown lost the semifinal match to tournament champion University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The Golden Bears also came up short in the third-place playoff match against New Jersey City. The Golden Bears dropped the match 4-1 and to finished in fourth place overall.
“We had the opportunity to win the tournament,” head coach Joe Ambrose said. “Placing fourth out of 28 teams isn't bad and we have no shame. All three of the teams who placed better than us did well. We just have to work and find way to get ahead though.
“A problem we need to fix is trying to keep the intensity level up in these long days,” Ambrose said. “This is something we can't practice on a Tuesday night at 7p.m. It's just something the girls have to do once we get to a tournament.”
UMES finished in first place with a total of 7,866 pins knocked down and a 14-1 record. Closing out the remaining top five positions were all NEC schools. New Jersey City finished second with a 12-3 record and 7,829 pins, while Fairleigh Dickinson placed third with an 11-4 record and knocking down 7,652 pins. Kutztown finished with an 8-7 record and 7,371 pins for fourth place followed by Sacred Heart, who dropped 7,237 pins and earned an 11-4 record.
“Today was a bit of a disappointment, but we have five more tournaments to be able to bring ourselves back in,” Chelsea Adam (Reading/Exeter) said. “On Saturday we bonded well as a team, and what we did then is what we need to do at the NEC Championship Meet at Long Island.”
The Golden Bears return to action on February 13 for the two-day NEC Conference Meet # 2, held at Long Island University. After the NEC Conference meet, Kutztown will have three tournaments remaining before the NEC Championships on March 19-21st.
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