ALTOONA, Pa. – Lauren Stamm (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) was named the Tournament MVP and led the 16th-ranked Kutztown University women's bowling team to a championship at the Red Flash Invitational on Sunday afternoon, hosted by Saint Francis University (PA).
 
The Golden Bears (40-28) donned two All-Tournament Team bowlers along with fellow senior Taylor Strothmann (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy).
 
KU went 2-1 on Sunday. It opened the day with a loss to 13th-ranked Saint Francis (PA), 4-3, but responded with a 4-3 win over Mount Aloysius in the semifinals to setup a rematch against the Red Flash in the championship match. KU pulled out a 4-2 victory to take home the team title.
 
In the championship match, KU jumped out to a 3-0 lead that included a narrow 213-209 victory in the first game. It turned in 44 and 11-pin wins in the second and third games, respectively. Saint Francis (PA) didn't quit with wins in the next two games to bring its deficit to 3-2, but Kutztown closed the door with a 191-160 win in the sixth to earn the 4-2 win.
 
In its opening match against Saint Francis (PA), KU trailed 3-2 and pulled out an 11-pin win in the sixth to force a seventh game. The host team won 202-192 to down Kutztown, 4-3. In Kutztown's following match against Mount Aloysius, KU faced a similar 3-2 deficit, but won the final two games with two 200+ scores to advance to the championship match.
 
The Golden Bears look to keep their momentum rolling at the Capital Classic next weekend. The location of the Classic has changed and will now be hosted at the Rose Bowl in Allentown, Pa. on Feb. 6-7.