Women's Bowling

Kutztown ready to get back in action

KUTZTOWN, PA (January 15, 2010) - The Kutztown University women’s bowling team will resume its season this weekend after a six-week hiatus. The Golden Bears will travel to Staten Island, N.Y. for the Terrier’s New Year’s Knockdown Tournament hosted by Saint Francis College. 

“Having a month off in the middle of the season does seem like a distraction to our team concentration,” sophomore Kayla Jones said of the winter break.  “However, it lets us fix the little things that we were struggling with individually so that we can come back together and really go hard in the second half of the season.”

Jones enters her second season with Kutztown after she took the Northeast Conference (NEC) by storm during her freshman season of 2008-09, compiling a 203.5 average over 10 traditional games against NEC opponents. She earned both NCAA Division II Rookie of the Year and Bowler of the Year awards.

“With this weekend being the first we are all back together after break, it would be great to finish in the top three,” Jones said. 

Kutztown can expect five traditional team matches on Saturday and three four-game baker matches on Sunday. Sunday also consists of two best-of-seven baker position matches.

The Golden Bears enter this weekend’s tournament with a 5-2 NEC record and is tied for first place. Overall the ninth-ranked Golden Bears boast a 31-18 record. 

Kutztown can expect a challenge from its eight opponents this weekend. Out of the eight teams, six are nationally ranked, including KU. They include NEC rivals Fairleigh Dickinson (5), New Jersey City (8), St. Francis (10), Adelphi (11), and Norfolk State (19). St. Peters and Hampton will also compete in the two-day tournament.

“With such a long break and busy second half coming up, it is important for us to have nationals on our mind, and enter the second half with a strong start,” head coach Joe Ambrose said. 

To be eligible for nationals, Kutztown must place within the top eight. They have five tournaments left before the NEC Conference Championships in March, and the NCAA Championships in April. Luckily for the Golden Bears, they host one of their remaining regular season tournaments, the KU Invitational, on January 29-31.

Last year the team ranked in the top eight for nine-straight weeks, before losing their stand at the NEC Championship to Fairleigh Dickinson. This year, the Golden Bears know what needs to be done to get back on top.

“We must win at least 75 percent of our remaining matches,” Jones said.  “There are at least 15 teams that have a chance to make it. If Kutztown wants to be one of them, we have to keep fighting and stay focused.”

“It is very easy for a game to change, whether it a baker or team games. We have to come together, give it our best at every match, and see where it gets us,” Jones said. “But there is no doubt in my mind that we can do it.” 

--KU--