MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – The Felician University women's bowling team went 3-0 on the final day, including wins in both of its Baker best-of-7 playoff matches, to ascend into a fifth place finish in the 13-team Virginia Union University Invitational, contested Friday through Sunday at Bowl America. The tournament was the final one of the fall semester for Felician (16-16).
The Golden Falcons also earned the 100th dual-match victory in program history when they defeated host Virginia Union, 781-623, in traditional team play on Saturday morning. The win was also the 100th in the career of Felician head coach Andrew Toriello. In 2 ½ seasons, the Golden Falcons have a dual won-lost record of 105-122, including 9-5 this weekend.
The individual standings were compiled from the six traditional team matches contested on Saturday. Due to byes, the bowlers were ranked by tournament average, and Felician junior right-hander Heather Androvich (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) came in 10th out of 84 entrants with a 190.5 figure over four starts. Androvich fired 216 and 211 in Matches 4 and 5, respectively.
Also making four starts for Felician were freshman Nicole Aumack (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) (33rd, 171.3) and junior Jessica Zalewski (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) (43rd, 161.5).
The tournament began with six five-game Baker matches on Friday, which the Golden Falcons split while averaging 172.6. Felician sat in fifth place after Day 1, with the standings based on won-lost record. The milestone victory was part of a 3-2 day for Felician on Saturday, which saw it slip to sixth.
A sixth five-game Baker match kicked off Sunday, with Felician defeating Saint Peter's College. 857-773. The tournament then concluded with a pair of position-round Baker best-of-seven playoff matches. The Golden Falcons came back from three games to one down to top Bowie State University (185-136 in Game 7), then secured fifth place by downing Duquesne University, 4-2.
Saint Francis College-Brooklyn defeated Norfolk State University, 4-2, in the title match to win the tournament. It was Norfolk State's only loss of the event, with both the Terriers and Spartans going 13-1 for the weekend. Bowie State University's Diamond Carter was the individual champion with a traditional average of 215.7 over six matches.
Felician does not compete again until January 27-29, 2017, at the Red Flash Invitational, to be hosted by St. Francis (Pa.) University in Altoona, Pa.
