NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Despite averaging a program-best 186.7 for the weekend, the Felician University women's bowling team placed 10th out of 11 teams at the Hawk Flight Invite, hosted by Monmouth University on Friday through Sunday at Carolier Lanes. The Golden Falcons had a 3-9 record in dual matches.
The tournament format called for five five-game Baker matches on Friday, followed by five traditional team matches on Saturday. Sunday's competition kicked off by concluding the traditional team round with a sixth dual match. The teams were then seeded into a playoff bracket, determined by best-of-7 Baker matches. With an odd number of teams, each school received a bye at some point in the preliminary competition.
Seven of the 11 teams in the field sit among the national NCAA all-divisions top 25.
Felician's bye came during Friday's baker competition. The Golden Falcons went 1-3 in their dual matches that day, earning a 901-872 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Match 2. Two of Felician's losses came against nationally-ranked competition – No. 3 Vanderbilt University (1082-945) and No. 9 Fairleigh Dickinson University (994-867). The Golden Falcons averaged 179.6 on Friday, only to see their opponents shoot at a 191.6 clip.
Scores soared during the traditional portion of the tournament on Saturday and continued to do so Sunday morning. Felician's only victory during the round came in Match 5 against New Jersey City University (923-733). In Match 2, the Golden Falcons came within nine pins of knocking off No. 4-ranked Sam Houston State University, falling 946-937.
Sophomore right-hander Heather Androvich (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) was the only Golden Falcon to start all six traditional matches. She averaged 182.3 for the tournament, and her pin total of 1094 allowed her to finish in 24th place out of 67 entrants.
Classmates Kristen Keller (Reading, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) and Kaitlyn Stapleton (Washington Township, N.J./Westwood Regional) started five matches each. Keller's 1003 (career-best 200.6 average) placed her 33rd, and Stapleton was 34th with 995 pins (career-best 199.0 average).
For the six traditional games, Felician averaged 188.9, but their opponents bowled to a 197.9 average.
After falling to Saint Francis College-Brooklyn, 1093-968, on Sunday morning, Felician was seeded 10th in the position round bracket. The Golden Falcons defeated NJCU, 4-0, but dropped back into 10th with a seven-game loss to Caldwell University.
Vanderbilt defeated Sam Houston State in the title match to earn the tournament championship. The Commodores went 11-1 and averaged 220.0 for the weekend.
Felician fell to a 37-46 won-lost record on the season.
