TOWSON, Md. – The Felician University bowling team enjoyed its winningest dual-match weekend of the season and Golden Falcon junior right-hander Jenn Ingulli (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) posted traditional-play scores bested only once in program history during the 2020 James Brown Invitational, hosted by Morgan State University on Friday through Sunday at AMF Towson Lanes.
Felician went 9-3 for the tournament, highlighted by a 933-892 victory over No. 10 nationally-ranked Duquesne University to conclude traditional team matches on Saturday. Ingulli, meanwhile, began Saturday with a 266 game and fired a five-game series of 1057, both good for second-place all-time in the six-year history of the Golden Falcons.
Based on total pins, Ingulli finished second out of 94 bowlers who started at least one match. However, for the All-Tournament team, entrants with four starts are also considered. By that metric, her traditional average of 211.4 was fourth in the event, still good enough to land her one of the five All-Tournament spots. It is Ingulli's third such honor of 2019-20, believed to be a single-season Felician record.
The tournament format was standard for a three-day NCAA event. Teams were paired by random draw to compete in five 5-game Baker matches on Friday and returned for the five traditional team matches on Saturday. The schools were then seeded based on total pinfall into a playoff bracket for three best-of-seven Baker matches on Sunday.
The Golden Falcons turned in a 4-1 performance on Friday, with their only loss coming by a mere six pins to Mount Aloysius College. At one point, Felician rolled four consecutive games of 200 or better – the final two in a win over Kutztown University and their first two while defeating Bowie State University. It posted an average of 176.5 for the day's 25 Baker games and sat in ninth place out of 15 schools.
Despite Ingulli's 266, Felician began Saturday with a 903-886 loss to No. 24-ranked Wilmington (Del.) University. But the Golden Falcons rebounded for three consecutive wins -- receiving a 223 from Nicole Aumack (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) and a 213 from Natalie Swindell (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) to help top Duquesne – before drawing a bye to end the day. They averaged 174.6 for the day and were seeded eighth for the playoff bracket.
Sunday began auspiciously with wins over Mount Aloysius, 4-0, and Chestnut Hill College, 4-2. But leading Bloomfield College, 3.5-1.5, in the seventh-place match, Felician dropped the final two games, then lost the ensuing five-frame roll-off, 129-92, and settled for eighth.
Individually, Aumack and Swindell were the only Golden Falcons other than Ingulli to start all five traditional matches. Aumack posted a 906 and finished 23rd, while Swindell's 891 was good for 27th place.
Ingulli holds the Felician record for high traditional game, firing a 279 during last year's Northeast Season Ender hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University. Aumack also owns a 266 game. Kristen Keller possesses the school five-game mark, a 1078 at the 2017 Sacred Heart University Bowl for the Cure.
No. 14-ranked Mount Saint Mary's (Md.) University captured the tournament championship with a five-game victory over Kutztown University in Sunday's title match. Duquesne and No. 13 Sacred Heart rounded out the top four. The Mount was 9-2 on the weekend. Duquesne junior Olivia Farwell was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 223.4 during traditional play.
Felician (37-40) next competes in a pair of one-day Baker-only events hosted by Molloy College on Feb. 22 and 23 in Farmindgale, N.Y.
