NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Felician University joined five other NCAA women's bowling teams from New Jersey on Saturday for the traditional play half of the Garden State Classic, a one-day tournament hosted by Monmouth University at Bowlero (formerly Carolier Lanes). The Golden Falcons won their final three dual matches to post a winning record for the day.
The squads bowled five traditional team matches, one versus each opponent. Felician averaged 163.9 as a team. Their 4,098 total pins were good for fourth place in the final standings, 15 better than fifth-place Bloomfield College.
For the third consecutive event, junior right-hander Natalie Swindell (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) was Felician's top performer. Swindell totaled 955 for the five games, an average of 191.0. She bowled a high game of 233 during the Golden Falcons' Match 4 victory over New Jersey City University. Swindell missed All-Tournament honors by a single pin.
For the individual standings, Monmouth separated the bowlers that started at least four matches and ranked them by frame average, then followed that group by listing the bowlers that started three or fewer matches in the same order. A total of 36 competitors appeared on the official results, with Swindell placing sixth. Freshman lefty Ashley Ferrera (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) averaged 171.2 for five matches (high game 194) and finished 14th.
Felician began the day by drawing the two Division-I schools in the field. It dropped both matches – 975-813 to the host Hawks, and 857-713 to No. 20 nationally-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson University. The Golden Falcons rebounded for their best game of the day – a 925 led by Swindell's 210 – to defeat Caldwell University, and followed with wins against NJCU and Bloomfield.
Monmouth won the team championship. Their 4,644 pins (185.8 average) were 32 ahead of runner-up FDU. The Hawks' Jamie Phelan was the tournament Most Valuable Player with a 211.0 average in four starts.
Felician (5-8) will compete in its final tune-up for the East Coast Conference Championship tournament at a one-day event on Feb. 21 in Oakland, N.J.
