OAKLAND, N.J. – The Felician University women's bowling team won an NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history on Sunday when it captured the one-day, four-team Bears Classic, hosted by Bloomfield College at Holiday Bowl. Felician freshman right-hander Mia Aish (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) was the individual champion.
The tournament format called for three team traditional matches, one against each opponent determined by random draw. The squads were then seeded by total pinfall into a bracket consisting of best-of-seven Baker matches to determine the champion.
Aish bowled 258-131-216 in the three traditional matches for a 605 series, or a 201.7 average. Of the 19 competitors in the event to start all three traditional games, Aish was the only one to shoot 600 or better. She finished eight pins ahead of runner-up Megan Dobrinski of St. Thomas Aquinas College.
The Golden Falcons began the day with a high-scoring 1029-987 dual-match loss to Molloy College. But they were not defeated again, registering traditional-play victories over St. Thomas Aquinas (931-750) and host Bloomfield (947-914).
Felician averaged 191.0 during traditional-play and its 2865 pins earned it the top seed in the championship bracket. The Golden Falcons earned a 4-1 victory over STAC in the semifinals, they swept Molloy, 4-0, in the championship match.
Felician junior Natalie Swindell (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) bowled 209-204-164—577 in traditional action and finished fifth overall. Freshman teammate Ashley Ferrera (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) (131-251-193—575) was sixth.
Felician, which improved its 2021 dual-match record to 9-9, is in its seventh season of varsity intercollegiate competition.
