The KU men’s bowling team is ranked third in the nation, and the women’s team is ranked twelfth in the nation, according to Collegebowling.com. They ventured to the Leatherneck Classic in Moline, Ill., on Dec. 6 and 7.
The men’s team finished fifth, for the third-straight year, in the 26-team field.
“It was a bitter ending for the men’s team as they fell 2 pins out of the top 4 and missed the match play portion of the event,” coach Mike Fine said.
The men’s team finished with 9,524 pins, 172 pins shy of first-place Nebraska. Jason Reese, Kansas City, Kan., graduate student, led the team with an average of 207.2 and finished second overall, making the All-Tournament Team.
Marc D’Errico, Rochester, N.Y., senior, also aided in the men’s success with an average of 206 and finished third overall. D’Errico also made the All-Tournament Team.
The women’s team improved on its last tournament finish, from 16th to eighth in this tournament. But it was not as fortunate to improve on last year’s finish of fourth at this tournament.
It finished with 8,165 pins, 246 behind the next closest team, McKendree, and 1,058 pins behind first place Wichita State. Kelly Zapf, Rochester, N.Y., junior, led the women’s team with an average of 185 along with Sarah Roenfeldt, Dodge City junior, with an average of 170.
The teams’ next action will be on Dec. 27 and 28 at the Colgate Invitational in Stratford, N.J. The men’s will be seeking a third consecutive championship at the invitational.
Then the teams will head to the Keystone Classic in Allentown, Pa., on Dec. 29 and 30, where the women’s team will look to improve on a second-place finish from last year.
