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Husker bowlers take 3rd at Mid-Winter Classic

By Rosalie Suggs

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The Nebraska bowling team traveled to Jonesboro, AR Jan 16 – 18 to compete in the Mid-Winter Classic. 15 collegiate teams from across the nation participated in the 3-day tournament. Looking to cement their top-ranking, the Huskers hoped to begin the second half of the season with top-flight performances.

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Husker freshman Julia Bond and Senior Liz Kuhlkin led the Big Red into Friday and Saturday competition.  The pins fell their way and the Huskers amassed a 450 pin lead on the field. Bond placed 1st in the individual competition on Saturday with a 223.40 game average. Kuhlkin was a close 2nd behind Bond with a 219.80 average.

Nebraska began Sunday bracket play bowling No. 5 ranked University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Huskers won the first game 204-145. Suddenly it all began to unravel. Nebraska went on to lose four games in a row, dropping the match to UMES 4-1. When it rains, it pours!

Huskers then played No.2 ranked Arkansas St. Huskers and the Red Wolves battled hard through 7 games only to lose 4-3. When you lose momentum in the heat of battle it’s tough to get it back.

In their final match of the day, the Huskers prevailed against Central Missouri 4-3, winning the final two games 215-180 and 191-170 to finish in 3rd place.

Nebraska Head Coach Bill Straub was disappointed with Sunday’s performance and he took responsibility for it.“Today what could go wrong went wrong, and clearly bad coaching, I didn’t do well enough today…We had wrong alignments and we missed too many chances, leaving up pins at inopportune times. Good things have been going in general (for the team), I think this is a blip on the radar screen, if it is not it—it is on me.”

The bright spots for Nebraska were Julia Bond and Liz Kuhlkin. Straub was impressed with Bond’s performance, as he noted, “She continues to keep getting better, she performed very well Friday and Saturday,” he said. Bond finished the tournament with a total pinfall of 2,234 in 10 games and a high score of 256. Senior 2-time All-American Liz Kuhlkin finished with a total pinfall of 2,198 in 10 games. Kuhlkin’s high score was 258. Both Bond and Kuhlkin received all-tournament honors.

A couple of bowling notes . . .Nebraska competed at the Team USA Trials in Las Vegas earlier this month. The event included all of the top United States bowlers, both men and women. It’s also is considered to be the US Amateur Championship. Husker Sophomore Gazmine Mason finished 18th in the competition. With her youth status through the USBC, (United States Bowling Congress) Mason earned a spot on the Junior Team USA Team which competes in several prestigious events all over the world, such as the World Youth Championships.

Mason joins fellow Huskers Senior Liz Kuhlkin and freshman Julia Bond who are already members of Junior Team USA.

Last weekend, Husker Senior Andrea Ruiz of Bogota, Colombia, placed sixth overall at the Federacion Colombiana De Bowling Selectivo Nacional 2015 (Team Colombia Trials) in Medellin. Her sixth place finish earned her a spot on the Colombia national team. Husker sophomore Alexandra Mosquera of Armenia, Colombia also competed to become a member of Junior Team Colombia. Mosquera just missed the cut placing ninth in the overall competition.

Nebraska bowling team taking this week off.  They will travel to Arlington Texas Jan. 30-Feb. 1 to compete in the Prairie View A&M Invite. Stay tuned for further updates and as always, GO BIG RED!!

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