Pikeville College women’s bowling team takes national championship
April 29th, 2008Pikeville beats Wichita 2-0 for second crown. 3 Lady Bears named All-Americans, including national player of the year and rookie of the year
WICHITA, Kan. — Coach Ron Damron’s Pikeville College Lady Bears won their second national championship on April 19, knocking off defending champion Wichita State two games to none.
The wins, coming by scores of 184-171 and 183-158, give the school and program the second team national title in school history. The Lady Bears won the championship in 2004 in Tulsa, Okla., also over the Shockers.
Pikeville is ranked second (coaches) or third (writers) depending on which poll you choose to follow. In its run to the championship, the Lady Bears defeated No. 4 Lindenwood, the other 2/3 in Central Florida and then top-ranked Wichita State. And, for good measure, it knocked off Maryland Eastern-Shore, which won the previous weekend’s NCAA national title in St. Louis.
“I actually think making it through our bracket helped us in the finals,” said Damron, whose team trailed Lindenwood 3-1 before rallying for a 4-3 win and was behind Maryland-Eastern Shore 2-0 and 3.5 to 2.5 in the morning’s bracket finals. “We were challenged along the way and were confident that when the pressure was on, we were going to get it done.
“Tonight, we did just that — we did what we had to do to win.”
The win capped an eventful week in Wichita for the Lady Bears, who had both the national player of the year in senior Kayla Bandy — for the second straight year — and rookie of the year in freshman Ashley Galante. Both were named first-team All-Americans, while teammate Jennifer Wright was named to the second team.
Furthermore, with this year’s championship, every young lady who has spent four years as a part of Ron Damron’s program has won a national title.
In the opener, Pikeville opened with back-to-back spares by seniors Kayla Bandy and Michelle McKay and then got consecutive strikes by Becky Sulligan and Jennifer Wright and led 85-64 after four frames.
Pikeville’s lead was down to seven by the sixth frame and Wichita posted a spare in the seventh. The next bowler, Sandra Gongora, rolled a seven to give the Shockers a one-pin lead but was called for a foul, wiping it off. She picked up a rare 10-pin spare, but the damage was done, and when Wright — a transfer from Wichita — rolled a strike in the ninth, it sealed the win.
Pikeville opened strong in the second game, opening with strikes from Bandy, the national player of the year, and Sarah Germano and, after a spare by Sulligan, again picked up consecutive strikes by Wright and tournament MVP Galante. Pikeville led 118-84 after five frames, and cruised home with the win.
Wright led Pikeville, posting three of its seven strikes in the match. Bandy and Sulligan had a strike and three spares apiece.
Wichita was led by first-team All-American Emily Maier, who rolled strikes on her first three frames.
Article courtesy of Pikeville College. Original here.
See the Lexington Herald-Leader’s coverage.
