While it may not have been the storybook ending they were looking for, the Upper Iowa women's bowling team made another significant step in raising the program's standard this weekend at the Hawk Classic. The event, hosted by Quincy University, took place at Casino Lanes in Quincy, Illinois.
Seven teams from three different Midwest states participated in the event. The tournament's format consisted of five team Baker matches on Friday, five traditional team matches on Saturday, and concluded with bracket play featuring best out of seven team Baker matches on Sunday.
The Peacocks established a new program mark by finishing second overall with a record of 9-2, with both losses coming against eventual champion Kentucky Wesleyan College. They knocked over 4,482 pins in the team Baker matches, 4,650 pins in the traditional matches, and 2,177 pins during bracket play for a tournament total of 11,309 pins. The nine wins and .818-win percentage are the best totals for the UIU women at a single event in program history.
On Friday, the Peacocks opened play winning their first three matches by at least a margin of 109 pins. After dropping their fourth match to KWC, UIU rallied to beat North Central College 765-741 to finish 4-1 for the day.
On Saturday, the Peacocks went a perfect 4-0 during the traditional matches to push their record to 8-1 and secure the two seed going into bracket play. Individually, the team was led by
Aubrey Kiddle, whose total of 984 pins in five games and average of 196.8 pins per game was the third best among all bowlers and earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Amber Wagner nearly joined Kiddle in earning All-Tournament honors, finishing sixth overall with a total of 946 pins in five games.
Dana Murata made it three UIU bowlers inside the top-10, placing 10th with a total of 915 pins in five games.
On Sunday, the Peacocks opened play with a rematch vs. the one seed in KWC. It came down to the wire, but UIU took the final game by a score of 161-151 to win the match 4-3 and earn a spot in the championship match. The Panthers beat Aurora University in six games to setup the rubber match vs. UIU, eventually defeating the Peacocks in five games for the title.
"What a phenomenal weekend for the ladies in Quincy," said Head Coach
Nichole DePaul. "Coming out of this event with a 9-2 record is impressive for our program. This will help propel us as we prepare for one of the toughest tournaments on our schedule."
Up next, Upper Iowa will head to Lincoln, Nebraska to compete in the Big Red Invite. The event, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is set to begin on Friday March 3.
