SMYRNA, Tenn. – On Saturday and Sunday, the Milligan University women's bowling squad came off being ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in the first RPI of the season by matching that ranking at both the Greater Nashville Open and Brandon Burns Memorial, hosted by the Mid-South Conference in Smyrna, Tenn. The squad also had four different All-Tournament performers, with three on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Saturday's Greater Nashville Open saw the Buffaloes total 5,544 pins across the four team and eight baker games. They had the second-best team-game total, with 3,860 pins, and posted a tourney-best 1,684 pins in the baker games to place second overall.
Three of the Buffaloes' bowlers were named to the All-Tournament team after finishing in the top five individuals.
Emily Cheesman came in second place, totaling 856 pins and a 247 in one of the four contests. She was followed by
Laci MacQuisten, who came in third with 848 pins and the best single game in the entire tourney, scoring a 257 in her final game to place third.
Paige Fortier ended up placing fifth as a member of the JV squad, totaling 797 pins and a stellar 247 in her second game.
Milligan's next finishers were
Gianna Bringham (29
th, 719 pins (JV)) and
Emilee Horton (31
st, 716 pins). The last two in the top 50 were
Molly Burnett (JV) and
Londyn Cates (JV), who placed 41
st and 42
nd with 699 and 695 pins, respectively.
The Brandon Burns Memorial on Sunday was a similar event for the women, who placed second again. They finished second in team-game pins with 3,833 and added 1,550 baker pins to equal 5,383.
This time around, it was
Taylor Phillips who notched All-Tourney honors for the Buffs, scoring 845 pins and a 211.3 average to place third as an individual.
Cheesman ended up in sixth, finishing just one spot shy of All-Tournament honors on back-to-back days. She toppled 819 pins to close out her weekend.
Fortier, bowling for the varsity squad on day two, ended up in 15
th with 767 pins. Then,
Taylor Davis ended up 19
th with 751 pins to become the final top-20 Milligan finisher.
Five more MU JV bowlers placed in the top 50, as
Braeton Wilson (25
th, 732 pins), Bringham (29
th, 721 pins), Burnett (35
th, 700 pins),
Alexis Wright (37
th, 698 pins) and Cates (42
nd, 689 pins) closed out the tourney strong. The JV squad took home the team title with 4,844 pins.
"I'm really proud of the way our ladies competed this weekend," said head coach
Brian Rickert. "At the Greater Nashville Open, Emily, Laci, and Paige set the tone, making the All-Tournament Team. We fought hard and overcame a rough start and earned a second-place finish, then came right back at the Brandon Burns Memorial and did it again.
Taylor Phillips stepped up in a big way in this one and made the All-Tournament Team, and our JV squad brought home first place as well! That's the kind of depth and competitiveness we've been building toward. These girls just keep showing up, battling frame after frame, and proving that we can hang with anyone."
Next on the docket for the Buffaloes is the Bowlero Southern event in Marietta, Ga. on Nov. 1-2.
Saturday
RESULTS
Sunday
RESULTS
