DOVER, Del. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's bowling team jumped to second place in the standings at the Delaware State Capital City Classic after the second day of competition on Saturday, Feb. 9. The Knights went 4-1 on the day to improve to 8-2 on the weekend and 48-20 on the year.
Two-time defending champion UMES sits in first place with a total pinfall of 9,753, while the Knights hold second place with a pinfall of 9,319. New Jersey City University maintains a third-place position with a pinfall of 9,135, while Adelphi and Delaware State round out the top five with pinfalls of 9,026 and 8,952, respectively.
“What a difference a day makes,” Head Coach Mike LoPresti said. “Today we matched up much better and we were able to exploit a forgiving oil pattern. It felt good to gain momentum for the first time in a while, and it was great that we were able to carry it through all five matches.”
The Knights used a powerful attack in Saturday's competition to move from fifth to second and record high scores from all players.
In game one, the Knights took on host Delaware State University. Backed by high scores of 265 from senior Danielle McEwan (Stony Point, NY/Stony Point), 257 from freshman Rebecca Fishcer and 255 from sophomore Liat Vizenfeld (Holon, Israel/Campus Kiryat Sharet), the Knights earned a 1,118-954 victory, setting the tone for the rest of the day.
The Knights suffered a loss to Adelphi in game two but recorded high scores of 238 from McEwan, 220 from junior Michelle Hunzaker (Cary, NC/Green Hope High School) and added 208 and 201 from Fischer and Nicolette Sarin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township High School). The Panthers edged FDU with a score of 1,092, but the Knights maintained a top ranking in the total pinfall with a total score of 1,059.
FDU took on New Jersey City University in game three. Scores of 227 from Hunzaker, 226 by McEwan and 200 from Vizenfeld helped the Knights to a 1,010-996 victory over the in-state opponent.
Game four saw the Knights face St. Francis Brooklyn. McEwan and Hunzaker both recorded scores of 237, while Sarin and Vizenfeld each added 213 to lead the Knights to a 1,112-913 victory.
The Knights finished the day with a 1,084-861 victory over North Carolina Central. Hunzaker led FDU with a 255, while McEwan recorded 237. Sarin and Vizenfeld also added high scores with 215 and 214, respectively.
Overall, McEwan led the team with a total pinfall of 1,203 through five games for a remarkable average of 240.6. Hunzaker averaged 225 with a total pinfall of 1,125, while Vizenfeld and Fischer also added high averages with arks of 214.8 and 206, respectively.
The Knights will take on UMES in the first round of the playoff bracket. A best-of-seven Baker match will determine who moves on in the bracket. Each of the top-four teams have a chance to win Sunday and earn the championship crown.
