Statesmen Open Season with Top-20 Finish

Wauwatosa, Wis.--The William Penn men's bowling team took to the lanes for the first time on the new campaign and came away with a top-20 placing at the Midwest Collegiate Championships Saturday and Sunday.

WPU finished 19th out of 47 teams with 8,923 pins in six regular games and 16 Baker games.  Webber International (Fla.) topped the field in qualifying with 9,877 pins, but was knocked out of bracket play in the semifinals by #4 seed Saint Xavier.  SXU then fell to #2 St. Ambrose in the championship match.

Michael Harmon of Saint Xavier led the 355 members of individual play with a 233.8 pin average (1,403 pins).

Bryce Keykal (Jr., Princeton, Minn., Education) was a top-10 placer, taking seventh with a 224.0 average (1,344 pins), including five games over 200 (high of 268).

Conor Fetherston (So., Dublin, Ireland, Software Engineering), with a 199.0 mark, and Aidan Piet (Fr., Meridian, Idaho, Business Management), with a 192.7 average in his collegiate debut, also started all six rounds.

Garraty Richmond (Sr., Ottumwa, Iowa, New Media) posted a 200.0 average in five games, while Coleton Jacobson (Sr., West Jordan, Utah, Exercise Science) competed in three games with a 158.3 clip.

Spencer Fleming (So., Greensboro, N.C., Business Management) averaged 201.0 pins in two games, while Jared Smith (Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, General Accounting) knocked down 221 pins in his lone game.  Caleb Sterbenz (Sr., West Liberty, Iowa, Applied Computer Science) wrapped up the squad's scoring with a 150 in his only round of competition.

"Overall, it was not a bad weekend and start to our season," Head Coach Cameron Foster said.  "We had glimpses of showing our potential, including a great individual performance by Bryce Keykal.  We have some things to work on and clean up going into our next event, but I am really looking forward to what is coming this year."

Next Up: William Penn takes a week off before traveling Wichita, Kan. October 21-22 to compete in the Mid-States Championship.