Statesmen Secure 11th-Place Finish at Hoosier Classic

Indianapolis, Ind.--The William Penn women's bowling team delivered a strong performance against top national competition, earning an impressive 11th-place finish out of 65 teams at the Hoosier Classic Saturday and Sunday.

The Statesmen started strong in Saturday's individual competition, totaling 4,728 pins across five rounds. They carried that momentum into Sunday's Baker format, knocking down 3,144 pins through 15 games. Their final total of 7,872 pins secured them a top-15 finish in the highly competitive field.

Savannah College of Art and Design topped the competition with 8,344 total pins.

In individual play, Calumet College of St. Joseph's Piper Plautz led all bowlers with a 239.6 average.

For William Penn, Sammantha Meyers (Sr., Rockford, Ill., Elementary Education) led the way with a 209.0-pin average over five rounds, highlighted by a high game of 245. Kelcey Aczon (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., Nursing) followed closely with a 196.8 average, recording a high game of 264, while Caitlin Radliff (Sr., Belleville, Ill., Software Engineering) posted a 190.4 average.

Danielle Fincham (So., Surprise, Ariz., Exercise Science) contributed with a 185.8 average across four games, while Olivia Pilcher (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Exercise Science) bowled three rounds, totaling 524 pins for a 174.7 average. 

Olivia Nolte (Jr., Atkins, Iowa, Elementary Education) (166), Lucy Mitchell (So., Poulsbo, Wash., Psychology and Human Services) (159), and Isabel Diaz (Sr., Kissimmee, Fla., Fine Arts) (155) each competed in one round.

"The ladies had a great weekend all around," Head Coach Kirstin Foster said. "Not only did they bowl well, but they really connected as a team, and it showed. This was a great tournament to gauge where we stack up against other NAIA programs—it was a confidence booster, but also highlighted areas for improvement. We have this week to refine those skills and see how it pays off at conference."

Next Up: William Penn travels to Columbia, Mo. next Saturday and Sunday to compete in the Heart of America Athletic Championship.