The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News October 1, 2004

Oberlin hosts intercollegiate bowling tourney

The Oberlin Intercollegiate Bowling Team opened the 2004-05 season by winning their first game against Kent State University. The match kicked off last Saturday’s American Heartland Intercollegiate Bowling Conference meet, hosted by Oberlin at Rebman Recreation in Lorain. Thirty teams from 10 colleges competed in the event. Oberlin’s two mixed teams eventually finished 21st and 22nd of the 23 teams in the men’s division, ahead of a squad from Ohio Dominican.

In the A team’s first game win over Kent State, seniors Jon Gillam and Lance Libby struck in both the ninth and 10th frames to seal the 28-pin victory (855-827). Gillam’s 202 was the highest game of the match and also Oberlin’s top single score of the day. Junior Adam Carlson was next with a 194 tally against Cornell in the fourth game.

A feature of AHIBC competition is individual match-play within the context of full team games. Teams are awarded 10 bonus pins when a bowler’s score tops that of the opposing team’s bowler in the corresponding spot in their line-up. Making her intercollegiate debut with Oberlin’s B team, senior Ann Stewart earned 10 bonus pins with a 165-161 third-game victory over a bowler from conference powerhouse and perennial National Championship contender Saginaw Valley State University of Michigan. It was one of five matches won by Oberlin bowlers during the day. Senior Andy Seidel added a 159-130 defeat of another Saginaw bowler in the fourth game.

Following five team games, AHIBC meets include five three-game “Baker-style” matches, in which five bowlers roll two frames each of a single game. In this fast-paced competition style that emphasizes teamwork, Oberlin’s teams won three matches. The B squad opened the Baker competition by winning two out of three games against Ohio Dominican. Anchorman Seidel struck twice in the 10th frame to pull out a 105-95 first-game win, then spared in the final frame to secure a 137-133 victory in the third game.

In the final Baker match against Kent State, with senior K Strickler bowling in the anchor spot, the B team won two more close games (157-156 and 146-138) after dropping the opener.

Oberlin’s A team defeated Youngstown State University in the fourth Baker match, narrowly winning the first two games by scores of 154-150 and 171-160. Senior Tom Hartman spared in the 10th frame each time.

Saginaw Valley’s A squad cruised to a first place finish for the day. Bowling for the University of Cincinnati, Conference commissioner Mark Jones started the day with 12 strikes for a perfect 300 game.

Oberlin’s next competition will be a conference meet in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30Tom Reid is the head coach of theOberlin College bowling team.
 
 

   

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