Oberlin’s intercollegiate bowling team made its final road trip of the year last weekend, heading to Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind. to compete in the Hoosier Classic tournament, hosted by Indiana University. The excursion represented the farthest the team has ever traveled for an event, as well as the highest profile tournament in which the team has competed for many years.

The Hoosier Classic was the 10th and final Tier I collegiate tournament of the year and the 80-team field included 12 schools that have won a total of 40 national championships. Only one school that has won a national championship since 1990 was not represented.

Wichita State University, the all-time leader with 13 national titles, won the men’s division, while Fresno State captured first place in the women’s division.

The tournament consisted of three three-game series bowled on three different oil patterns (described by one Oberlin bowler as “hard, harder and hardest”) over the course of two days.

While finishing 51st and 52nd in the men’s division, Oberlin managed to generate some excitement during the tournament. Oberlin’s B squad rallied to overtake the A squad (6,486 to 6,383) after trailing them by 74 pins at the end of the seventh game.

Leading the late charge was first-year Daniel Getler. In only his second appearance with the team, Getler’s 214 in the eighth game was the highest score of the weekend by an Oberlin bowler. Getler’s 162 average for the tournament was also Oberlin’s best, four pins higher than the 158 standard posted by senior Tom Hartman. Senior Jon Gillam and junior Andrew Meister each averaged 152 for the event.

Senior Mike McComb, reigning ACU-I Region 7 Recreational Division men’s champion, rolled a fifth-game 204 that was the highest score posted by an Oberlin bowler during the first day of competition. Junior Adam Carlson had tallies of 195 and 191 during the tournament, while Hartman contributed a 191 score on Saturday. Senior Jessy Bradish topped Oberlin’s women with a 141 average and 163 high game.

During the weekend, Bradish, Hartman, Carlson and senior K. Strickler were presented with Honorable Mention awards for their work toppling pins this season in the American Heartland Intercollegiate Bowling Conference.

The bowling team’s final tournament of the semester will be the OC Unconventional, which they will host at College Lanes in Hales Annex on Sat., April 14.