Feb. 7, 2011
LAUREL, MD -- The record may not be as gaudy. But the Fayetteville State Lady Broncos were still right there.
The Lady Broncos finished second overall at the grueling CIAA Bowling Roundup over the weekend thanks to their staggering pin total of 14,447 in 18 matches. While Fayetteville State (42-6) finished 12-6 overall through the Roundup and Baker matches - among the losses included narrow defeats by five, 11 and 31 pins -- their pin total was still more than 400 better than third-place Elizabeth City State, though it trailed overall winner Bowie State (15,344).
Still, the Lady Broncos picked up at least one victory over each team in the CIAA, proving their capability as a championship contender this season.
"I don't think the teams are all better than us," says Fayetteville State head coach Bobby Henderson, "there were just games where we didn't perform to our ability."
The Lady Broncos, who have no reserves on their five-player team, got a good taste of what the season-ending CIAA Championships will be like in Mid-March.
"The Roundup is a good indicator and a good experience for our girls," Henderson says. "We got a chance to look at the teams from the North. It's a tough three days, and we learned a lot from it."
Akira Turner (Sr., Detroit, MI) and Jamie Donnelly (So, Fayetteville, NC) were named to the Roundup's All-Tournament team after placing among the top 10 in scoring averages. Turner was third overall with a 191 average, which was a tad down from her season-high average of 214 from the Southern Division's second event in late January. Donnelly was sixth overall at the Roundup with a 181.6 average, which was just shy of her 187.5 average from the January meet.
Fayetteville State's De'Andrea Bethea (Fr., Raleigh, NC) was 13th overall after her 169.0 average while the Lady Broncos' Kelly Wakerhauser (Jr., Portage, WI) was 21st with a 163.2 average. Daisy Weishman (Fr., Fayetteville, NC) was 35th overall with a 148.6 average.
"It was still a very good meet for us," says Henderson. "We were second in total pins and we placed two players on the All-Tournament team. We have no complaints."
Turner had the highest game for the weekend for Fayetteville State, rolling a 254. She also had a 244 in the meet, and topped 200 four times. Donnelly's high game was a 214, and she reached 213 another time.
The highlight of the meet came on the first day in the third match of the day when Bowie State's Vera Diggs rolled the first perfect game of 300 in CIAA history.
Fayetteville State hosts the Southern Division's third event from Feb. 25-27.
