Men's Bowling Compete in Holiday Tournaments

Jan. 14, 2008

FAIRFIELD, CT - The Sacred Heart men's bowling team competed in the Roto Grip Keystone-Quaker Classic and the Nittany Lion Kegler Classic December 27 - December 30. The Pioneers posted a 35th-place finish out of 48 teams in the Keystone-Quaker Classic and a 40th-place finish in a field of 46 teams in the Nittany Lion Kegler Classic.

The Keystone-Quaker Classic was held in Allentown, PA. The conditions proved to be very difficult for the Pioneers early as they started with their low game of 858. However, the Pioneers improved each of the next three games, posting scores of 879, 923, and 926. The Pioneers could not finish the day strong, however, as the pattern broke down leading to another game of 858.

The Pioneers had poised themselves for a run during the day two Bakers portion of the event. However, the first four baker blocks of four games each totaled 690, 650, 675, and 655. The Pioneers salvaged some confidence at the end of the day shooting 739 and finishing in 35th place.

The bright spot of this tournament was again the performance of freshmen Dan Tamburro (Franklin Lakes, NJ). The standout freshmen averaged 204 for four games and kept the Pioneers afloat during their struggles.

At the completion of their first tournament the team hit the road immediately for the Nittany Lion Keggler in Maple Shade, NJ. The team started off with possibly the worst performance of the season, opening with a 796. The Pioneers rebounded quickly in game two shooting an 878. Unfortunately, the team continued their inconsistent season stumbling to a day one, six-game total of 4926. At the end of day one the Pioneers were in 45th out of 46 teams.

It was a confident and resilient Pioneer team that arrived to bowl day two of the tournament. The Pioneers stormed back rolling 914, 852, and 863 on fresh oil- making up five spots and a lot of pins in the standings.

Coach Ray McKeon was very pleased with his the day two performance. "The team showed a lot of heart on this trip rebounding from a poor Day one performance of the Nittany Lion Kegler to move up several spots in the standings with an outstanding effort on the final day."

Junior Peter Ruggiero (Yorktown, NY) led the team in this tournament with a 178 average. He was closely followed by senior Shaun Ihasz (Coram, NY) averaging 176 and Tamburro finishing at 175. Tamburro, the standout freshmen, commented on the teams performance, "Hopefully we can use the momentum from this strong finish in our upcoming tournaments," he said.

While the Pioneers definitely were expecting better results, the trip did have its benefits. "With such a young team the experience gained from competing at two of the biggest tournaments college bowling has to offer will be very valuable as the athletes grow in their collegiate careers," said coach McKeon.

The Pioneers are also holding on to hopes for a bid to sectionals. The Pioneers currently sit at 88th in the national rankings. The top 64 teams are invited to sectionals. The Pioneers need a strong finish in Las Vegas and the rest of the conference tournaments to reach this season goal.