Warriors wrap up regular season, qualify for sectionals
By Matt Oliver
INDIANAPOLIS – The Waldorf College men’s bowling team concluded the regular season, battling against top-tier competition in this past weekend’s 47th Annual Hoosier Classic.
Improving on last season’s performance by 250 pins and 12 places, the Warriors turned in a team score of 8,169 pins to place 40th in the two-day, 78-team tournament that concluded on Sunday.
“The pattern was a tough as bowlers had to really mind their speed to get results,” Waldorf coach Joe Squires said. “We battled through the ups and downs of the tournament managing our attitudes. We saw a lot of bad breaks and maintained our composure by making spares and staying upbeat.”
Caleb Bain recorded the top performance for the Warriors, rolling a nine-game total of 1,734 to earn 65th place. The senior from Cottage Grove, Minn. finished the weekend with a 192.7 average.
Freshman Kyle Swiderski provided Waldorf with a score of 1,664 (184.9 average) to claim 100th in a field that was comprised of more than 500 bowlers.
Freshman Roger Harford averaged 171, bowling a 1,026-pin total in six games for the Warriors. Senior Matthew Truman, junior Nicholas Heimerman, sophomore Michael Templin and freshman Damon Helgevold also contributed for Waldorf.
Top-ranked Calumet College of St. Joseph finished first in the team standings with 9,446 pins, but was knocked off by No. 2 Webber International University in the second round of match play. Third-ranked Lindenwood University captured the tournament championship, bringing down Webber International in a six-game series during the final round of match play.
Weber International’s Andrew Anderson earned first in the individual competition, putting together a 2,059 score (228.8 average) to edge Calumet’s Michael Davidson by one pin.
The tournament was the final regular-season competition for Waldorf, but the Warriors are far from finished.
After ending last season ranked No. 83 in the nation, Waldorf has climbed the national rankings to place 45th out of approximately 200 teams across the country. With the rating, the Warriors have achieved the highest ranking in program history and advance to the postseason for the first time by qualifying for this year’s United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Sectionals scheduled for March 12-13. Waldorf now waits to learn which sectional it will compete in. Sectional tournament assignments, which will be announced on Wednesday, are set to be held in Nevada, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey.
“The team has shown a lot of determination to bridge the gap and advance to the next level of competition,” Squires said. “This is a huge turning point for the program as it shows the level the program has reached.”