Huskers Compete at Crusader Classic

Huskers Look for Second Consecutive Crusader Classic Victory
The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team heads to Indiana this weekend to compete at the Crusader Classic. The tournament, hosted by No. 15 Valparaiso, will take place at Inman’s Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Ind.

The Huskers won the tournament a year ago and have finished in the top three each of the last five years.

Fourteen teams will participate this weekend, including 11 ranked teams. Three of the top-five teams in the NTCA preseason poll will compete, including Nebraska, No. 2 Arkansas State and No. 5 Vanderbilt. Top-10 teams Wisconsin-Whitewater (No. 7), Central Missouri (No. 8) and McKendree (No. 9) will also bowl over the weekend. Valparaiso, Tulane (No. 19), Prairie View A&M (No. 21), Monmouth (No. 23) and Alabama State (No. 25) round out the list of ranked teams in the tournament.

The Huskers finished third at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational their last time out during the weekend of Oct. 16-18. NU finished 10-5 with a total pinfall of 14,297 and an average of 190.6. The Big Red notched wins over No. 10 North Carolina A&T, No. 3 Stephen F. Austin and No. 5 Vanderbilt in the best-of-seven Baker format tournament.

Nebraska was led by Briana Zabierek, who finished 15th in the individual standings. The junior from Lockport, Ill., put forth a 199.3 average in six team games. Gazmine Mason finished 22nd in the individual standings with a 192.67 average.

The tournament begins Friday with each team playing five Baker matches beginning at 10:05 a.m., followed by five traditional team matches Saturday at 9:25 a.m. The tournament will conclude Sunday with a best-of-seven Baker format tournament to determine a champion, starting at 8:55 a.m.

Crusader Classic - Teams Competing
Nebraska
Valparaiso
Alabama A&M
Alabama State
Arkansas State
Aurora (Ill.)
Central Missouri
Elmhurst (Ill.)
McKendree (Mo.)
Monmouth
Prairie View A&M
Tulane
Vanderbilt
Wisconsin-Whitewater

Looking Ahead
The Huskers will return home Nov. 12-14 for the Big Red Invitational at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln. NU won the tournament a year ago and has finished in the top three each of the last four years the tournament has taken place (it was not held in 2012).

The list of teams competing in the tournament include Arkansas State, Central Missouri, McKendree, Lincoln University, Sam Houston State, Wisconsin- Whitewater and Valparaiso in addition to Nebraska.

Play will begin Thursday, Nov. 12, at 5:45 p.m. with four five-game Baker matches. Friday’s action will see teams compete in six traditional games beginning at 9 a.m. Teams will play four traditional team games Saturday, beginning at 7:55 a.m.

Each day will be a separate tournament. For information including a link to live scoring, please check huskers.com.

Lincoln: Title Town
In 19 years as a varsity sport, Nebraska bowling has been one of the top programs in the nation. Coach Bill Straub has guided the Huskers to unprecedented success, winning national titles in 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2015. Once bowling became an NCAA-recognized sport in 2003-04, the Huskers won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, followed by titles in 2009, 2013 and most recently another in 2015.

A History of Success
A total of 90 tournament titles in 177 competitions entering the 2015-16 campaign creates an impressive list of accomplishments for Nebraska, while Straub’s bowlers have not been ranked lower than seventh in the team rankings since becoming a varsity sport in 1997.

The constant success under Straub has made the Huskers a fixture in the national polls, ranking in the top five nationally all the way back to 1990, when the sport was flourishing at the club level. Over the years, Straub has been a constant in Nebraska’s bowling success.

National Honors and Awards
While the Husker team accomplishments have been paramount, many bowlers have enjoyed individual success. NU has had at least one All-American in 25 of the last 26 years, dating back to its club program days. Since 1989, 27 Huskers have combined for a total of 58 first-, second- and third-team All-America awards, while Kim Berke (1992), Diandra Hyman (2000), Shannon Pluhowsky (2001, 2004, 2005), Lindsay Baker (2006), Amanda Burgoyne (2007), Cassandra Leuthold (2010) and Lizabeth Kuhlkin (2015) were each chosen as the National Collegiate Bowler of the Year.

NCAA Tournament MVP
Julia Bond was named Most Outstanding Bowler at the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Tropicana Lanes in St. Louis, Mo. Bond unleashed a 225.6 average in the tournament, leading the Huskers to their fifth NCAA title. For the year, Bond had a 206.5 average, third on the team.

Last Time Out: Huskers Finish Third in Louisiana
The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team wrapped up competition at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational with a 3-0 showing and a third-place finish Sunday.

The Cornhuskers, who had been eliminated from championship contention following Saturday’s results, defeated No. 10 North Carolina A&T, No. 3 Stephen F. Austin and No. 5 Vanderbilt in best-of-seven Baker format matches at AMF All Star Lanes in Kenner, La.

No. 6 Sam Houston State defeated No. 2 Arkansas State in the championship match. The Red Wolves, who led the overall standings throughout the first two days of competition, had only lost one match before falling to the Bearkats, 4-2, in the final.

NU, which began Sunday’s bracket-play tournament as the fifth seed, faced off with sixth-seeded North Carolina A&T in the first match of the day. The Huskers defeated the Aggies in Friday’s Baker match, 962-874, and Saturday’s team match, 929-897, before following suit with a 4-0 sweep Sunday.

The Huskers then moved on to play fourth-seeded Stephen F. Austin in a rematch of the 2015 NCAA Championship match. The Huskers started fast and got out to a 3-0 lead before the Ladyjacks won games four and five. The Big Red put away the match with a 204-158 victory in game six to win 4-2.

Nebraska advanced to play third-seeded Vanderbilt for third place. The two teams split the first two games before the Huskers reeled off three straight wins to close out the match and defeat the Commodores 4-1.

NU finished the weekend with a total pinfall of 14,297, good for a 190.6 average in 75 games.

Briana Zabierek finished 15th in the individual standings with a 199.3 average. Gazmine Mason also helped lead the Huskers with a 192.6 average to finish 22nd overall.