Huskers Return to Texas for SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational

#1 Nebraska Cornhuskers at SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational

Friday-Sunday, Feb. 10-12, 9:30 a.m., 9:25 a.m., 8:30 a.m. (CT) – Houston, Texas (Copperfield Bowling Center)

Huskers Return to Texas for SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational
The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team returns to action this Friday through Sunday at the SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational at Copperfield Bowling Center in Houston, Texas. The tournament is hosted by seventh-ranked Stephen F. Austin.

The tournament will feature 24 teams, including 17 ranked teams and two other teams receiving votes in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.

Each of the top-five teams in the country will be represented at the loaded tournament in Texas, including Nebraska, No. 2 Arkansas State, No. 3 McKendree, No. 4 Sam Houston State and No. 5 Vanderbilt. Top-10 teams in SFA, eighth-ranked Delaware State, No. 9 Maryland-Eastern Shore and No. 10 Sacred Heart will also bowl this weekend at the tournament. The list of ranked teams includes No. 12 Monmouth, No. 13 Tulane, No. 14 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 17 LIU-Brooklyn, No. 18 North Carolina A&T, No. 19 Prairie View A&M, No. 21 Southern and No. 24 Youngstown State. Jackson State and Texas Southern, which are receiving votes in the latest poll, will also bowl at the tournament. In addition, Grambling State, Lincoln Memorial, Louisiana Tech, Maryville and Southern will be represented.

The Huskers won their second tournament in a row with a first-place finish at the Prairie View Invitational at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas the weekend of Jan. 27-29. Gazmine Mason led the way for the Huskers, finishing eighth overall with an average of 202.7. Julia Bond added an average of 198.8 to finish 14th overall. The Big Red defeated Arkansas State in the opening round of the championship tournament to clinch a spot in the final and took down Vanderbilt in a 4-0 sweep in the championship match. The Huskers posted a strong record of 11-2 on the weekend with 10 wins over ranked teams.

Competition begins Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. (CT) with five sets of five-game Baker matches, followed by five traditional team matches on Saturday morning, beginning at 9:25 a.m. Combined results from Friday and Saturday will determine the seeding for Sunday’s best-of-seven Baker format championship tournament, which begins at 8:30 a.m.

SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational Notes
This is the third year in a row that the Huskers will compete at the SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational, hosted by defending NCAA champions Stephen F. Austin. NU finished third at the tournament last season, defeating Arkansas State in the third-place match. Melanie Crawford led the way for the Big Red, posting an average of 217.8 to finish fourth overall, while Briana Zabierek finished fifth with an average of 217.2. The Huskers finished second at the tournament in 2015. Liz Kuhlkin finished 10th overall with an average of 213 at the tournament to lead the Huskers.

NU Wins Fifth Consecutive Prairie View Invitational Crown
For the fifth year in a row, Nebraska left the Prairie View Invitational as tournament champions, winning the loaded invitational the weekend of Jan. 27-29 at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. NU went 11-2 on the weekend, defeating 10 ranked teams along the way. The Huskers swept Vanderbilt in the championship match to claim the title. Gazmine Mason led the way for the Huskers, finishing eighth overall with an average of 202.7.

Back to Back
Nebraska has won back-to-back tournaments for the first time this season, and the first time since winning the Big Red Invitational and the TRACK Kat Klash in November and December of 2015. It is the 23rd time in school history that NU has won multiple tournaments in a row. The program record is 13 tournament wins in a row, stretching from the 2004-05 season to the 2005-06 season.

Nebraska Back on Top in NTCA Poll
In the latest NTCA Top-25 poll released Jan. 22, Nebraska returned to the top spot, claiming 23 first-place votes and a total of 1,263 points. The Huskers began the season ranked first overall, but fell to the third spot in the November poll. Arkansas State fell one spot to second, while McKendree, Sam Houston State and Vanderbilt round out the top five.

Huskers Win Mid-Winter Invitational Title
Nebraska picked up its first tournament title of the season, winning the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., the weekend of Jan. 13-15. NU went 9-2 on the weekend, defeating six ranked teams in the process. The Mid-Winter Invitational field featured 10 ranked teams, including eight of the top-10 teams in the nation. Nebraska defeated No. 4 McKendree in the opening round of the championship tournament, and then took down the Bearcats again in the final, 4-2. Meghan Straub paced the Huskers with an average of 210 to finish second overall, while Julia Bond was right behind with an average of 209.6 for a third-place finish.

Bond Wins U.S. Amateur Championship, Named to Team USA
Julia Bond was crowned United States Amateur Bowling Champion and was named to Team USA for the 2017 season after winning the women’s U.S. Amateur final at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials the week of Jan. 4-8 in Henderson, Nev. Bond finished fourth overall at the trials with 54 ranking points. Kayla Johnson, a Husker from 2010-2012, was also named to Team USA for the 2017 season by the National Selection Committee based on her performances throughout the week, while Shannon Pluhowsky, who competed for Nebraska from 2000-05, was selected by the National Selection Committee based on her submitted resume. Husker senior Gazmine Mason and junior Kelly Belzeski also competed at the trials.

NU Notches Third-Place Finish at Warhawk Invitational
Nebraska ended the 2016 calendar year with a third-place finish the weekend of Nov. 11-13 at the Warhawk Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. The Huskers went 9-3 on the weekend, defeating six ranked teams. NU entered the final day as the third seed, but was swept in the opening round of the championship tournament by Vanderbilt. The Huskers rebounded with a win over Sacred Heart to reach the third-place match, where the Big Red took down Vanderbilt in seven games. Meghan Straub led the Huskers with a 209.6 average, while Julia Bond posted a 209.2 average and Briana Zabierek added a 200 average.

Looking Ahead
The Huskers will return to action next weekend at the Crusader Classic at Lakewood Bowl in Richton Park, Ill. NU has finished in the top three at each of the last six editions of the Crusader Classic, including winning in 2010 and 2014. The Huskers finished third at the tournament last season.

SFA Stormin’ Ladyjack Invitational - Teams Competing
No. 1 Nebraska
No. 7 Stephen F. Austin
No. 2 Arkansas State
No. 3 McKendree
No. 4 Sam Houston State
No. 5 Vanderbilt
No. 8 Delaware State
No. 9 Maryland-Eastern Shore
No. 10 Sacred Heart
No. 12 Monmouth
No. 13 Tulane
No. 14 Wisconsin-Whitewater
No. 17 LIU-Brooklyn
No. 18 North Carolina A&T
No. 19 Prairie View A&M
No. 21 UAB
No. 24 Youngstown State
Jackson State (RV)
Texas Southern (RV)
Grambling State
Lincoln Memorial
Louisiana Tech
Maryville
Southern