Huskers Return to the Season at Mid-Winter Classic

Friday-Sunday, January 12-14, 11:20 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. (CT) - Jonesboro, Ark. (Jonesboro Bowling Center)

The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team is back in action at the Mid-Winter Classic this Friday through Sunday in Jonesboro, Ark. The tournament is hosted by third-ranked Arkansas State. 

A total of 20 teams will be competing in Arkansas, including all five of the top-five teams and seven of the top-ten teams in No. 2 Mckendree, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 5 Sam Houston State, No. 7 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 Tulane. Other ranked teams joining the Huskers include No. 11 Central Missouri, No. 14 University of Alabama Birmingham, No. 19 Louisiana Tech, No. 20 Maryville, No. 22 Alabama State, and No. 23 Lincoln Memorial while Valparaiso (RV), Alabama A&M, Drury, Grambling, Jackson State, Lincoln University, and Texas Southern round out the list along with the hosts, Arkansas State. 

Kelly Belzeski and Julia Bond, fresh off their competition at the USBC Team USA trials, will travel to Arkansas to compete. Joining them in competition will be Allison Morris, Kelly Huddleston, Raquel Orozco, Estefania Prieto, and Meghan Straub.

Julia Bond earned a spot on Team USA at the USBC Team USA Trials held Jan. 2-7 in Las Vegas, Nev.  Amanda Morgan also earned a spot for her performance on the Junior Team USA. Kelly Belzeski also competed at the trials.

This will be the Husker’s first tournament since the Warhawk Invitational in Kenosha, Wisc. where they finished second place. The Huskers went 12-1 for the weekend, falling only to No. 3 Arkansas State in the Championship Match on Sunday. Senior Julia Bond hit a career high of 234.8, also landing her the tenth—highest single tournament average in program history. Sophomore Raquel Orozco also landed in the top-five after earning a tournament average of 222.

The tournament begins Friday morning at 11:20 a.m. with five sets of five-game Baker matches, followed by five traditional matches on Saturday morning, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Combined results from Friday and Saturday will determine the seeding for Sunday’s bracket-play championship tournament, in which each team will play three rounds of best-of-seven Baker matches beginning at 8:30 a.m.

 

Mid-Winter Invitational Notes  The Huskers won the title at the Mid-Winter Invitational last season, after finishing in the top five every year from 2007 to 2015. Nebraska also won the tournament in 2013 and the Arkansas State Invitational in both 2004 and 2006. At the 2017 edition, the Huskers defeated McKendree 4-3, in the championship match. Meghan Straub led the way for the Big Red with an average of 210, good for 2nd overall. Julia Bond finished 3rd overall with an average of 209.6. Both Straub and Bond were named to the All-Tournament Team. Bond finished first overall with an average of 223.4 at the Mid-Winter Classic in 2015.

 

Four Huskers Selected to National Teams at the USBC Team USA Trials

Current Huskers Julia Bond and Amanda Morgan and former Husker greats Liz Kuhlkin and Shannon Pluhowsky earned spots on various national teams at the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials, held Tuesday through Sunday at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev.  Bond, Kuhlkin and Pluhowsky qualified for Team USA for the 2018 season, while Morgan will represent the United States on Junior Team USA in 2018. Both Bond and Kuhlkin earned spots on the 2018 Team USA after being selected by the National Selection Committee based on their performances at the trials. Bond also finished second overall in the U.S. Amateur Stepladder Finals on Sunday.  Shannon Pluhowsky, who was a member of the Nebraska bowling team from 2000-05, was also offered a spot due to her overall performance at The Orleans.   Morgan earned a spot on the Junior Team USA based on her performance in Las Vegas. Gazmine Mason, who competed from 2013-17, and current Husker senior Kelly Belzeski also competed at the trials. 

 

 

Mid-Winter Classic- Teams Competing

No. 1 Nebraska
No. 2 McKendree
No. 3 Arkansas State
No. 4 Vanderbilt
No. 5 Sam Houston State
No. 7 Stephen F. Austin
No. 9 Tulane
No. 11 Central Missouri
No. 14 University of Alabama Birmingham
No. 19 Louisiana Tech 
No. 20 Maryville
No. 22 Alabama State 
No. 23 Lincoln Memorial 
Valparaiso (RV)
Alabama A&M
Drury
Grambling
Jackson State
Lincoln University
Texas Southern