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Lincoln – The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team closed the regular season with a tournament title at the Big Red Invitational. The Huskers defeated Arkansas State 4-2 in the championship match Sunday at Sun Valley Lanes.
The Cornhuskers finished the weekend with a 10-1 record and total pinfall of 12,045, taking down all 7 ranked teams in the competition to secure the tournament title.
In the opening match, Nebraska defeated Prairie View A&M 4-1, to secure the spot against Arkansas State in the championship match.
The Huskers came out strong against the Red Wolves, winning the first two games, 212-192 and 238-227, respectively. The Huskers dropped the third game, 227-189, but bounced back with a crucial 267-221 victory in game four. Arkansas State took game five, 209-172, but the Huskers finished out strong, winning the sixth game 219-210 for the title.
The Huskers claimed three of the top five spots and four of the top 10 spots in the individual standings. Senior Julia Bond earned the top spot overall with an average of 232.6. Sophomore Raquel Orozco claimed second place as she posted a strong average 229.2, just one week after winning the first tournament title of her career at the Central Missouri Mid-America Invitational. Junior Meghan Straub took fourth place after bowling a nearly perfect game against Drury (289), contributing to her final average of 222.8. Senior Kelly Belzeski finished with a strong average of 214, a performance landing her in eighth place.
The Huskers will await selection to the 2018 NCAA Bowling Championship. The NCAA Championship is set for April 12-14 Tropicana Lanes in St. Louis, Mo. Nebraska has qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the 14 seasons that bowling has been an NCAA-sanctioned sport, while claiming five NCAA championships in that time period.
Big Red Invitational Final Standings
- Nebraska (12,045)
- Arkansas State (12,004)
- McKendree (11,773)
- Central Missouri (11,034)
- Wisconsin Whitewater (10,754)
- Maryville (10,471)
- Lincoln Memorial (10,815)
- Valparaiso (10,751)
- Prairie View A&M (10,154)
- Drury (9,784)