NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Monmouth University women's bowling team opened up its 2014 campaign this past weekend, finishing 17th in the FDU Jamboree at Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, N.J. Valerie Bermudez (Guayanabo, Puerto Rico/Cupey Maria Montessori) led the Blue and White with a 28th place individual finish, posting an average of 192 on the weekend as the Hawks went 7-7 as a group in the three-day tournament.
MU started the weekend with a trio of losses to top competition in Vanderbilt, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State. Monmouth collected its first victory of the season with a win over Virginia State, 870-814. The Hawks also defeated Cheyney, 964-844 to pick up win number two on Friday to finish Day 1 with a 2-3 mark.
The group bowled in six matches on Saturday, opening with a loss to North Carolina A&T by 39 pins. The team then rolled up back-to-back wins, defeating Franklin Pierce University by a narrow 927-916 mark before beating the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 961-813. Bethune-Cookman knocked off MU by 27 before the Hawks rebounded with a win over the University of Pittsburgh Bradford. The day wrapped up Saturday with a loss to Arkansas State.
Individually, Bermudez bowled to an average of 192 to lead Monmouth on the weekend. Her total pinfall was 2,112 and she bowled a high game of 234 against Bethune-Cookman. Freshman Kim Klinger (Blasdell, N.Y./Frontier Central) averaged 190.67 on the three days, good for a total pinfall of 1,716. She bowled Monmouth's highest game of the weekend, a 264 in the win over UW-Whitewater. Kaitlyn Reth (Baltimore, Md./Overlea/Baltimore C.C.) totaled an average of 179.25 on the tournament, with a high game of 213 against Cheyney.
The Hawks return to action at the Crusader Classic next weekend, hosted by Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind.
