Statesmen, Foster Win in Las Vegas
William Penn University Athletics
Las Vegas, Nev.–The William Penn men’s bowling team had great showings in its final events before the holiday break this week.
William Penn won the Glenn Carlson Las Vegas Invitational on Wednesday and Thursday and then had another top-ten finish at the Las Vegas Collegiate Shootout on Friday and Saturday.
At the first tournament, the Statesmen qualified fourth out of 33 teams with 9,259 pins in nine regular games. They advanced to the 16-squad bracket competition, opening with a 3-2 win over #13 seed Pikeville (Ky.).
The navy and gold continued with a 3-1 victory against #5 Wichita State (Kan.) and a 3.5-2.5 triumph over #9 Newman (Kan.).
The title was awarded to William Penn with a 3-2 championship game victory over #3 Midland (Neb.). It is the squad’s second crown of the year, also winning at the Midland Classic in November.
Cameron Foster (Sr., West Jordan, Utah, Business Management) routed the 242-person qualifying field with a 233.9 average (2,105 pins), including the best single game for the program this year at 290.
Jacques Kaune (So., Anchorage, Alaska, Business Management) was also in the top five, placing fifth at 214.7.
Brandon Barboza (Jr., Brick, N.J., Sociology) was next at 201.7, while Piet Schaeffer (Sr., Livingston, Scotland, General Mathematics) owned a 191.2 mark.
Drew Balta (Sr., Walford, Iowa, Education), with a 171.2 average in five games, and Travis Scott (So., West Saint Paul, Minn., Physical Education), with a 207.5 clip in four games, finished off the varsity scoring.
William Penn also had a JV team in Las Vegas and it placed third out of four non-varsity programs with 8,238 pins.
Eric Smith (Sr., Glenwood, Iowa, Industrial Technology) led the group with a 189.6 mark in eight games. Connor Frederick (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, History/Government) then had a 186.9 mark, also in eight games.
Lucas Perdieu (Fr., DeWitt, Iowa, Public Accounting) posted a 183.0 average (seven games), while Michael Applegate (So., Council Bluffs, Iowa, Undecided) had a 178.0 average in seven games.
Stian Hoff (Fr., Orkanger, Norway, Accounting) had a 187.4 average in five games, and Ethan Noble (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Business Management) posted a 178.0 number in five games.
A 182.5 average (four games) was tallied by Kevin Wesely (So., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Industrial Technology) and Cody Adair (Fr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Undecided) knocked down 142 pins in his lone action.
The latter event of the week saw the Statesmen take sixth place out of 36 teams with 11,355 pins in six regular games and four Baker sets. Midland (Neb.) claimed the crown with 12,448 pins.
Barboza guided the varsity by placing eighth (254 competitors) with a 227.8 average. Foster was not much further behind him, taking 14th at 222.7.
Schaeffer at 210.8, Balta at 200.7, and Kaune at 188.8, also started all six games.
On the JV side, William Penn was second out of five teams with 10,213 pins.
Four players competed in all six games, paced by Perdieu’s 222.5 clip. Applegate (205.7), Smith (197.0), and Adair (188.7) were in action all six times as well.
Frederick (178.7, three games), Noble (143.0, two games), and Wesely (168.0, one game) conclude the JV’s scoring.
Next: William Penn returns to action after the New Year, traveling to Addison, Ill. for the ISBPA/Kegel Midwest Collegiate Classic on Saturday and Sunday, January 18-19.
