SMYRNA, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial University women's bowling team, ranked No. 23 in the most recent NTCA poll, concludes its regular season with one final tune-up before the East Coast Conference Championship in the Music City Classic hosted by No. 4 Vanderbilt at the Smyrna Bowling Center.
 
The event will feature 20 of the nation's top 25 teams among the 32 competing. Four teams are grouped into eight pools. LMU is matched up with No. 2 and defending national champion McKendree, No. 12 Sacred Heart and Grambling State. The Lady Railsplitters went 5-8 last year to finish 26^th out of 35 teams.
 
"It's a very competitive field," LMU Director of Bowling and Women's Head Coach Joseph Slowinski said. "That's why we're there. We want competitive matches and to perform well against good teams. We also want to perform well against teams that we should beat."
 
Lincoln Memorial faced McKendree two weeks ago at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska. Tyra Sanchez bowled the first perfect 300 game in program history to clinch the 1095-1094 victory. Her final strike not only completed the perfect game but also gave the Lady Railsplitters the one-pin win over the defending national champions, which marked the highest-ranked opponent that Lincoln Memorial has ever beaten.
 
The Lady Railsplitters began 0-5 at the Big Red Invitational before rattling off six straight wins over nationally-ranked opponents.
 
"We do not give up," Slowinski said. "I think we have a long history of just continuing to fight. We will not give in. We will just keep working to figure it out. The team trusts what we're doing. They're very mentally tough, which going into this weekend and next is very important."
 
Sanchez's performance garnered East Coast Conference Bowler of the Week honors. The Lady Railsplitters have been responsible for six ECC Bowlers of the Week and three ECC Rookies of the Week through eight tournaments.
 
LMU's record stands at 53-45 this season with wins over 15 teams currently ranked in the NTCA top 25 including No. 2 McKendree, No. 3 Arkansas State, No. 4 Vanderbilt and No. 8 Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
"Tyra Sanchez has become a very competent player," Slowinski said. "Christine Hansen is back. Marisol Dodson is bowling very well. Mary-Kate Kersting is still very consistent. We have a group of core players that perform consistent over time. Based on what the lane is telling us, we'll match people up. We don't know who's going to bowl, necessarily, but we know who is on the floor will be good."