MADISON, Wis. – Only 106 pins separate the Lincoln Memorial University women's bowling team and the top spot at the 2019 Warhawk Classic in Madison, Wisconsin, following two days of competition. The Lady Railsplitters tacked on another 4,668 pins to their 9,364 pinfall total Saturday in five traditional team matches inside Bowl-A-Vard Lanes.
 
Going 3-2 on the day, LMU picked up a trio of match wins over Lewis University (1,028-827), Marian University (908-803) and 12th-ranked Central Missouri (983-942) and sits behind only No. 18 Maryville University (Mo.) (9,470) in the 12-team tournament field. The No. 12 Jennies are in third place with a pinfall total of 9,142, while 10th-ranked and Warhawk Classic host Wisconsin-Whitewater is fourth with 9,100 total pins.
 
Among a field of competition that features 84 total bowlers and four of the nation's top 20 teams, junior Justine Brookover is in second place in the individual standings after averaging a game score of 205 and totaling 1,025 pins Saturday. With the all-tournament team announced Sunday afternoon and based on six traditional team games, junior Tyra Sanchez sits in 10th place after averaging a 194.2 and collecting 971 total pins in the five matches. She is one of four Lady Railsplitters in the top 20 as seniors Mary-Kate Kersting (187.4) and Marisol Dodson (185.6) are 15th and 17th, respectively.  
 
LMU has already secured a top-four seed for Sunday's best 4-of-7 Baker match bracket play, guaranteeing the Lady Railsplitters an opportunity to win the tournament title.
 
"Today was a very important lesson for our team," commented director of bowling and women's head coach Joseph Slowinski. "We started the day with excellent focus and commitment to the pre-shot process. That helped us open the day with the highest score of all teams. As the day progressed our focus and process orientation waned, leading to inconsistencies in execution and underachievement. Our goal is to be more committed to focus and process Sunday so we can be our best when it matters most, in bracket match play."
 
Bowling a round-best 1,028 as a team, Sanchez led LMU to a 201-pin victory over Lewis University with a 227. Kersting contributed a 212 in the match and Brookover provided a 209. In the Lady Railsplitters' 104-pin win against Marian University, Sanchez rolled a 207 and Brookover continued her solid bowling with a 200.
 
Despite the team suffering a 32-pin loss (942-910) to fellow East Coast Conference member Tusculum, Brookover still shone with a day-high game of 235. LMU quickly rebounded from its defeat by claiming a 41-pin triumph over No. 12 Central Missouri, thanks in large part to Kersting's 246 game and Sanchez' 226.
 
In their final match of the day, the Lady Railsplitters found themselves in an 839 tie with Valparaiso, forcing a roll-off in which the Crusaders took 95-85. However, Brookover closed out her day on a high note, bowling a 225 against Valparaiso.
 
Up Next…
The Lady Railsplitters wrap up traditional team match play Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. EST where they will take on Aurora University. A tournament champion will then be crowned following best 4-of-7 Baker match bracket play. Seeding for bracket play will be determined by Friday's five Baker matches and the six traditional team matches.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter bowling throughout the 2019-20 season.