Irish bowlers can't match nation's best
Special to The Observer
The Blue and Gold Classic lived up to its advance billing, as the top teams from all over the country tripped to Beacon Bowl for the Tier 1 national event.
The Notre Dame bowling club finished 28th in the tournament. This year's field included eight of the top 10 men's teams, including reigning national champion Sagamore Valley, and current No. 1 Nebraska, and seven of the top 10 women's teams in the country.
Competing on lanes oiled to PBA tournament specifications, averages were down for all clubs. The Irish lost a heartbreaker on the final ball rolled in the opening round to Wisconsin, 809 - 808. While the Irish continued to bowl even with their competition, the additonal 100 bonus points lost in several very close contests doomed the club to a lower half finish.
Darren Kraft's 180 average paced the squad, followed by Kevin Gertken and Dan Buttke at 170. Jason Pawlak, the usual team leader, rolled a 161 average, and team scoring was rounded out with Brian Gertken's 157 tally. The club will now prepare for the ACUI Regionals, scheduled for Feb. 9.
Skiing
The ski club's women faltered for the first time in two years in Divisional competition this weekend, finishing second to Michigan by one point in the Slalom at Crystal Mountain.
Four women placed in the top 15, led by Molly Munsterer's first place run. Leigh Hellrung, third, Alanah Lundgren, 10th, and Jennifer Caswell, 13th, turned in very respectable times.
Stung by the loss, the Irish rebounded to capture the Giant Slalom, as they dominated and overwhelmed the competition. Leigh Hellrung brought home gold, while Molly Munsterer grabbed silver as they were joined by Alanah Lundgren and Jennifer Caswell in the top 10.
The men continued to struggle as Wes Jacobs, Mike Ryan, Kevin Kennedy, Ryan Boger and Jon Pribaz could do no better than a fifth place tie. The club will complete the regular season portion of their schedule with a trip to Schuss Mountain this coming weekend.
Men's Volleyball
Stepping up in competition, the men's volleyball club upped its overall record to 11-7 at the Michigan Classic. Using a two game format, the club split games with all four teams in its opening pool — Western Michigan, St. Louis, Michigan, and Tennessee, to receive a third seed for Sunday's competition.
After defeating Vanderbilt, the Irish fell in the next round to top seed Illinois, 25-20, 25-22. Brian Price and Jim Lowder had standout performances at outside hitter, while Jon Linzer, Aidas Kuolas and Jon Roller picked up the slack in the absence of injured middle hitter, Rob Smith. The club remains tied for second in conference play at 4-2, and will next hit the courts in an 8 p.m. contest in the Pit, Feb. 8, against Georgetown.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, January 30, 2001
