Penn College Women Bowlers PCAA Overall Team Champ
Published 03.02.2009
For the sixth consecutive season, Pennsylvania College of Technologybowlers wear the crown of a conference champion, but this time it isthe women who reign supreme.
The all-freshman squad of Chelsea Morgan (Williamsport), Samantha Prisk (Lamont), Jennifer Fritz (Lewisburg) and Elizabeth Watts(Doylestown) knocked down 6,022 pins en route to winning the women's overall team championship Sunday at the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in Philipsburg. In addition, Morgan and Prisk combined for the women's doubles championship.
"The girls were behind by about 60 pins going into Sunday and they just really came through. The whole team jelled," said coach Deb Vincenzes. "They made important shots when they needed to make them. In the last game, they just totally overwhelmed the other team."
Westmoreland Community College finished second in the women's overall, 62 pins behind the Wildcats.
"The finish was quite exciting. It was great. The girls' will to win is what brought them through," continued Vincenzes, who was named the conference women's coach of the year.
Commenting on Morgan and Prisk's doubles title, Vincenzes said, "They dominated (winning by 74 pins). There was never a worry that they weren't going to win. They led all the way."
Also for the Penn College women, Prisk finished second in women's all events with a 1,532 and Fritz was second in women's singles with a 484.
The women's team title was the first for Penn College since 2004. The college's last women's doubles championship came in 2005.
The Penn College men, who captured overall titles the last two years, came in second this time, losing to Community College of Allegheny County-South. Merle Burkhart (sophomore/Lancaster) had the high men's singles game of the tournament with a 278.
"Our men's team, even though it didn't win, finished second and that isn't a bad showing at states. It was just one of those years where things didn't jell for us," Vincenzes said. "Some of our best bowlers just were not hitting it."