The #21 Valparaiso University bowling team kicked off the 2016-17 campaign on Saturday by hosting the first of two days of action at the Crusader Challenge, hosted by Valpo at Inman’s. The Crusaders posted a 3-2 record on the first day of competition.

How It Happened

• The Crusaders opened Saturday’s action, contested in the five-game baker format, against the top-ranked team in the field - #5 McKendree. Valpo fell to the Bearcats by a 949-873 final.
• Valpo rebounded with an 808-681 win in its next match against Maryville, but then dropped an 845-764 decision to Aurora.
• The Crusaders took down #9 UW-Whitewater in the next match, coming up victors by a final of 908-858, and then closed the first day of competition with a 922-863 victory over #25 Elmhurst.
• Valpo ended the day with a pin count of 4,275 pins through the five matches, good for third place in the six-team field. McKendree sits atop the team standings with 4,595 pins.
• Head coach Shon Washington led the Crusaders for the first time since the close of the 2010-11 season.

Thoughts From HeadCoach Shon Washington

“The first competition of the season is always an exciting time – it can, however, lead to a few nervous shots early on. Our 3-2 record for the day mirrored our execution and is where I would have expected us to be after day one.”

“Overall, I was very impressed with the determination and fight in this team. We had two standout performances from senior Lauren Wolski and freshman Becky Lohse. Both were very consistent throughout the day, giving the team some much-needed support in key situations.”

Next Up

Valpo concludes hosting of the Crusader Challenge on Sunday with five traditional team matches. Action from Inman’s is slated to begin at 8:15 a.m.