The eighteenth ranked Warhawk bowling team finished fifth out of twelve teams in the Big Red Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska. Whitewater went 2-3 in five Baker games in the first day of competition to hold fifth place after day one. Turning the tables on day two, UW-W went 3-2 to move up a spot to fourth. The Warhawks went 0-3, including forcing the deciding seventh Baker game in two of the three matches, on day three to finish in fifth place.

Saturday
Despite have a higher total pinfall in the first Baker match of the day, the Warhawks fell 4-3 to Alabama. UW-W started strong taking the first two games 236-192 and 259-157. The 259 marks the season high Baker game total for Whitewater this season. Alabama evened the match with the next two wins 223-216 and 162-157. UW-W took the lead 3-2 with a 206-176 but Alabama answered with a 174-159 win to force the deciding seventh game. Alabama won by a narrow margin, 211-202, to take the match.

Facing eighth ranked and eventual team winner, Arkansas State, the Warhawks struggled in a 4-1 loss.

Whitewater went the distance in the third match of the day against number six Central Missouri but couldn't breakthrough in a tough 4-3 loss. The game outcomes were exactly the same as the first match of the day for Whitewater with the Warhawks taking the first two, losing the next two, splitting the fifth and sixth game and falling in the final decisive contest. The seven game scores were 228-200, 223-212, 148-268, 191-229, 233-217, 201-224, and 204-232.

The final team results were determined by team scoring average. Arkansas State won the competition averaging 208.18 pins. Central Missouri came in second with 206.84 and Nebraska rounded out the top three averaging 206.18. The rest of the team standings were Sam Houston State in fourth with 196.77, UW-Whitewater in fifth averaging 196.70, Stephen F. Austin in sixth with 195.20 pins per game, Valparaiso in seventh at 193.97 pins, Monmouth in eighth with 184.68, Bethune-Cookman in ninth with 179.95, Elmhurst in tenth at 178.83 pins per game, Alabama Birmingham in eleventh with 171.81 pins and Florida A&M rounded out the competition in twelfth averaging 161.77.

The Warhawks will travel to Reading, Pennsylvania to compete in the Kutztown Invite hosted by Kutztown University Friday-Sunday, January 27-29.

Friday
Entering the second day of competition in fifth place, the eighteenth-ranked Warhawks topped eighth-ranked Arkansas State University 1020-981 to start the head-to-head matches. Michelle Wallenberg (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) posted the high game for Whitewater with a 237, her season best. Katie Zwiefelhofer (Racine/Washington Park) added a 224.

UW-W suffered a 1081-1009 close game loss to Central Missouri, ranked sixth in the National Tenpin Coaches Association poll. Tracy Fakes (Columbus/Columbus ) led Whitewater with a 223.

The Warhawks bounced back with a 1056-1012 upset over fifth-ranked Sam Houston State in the third game of the day led by Wallenberg's 232, Zwiefelhofer's 227 and Fakes' 225.

Whitewater lost the fourth team match of the day to ninth ranked Nebraska 1127-928. Fakes posted the high game for UW-W with a 205.

Fakes and Zwiefelhofer led the Warhawks to a 985-787 win over Florida in the final team match of the day with scores of 224 and 218 respectively.

Fakes posted the high individual series of the day for Whitewater with a 672, her season best and the second best for the team this season.

Nebraska continues to top the competition after two days of bowling with 9456 total pins. Arkansas State and Central Missouri also held their second and third place positions with 9387 and 9354 pins respectively. The Warhawks switched places with Valpo to move into fourth after a total pinfall of 8898.

Thursday
The Warhawks are in fifth place after a 2-3 start to the invitational in five four-game Baker matches. Whitewater was pitted against the top ranked team in the NTCA poll, Valparaiso, to start competition and suffered a 920-752 loss.
UW-W fell just four pins short of Bethune Cookman, 713-709 in the second match of the day. The Warhawks bounced back with a 886-792 rout of Elmhurst before falling to 1-3 with a 719-692 loss to sixteenth ranked Monmouth. Whitewater ended the first day of competition in the invitational on a high note with an 861-730 win over number eleven Stephen F. Austin.

Nebraska leads the competition after the first day with 4308 total pins. Arkansas State holds second after a pinfall of 4290 followed by Central Missouri in third with 4133 pins. Top ranked Valparaiso is in fourth with 4010 pins and Whitewater holds fifth place with 3900 total pins.

Competition will resume Friday with team competition and finish up Saturday.

For additional information: Leann Eimermann, UW-W coach