NEW CASTLE, Del.—The William Smith bowling team played more than half of its matches in the 2026 Northeast Classic against nationally-ranked teams this weekend. The Herons faced three of the top five and seven of the top 25 teams in the latest coaches poll.
 
The only Division III team in the tournament, William Smith finished 26th in the 36-team field.
 
Friday's Baker Matches

• #25 Central Missouri 812, William Smith 790
• #5 Louisiana Tech 988, William Smith 927
• William Smith 784, Norfolk State 626
• #14 Sam Houston 961, William Smith 904
• #7 Youngstown State 975, William Smith 868

 
After suffering tough losses to the No. 25 Mules and No. 5 Bulldogs, the Herons earned their only opening day win over Division I Norfolk State, topping the Spartans by 158 pins.
 
Saturday's Traditional Matches

• William Smith 953, Daemen 936
• #4 Nebraska 901, William Smith 894
• #1 Jacksonville State 1185, William Smith 923
• #10 Maryville (MO) 1015, William Smith 802
• William Smith 938, St. Thomas Aquinas 592

 
The Herons began Day 2 of the tournament against Division II Daemen. William Smith's victory over the Wildcats included a total pinfall of 953, the 10th highest total in a traditional match in Heron history. Three Herons bowled 200 games. Senior Michaela Morgan led the way with a 221, sophomore Brooke Gervais notched a 202, while senior Caitlyn Anschutz added a 201.
 
Anschutz was the team's top performer on Saturday, averaging 197.8 pins per game. That ranked 51st in a tournament field with 229 competitors. Gervais had a team-high three 200-games, posting a 200 against the fourth-ranked Cornhuskers and a 207 against the top-ranked Gamecocks. She ranked 80 with a 184.0 average.
 
Based on total pinfall, William Smith was in 26th place heading into the final day of competition.
 
Sunday's Bracket Matches

• On Day 3, the tournament shifted to bracket play for final placement. Each match used the best of 7 Baker format.
• The Herons faced Morgan State in the first round, falling 4-3. Down 3-2, William Smith won the sixth game 157-144 but came up short in Game 7 161-155.
• The Herons bounced back to win in the second round, 4-1 over Adelphi. The Panthers won the opening game, but William Smith rattled off four straight to advance to the 25th place match.
• In their final match, the Herons again faced Morgan State, which lost 4-2 to Maryland Eastern Shore in the second round. William Smith won Game 1, but couldn't repeat that formula, falling four games to one.

 
UP NEXT

• With a 4-9 record on the week, the Herons move to 30-21 on the season.
• William Smith will be back in action Jan. 23-25, when the team competes in the DIII Invitational in Lansing, Michigan.