NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.—The William Smith bowling team went 7-3 and finished fifth in the Niagara Spring Classic over the weekend. The weekend was highlighted by a victory over the No. 11 Purple Eagles and a record setting pinfall against Penn State Behrend.
William Smith won four of its five traditional matches on Saturday, including a 15-pin victory over nationally-ranked Niagara. On Sunday, William Smith went 2-2 in Baker matches, knocking down 1,068 pins win a win over Penn State Behrend, eclipsing the program record by 54 pins.
SATURDAY SCORES
- William Smith 883, Merrimack 679
- William Smith 979, Hilbert 869
- William Smith 909, #9 Niagara 894
- William Smith 913, Daemen 902
- #24 Bryant 1021, William Smith 932
Junior
Colleen Jump led the Herons with a 192 in their victory over the Warriors.
William Smith's 979 total pinfall against the Hawks included three 200 games and tied for the sixth highest pinfall in a traditional match in program history. Senior
Michaela Morgan led the way with a 233, tied for the 17th highest game in program history. Senior
Caitlyn Anschutz added a 225 (t-24th) and Jump bowled a 206.
First-year
Natalie Yale paced the Herons with a 223 in the victory over the Purple Eagles, while Morgan was top bowler with a 211 against the Wildcats.
Sophomore
Brooke Gervais and
McKenzie Pantola produced games of 216 and 202, respectively, against the Bulldogs.
SUNDAY SCORES
- William Smith 948, Hilbert 873
- #9 Wright State 1004, William Smith 948
- Mercyhurst 1033, William Smith 986
- William Smith 1068, Penn State Behrend 868
- William Smith 4, Daemen 1
William Smith split its four Baker matches on Day 2 of the tournament. Despite losing to Division I Mercyhurst, the Herons produced a 986 pinfall, which at the time was the fourth highest in program history. It was bumped down to No. 5 when the Herons broke the program record for total pinfall in a Baker match in their triumph over the Lions. It eclipsed the record of 1014 set against Delaware State in January of 2025.
With a 6-3 record, the Herons were matched up with Daemen for a third time in the tournament's fifth place match. William Smith won the first two games by comfortable margins (36 and 28 pins) before the Wildcats took Game 3. The Herons closed the door on thoughts of a comeback by winning the next two games and the match.
FOR THE RECORD
William Smith improved its record to 49-28 this season. With at least two tournaments remaining, the Herons are one win away from tying the program's single season wins mark (50 in 2023-24).
UP NEXT
The Herons will compete in the ROC City Classic hosted by Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday, March 7. It will be the team's final tuneup before heading to the AMCC Championship March 20-22 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
