Women's Bowling Kicks Off 2022-23 Campaign at Mercyhurst Invitational

Wildcats Are Coming Off A Program Record 55 Win Season In 2021-22

10/7/2022 2:39:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

Tournament #1
MERCYHURST INVITATIONAL
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9
LOCATION: Erie, Pa. | Rolling Meadow Lanes
LIVE STREAM: via Daemen Bowling Facebook Page

BACK IN ACTION
The Daemen women's bowling team kicks off the 2022-23 season by taking part in the Mercyhurst Invitational this weekend (Oct. 8-9).

TOURNAMENT FIELD
The field will consist of eight teams. In addition to tournament host Mercyhurst and Daemen, the other participants include D'Youville, Duquesne, Hilbert, Medaille, Penn State Behrend and Roberts Wesleyan. Duquesne is the defending tournament champion.

DAEMEN AT THE MERCYHURST INVITATIONAL
Daemen is making just its second all-time appearance at the Mercyhurst Invitational. The Wildcats made their first appearance last year and placed fourth out of eight teams. Caitlyn Nowak (West Seneca, N.Y.) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

BACK AT THE HELM
Carrie Racsumberger returns for her fifth season as head coach at Daemen. She took the reins of the program just prior to the 2018-19 season and has guided the Wildcats to a 129-112 record over the past four years, including a program record 55 wins during the 2021-22 campaign. Danielle Milo, an Orchard Park native, enters her first season as an assistant coach.

RETURNING VETERANS
Daemen returns six bowlers from a solid 2021-22 campaign in which they posted a program-record 55 wins and were included in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Division II/III national poll for the first time in program history. The Wildcats also claimed tournament titles at the Brother Patrick Lacey Memorial Tournament hosted by St. Vincent College and the Wildcat Division II Invitational hosted by Wilmington University. Seniors Caitlyn Nowak (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Paige Bartosz (West Seneca, N.Y.), who both earned All-East Coast Conference honors last year, top the list of returning bowlers. Graduate student Christina Aldridge (Webster, N.Y.), senior Nicole Bergeron (Lima, N.Y.) and juniors Mollie Gizicki (Brighton, Mich.) and Emma Smith (Williamsville, N.Y.) also return.

FRESH FACES
The team welcomes junior Kayla Lark (Philadelphia, Pa.) and freshmen Bailey Glass (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), Mackenzie Hutchins (Wheatfield, N.Y.), Olivia Dauer (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Kayla Richardson (Webster, N.Y.) to the lineup.

POLL POSITION
Daemen has been picked third in the 2022-23 East Coast Conference Women's Bowling Preseason Coaches' Poll. The No. 3 ranking is the highest for Daemen in the eight-year history of the program. Daemen's previous high ranking in the ECC preseason poll came prior to the 2018-19 season when the Wildcats were voted to finish fourth. Adelphi edged out Mercyhurst for the top spot, as the Panthers collected five first-place votes and totaled 87 points. Mercyhurst received three first place votes and totaled 84 points. Daemen earned 73 points, while Roberts Wesleyan (59) and Kutztown (58) rounded out the top five. D'Youville and Molloy tied for sixth with 57 points, while the remainder of the poll includes conference newcomers Bryant (38) and Saint Anselm (19) and St. Thomas Aquinas (18).

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen is idle next weekend, but returns to action the weekend of Oct. 22-23 when the Wildcats return to Erie, Pa. to take part in the Grapevine Classic hosted by Penn State Behrend.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen women's bowling program on Twitter and Facebook at @DaemenBowling

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