Geoff M Schneider

Women's Bowling Heads South For Destination Orlando Invitational

10/26/2023 3:01:00 PM

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

Tournament #3
DESTINATION ORLANDO INVITATIONAL
DATES: Friday, Oct. 27, Saturday, Oct. 28, Sunday, Oct. 29
LOCATION: Orlando, Fla. - AMF Sky Lanes
LIVE STREAM: via Daemen Bowling Facebook Page

BACK IN ACTION
The Daemen women's bowling returns to action this weekend (Oct. 27-29) when they head to Orlando, Fla. to take part in the Destination Orlando Invitational hosted by Sacred Heart University.

TOURNAMENT FIELD
The field will consist of 18 teams, several of which are ranked nationally by the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA). In addition to tournament host and 17th-ranked Sacred Heart and Daemen, the field also includes Alabama A&M, No. 2 Arkansas State, No. 22 Delaware State, No. 11 Duquesne, Emmanuel, No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, Florida A&M, No. 7 Jacksonville State, Monmouth, Saint Francis, No. 4 Stephen F. Austin, Texas Southern, Tulane, Alabama-Birmingham, No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 6 Youngstown State.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Friday: Five, five-game Baker matches beginning at 9:25 a.m. Saturday: Five traditional games starting at 8:25 a.m. Sunday: Two rounds, best of seven Baker games beginning at 8:30 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen will be playing its first tournament since finishing fourth at the Grapevine Classic two weeks ago. The Wildcats went undefeated (5-0) during the opening round and ended up winning eight of nine matches over the two days. Saint Vincent claimed the championship with 8,439 total pins, followed by William Smith (8,145), Roberts Wesleyan (7,974) and Daemen (7,810). Mollie Gizicki and Cassidy Papero were named to the All-Tournament team.

BACK AT THE HELM
Carrie Racsumberger returns for her sixth season as head coach at Daemen. She took the reins of the program just prior to the 2018-19 season and entered the 2023-24 season with a 176-144 career record. She guided the Wildcats to a program record 55 wins during the 2021-22 campaign. Danielle Milo, an Orchard Park native, enters her second season as an assistant coach.

RETURNING VETERANS
Daemen returns six student-athletes from last year's team, including All-ECC selections Caitlyn Nowak (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Mollie Gizicki (Brighton, Mich.). Additional returning bowlers include senior Emma Smith (Williamsville, N.Y.) and sophomores Bailey Glass (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), Mackenzie Hutchins (Wheatfield, N.Y.) and Kayla Richardson (Webster, N.Y.). Daemen closed out the 2022-23 season with a record of 47-32. The Wildcats reached the 40-win plateau for the third time in program history and came just three wins shy of reaching 50 wins for the second-straight season. The Wildcats competed in eight tournaments during the year and posted a top-four finish in six of the eight events--including first-place showings at the Grapevine Classic and the Daemen Storm Fall Classic. The Wildcats also traveled to Las Vegas in January to take part in the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic, which featured several of the top programs in the country. Additional highlights of the season included dual match sweeps of rival Roberts Wesleyan University and nationally-ranked Saint Vincent College. Daemen capped the year by placing fourth out of 10 teams at the East Coast Conference Championships.

FRESH FACES
The team welcomes freshmen Brenna Forsha (Tonawanda, N.Y.), Lydia Murphy (Williamsville, N.Y.), Sabrina Palmer (Waterloo, N.Y.), Cassidy Papero (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) and Chelsea Porga (Welland, Ont.) to the lineup.

GIZICKI and PAPERO COLLECT ECC HONORS
Senior Mollie Gizicki and freshman Cassidy Papero were honored by the East Coast Conference for their outstanding play following the Grapevine Classic. Gizicki was named the ECC Co-Bowler of the Week, while Papero collected ECC Rookie of the Week honors. The duo led the Wildcats to an 8-1 showing and a fourth-place finish.

POLL POSITION
Daemen is tied for third in the 2023-24 East Coast Conference Women's Bowling Preseason Coaches' Poll and is ranked 11th in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Preseason Division II/III poll.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen returns to action next weekend (Nov. 4-5) when the Wildcats take part in the Bobcat Baker Classic hosted by Pitt-Greensburg.

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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