Geoff Schneider

Women's Bowling Takes Part In Wildcat Division II Invitational This Weekend

2/16/2023 3:14:00 PM

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

TOURNAMENT #7
WILDCAT DIVISION II INVITATIONAL
DATE: Friday, Feb. 17 - Sunday, Feb. 19
LOCATION: New Castle, Del. | Bowlerama Lanes

BACK IN ACTION
The Daemen women's bowling team returns to action this weekend when they head to New Castle, Del. to take part in the Wildcat Division II Invitational hosted by Wilmington University. The 11-team tournament will feature six teams (Caldwell, Daemen, Kutztown, Mercyhurst, Molloy and Wilmington) that are ranked or receiving votes in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Division II/III Poll released Feb. 10.

DEFENDING CHAMPS
Daemen has participated in the Wildcat Invitational two of the last three years (tournament was not held in 2021 due to COVID-19) and claimed the tournament title last year.

WILDCATS RANKED 11TH IN NTCA DIVISION II/III POLL
Daemen is ranked No. 11 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Division II/III Poll released Feb. 10. It marks the first regular season poll for the 2022-23 season. The Wildcats were receiving votes in NTCA Division II/III preseason poll released this past October. The No. 11 ranking is the highest for the Wildcats in program history.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen placed second out of seven teams at the Brother Patrick Lacey Memorial Tournament hosted by Saint Vincent College last weekend. The Wildcats posted the highest overall total pinfall of the seven teams, but were denied the championship after losing to host Saint Vincent in the championship match. Daemen was looking to claim the tournament title for the fourth time in six years, as the Wildcats walked away with the championship hardware in 2018, 2020 and 2022. There was no tournament in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the fifth year Daemen has taken part in this tournament and the Wildcats have now posted a 19-4 all-time record at the event and have played in the championship match four times. Junior Mollie Gizicki (Brighton, Mich.) and junior Paige Bartosz (West Seneca, N.Y.) were named to the all-tournament team. Gizicki rolled a 246 in the championship match and posted a tournament-best 1,012 total pins (202.40 average) over the five games. Bartosz posted a 230 in the win over Holy Family and finished with 989 total pins (197.80 average). Bartosz was also named to the Brother Patrick Lacey all-tournament team following the 2020 event.

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 entered the 2022-23 season with a 129-112 career record, 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 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 until March 11 when it takes part in a quad-match with D'Youville, Medaille and Mercyhurst.

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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