Lightning Strikes Twice for Tomaszewski
Tomaszewski bowls her second perfect game in the past three months.NEW CASTLE, Del . – Three hundred games are hard to come by except if your name is Lauren Tomaszewski.
The graduate out of Illinois, who is the reigning two-time Most Outstanding Performer at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Bowling Championship Tournament and the 2023-24 MEAC preseason bowler of the year, bowled her second 300 perfect game in three months when she did it from her anchor position on Saturday in traditional format play against the No. 3 team in the nation in Youngstown State.
The Aggies, the fifth-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, went 2-3 during the second day of the Northeast Classic hosted by Sacred Heart University at Bowlerama. The Aggies are 7-3 for the tournament, with a total pinfall of 10,657 for an average of 213.1. All five of A&T's opponents on Saturday were nationally ranked, with four of those opponents ranked in the top-10.
The top-ranked team in the nation, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, leads the tournament at 10-0 with a total pinfall of 10,664. Behind Jacksonville State and A&T are Youngstown State (10,591, 211.8), No. 7 Nebraska (10,435, 208.7) and No. 12 Tulane (10,394, 207.9) in the top-5. The Aggies will enter Sunday's bracket play as the No. 2 seed.
They are scheduled to play three matches in Baker format, beginning at 8:25 a.m. The Aggies partly earned the No. 2 seed by going 5-0 in Baker format on Friday. On Saturday, the Aggies recorded a 5,200 total pinfall thanks to Tomaszewski's 1,115 total pinfall for a five-game average of 223.0. She finished sixth individually at the NE Classic.
In October, Tomaszewski bowled a 300 at Tulane's Colonial Classic at Colonial Lanes in Hanrahan, La. She did it against the Penguins on Saturday, leading the Aggies to a 1,219-970 win in A&T's second match.
Tomaszewski's historic day gives A&T three 300 games in less than a year after Melanie Katen accomplished the feat last February at Triad Lanes in Greensboro. Sophomore Juliana Sams added a 257, graduate Katie Robb posted a 233 and junior Maya Avilez knocked down 228 pins to lead the Aggies. In addition, senior Laura Garcia went over 200 with a 201. The win marked the Aggies' first of the day after they lost their first matchup to 10th-ranked Maryville, 970-893. Tomaszewski led the Aggies with a 221 pinfall, and Garcia added a score of 200.
The Aggies followed their win over the Penguins with a battle against the top-ranked team in the country, Jacksonville State. It marked A&T's second matchup with the No. 1 team in the nation after the Aggies defeated then No. 1 Vanderbilt on Nov. 19. Unfortunately, on Saturday, the Gamecocks held on to beat A&T 1,087-1,034 in a contest that came down to the wire.
Robb led A&T with a 228. Avilez followed with a 221, and Sams added a 212. Tomaszewski also went over 200 by posting a 205. But the Gamecocks received a 244 from Rebecca Hagerman, and Maranda Pattison bowled a 225. All five Gamecocks bowled better than 200 to aid in the win. A&T would lose their second straight close contest, this one by a single pin, as No. 20 Oklahoma Christian beat the Aggies 978-977. Avilez's 235 wasn't quite enough to pull the Aggies through. Garcia added a 204.
A&T did end the afternoon with a solid 1,077-983 win over Nebraska. Sams's 247 made a big difference, followed by Tomaszewski finishing with a 224. Avilez and Robb came through with a 216 and a 199, respectively, to assist the Aggies.
Individually, Avilez finished 28th with a 1,048 total pinfall for a five-game average of 209.60. Robb also finished in the top-50 of 236 bowlers, placing 39th with a total pinfall of 1,019 for a five-game average of 203.80. A&T will enter Sunday's action 44-13 on the season.
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