By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University bowling team capped off the regular season with a championship win at the Music City Classic on March 6, strengthening its position for the upcoming Conference USA Championship.
The team traveled to Smyrna, Tennessee, to compete in the three-day tournament hosted by Vanderbilt University at the Smyrna Bowling Center.
In the qualifying round, the Penguins faced off against Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, No. 6 Arkansas State University, No. 2 Jacksonville State University, Lewis University, Marian University, Quincy University, No. 7 Sam Houston State University and No. 19 University of Alabama at Birmingham.
YSU led all teams in the first day, going unbeaten in all five head-to-head matches while posting the highest total pinfall of 5,282. The team opened with a 1,031-832 victory over Marian, followed by a 1,045-854 win against Alabama A&M. In round three, the Penguins defeated Quincy 1,066-567.
The Penguins continued their momentum by taking down No. 2 Jacksonville State 1,112-1,048 before closing out the day with a 1,028-898 win over Lewis.
Day Two saw YSU take on four straight top-eight opponents in traditional play. The Penguins began with a 984-931 win over No. 5 Wichita State University. Their closest match came against tournament host and No. 2 Vanderbilt, where the outcome was decided by a single pin — YSU edged out a 997-996 victory.
In round three, the Penguins secured a 1,110-892 win over No. 8 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, followed by a 1,031-858 victory over No. 7 Sam Houston State.
Youngstown State faced its first setback of the tournament in the final round of Day Two, as it fell to No. 17 UAB 955-913. Despite the loss, YSU finished the day with a 22-pin lead over second-place Vanderbilt.
The Penguins opened Day Three with a 922-897 victory over No. 6 Arkansas State. The win secured YSU a spot in the top-four seeded bracket and earned a shot at the championship.
In the first round of bracket play, YSU faced No. 10 and second-seeded Maryville University. The best-of-seven series saw Maryville leading 3-2 after five games. The Penguins responded with a 192-174 win in game six to even the series, then clinched their spot in the championship with a 242-169 victory in game seven.
The championship round saw a rematch against Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks took the first two games, but YSU responded with three consecutive wins to take a 3-2 series lead. Jacksonville forced a decisive game seven with a 197-168 victory, but the Penguins sealed the championship with a 215-197 win in the final game.
The Penguins finished the weekend having a 12-1 overall record, 8-0 against teams ranked in the top 10, and had a tournament-best 203.8 average.
Individually, fifth-year senior Madyson Marx was named the Music City Classic’s Most Valuable Player. She finished ninth in traditional matches with a six-game total of 1,258 pins. Senior Madison Doseck also finished within the top 25, placing 15th with a score of 1,227.
Next, the Penguins will compete at the Conference USA Championships in Harahan, Louisiana, from March 19-23. The event will be available to watch on ESPN+.
