Pikeville’s Jennifer Wright wins national singles title

By Kevin Hazaert
USBC Communications

USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships homepage

MILWAUKEE — Shaking off a sub-par performance that placed her as the 12th seed heading into match play at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championships, Pikeville junior Jennifer Wright prepared herself for a long day on the lanes Tuesday.

The Columbia, S.C., native approached it the only way she knew how - one game at a time, one match at a time.

Wright, who failed to receive one of the coveted byes in qualifying, went 5-0 in match play - the last coming over Robert Morris College senior Kristen Nielsen, 3-1, in a best-of-five, single-elimination match to win the women’s national championship Tuesday at Olympic Lanes.

The field of 16 men and 16 women represented some of the best collegiate bowlers in the country competing for individual national titles at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships.

Wright, who became the first player in either division to win the title without receiving a bye in the event’s current format, struck on six of her first seven shots in the championship match en route to a 258-221 victory in Game 1.

“I learned a lot from Monday and was able to make the right adjustments,” said Wright, who also became the lowest-seeded individual to win the title in the event's five-year history. “It was important to fill frames and keep the ball in play.”

Nielsen evened the match at 1 with a 216-170 victory in Game 2. However, Wright stayed clean in Game 3 and doubled twice in the final five frames to bounce back for a 215-180 victory.

“I knew Kristen wouldn’t let up, so I had to stay focused on the next shot,” said Wright, who clinched the title with a double in the 10th frame for a 191-182 victory in Game 4. “It came down to who received the better breaks.”

Wright, who was clean in 36 of 40 frames in the finals, breezed past Newman’s Christine Belsky and Wichita State’s Melissa Hurst in the first two rounds, winning 3-0 in each match. She then rallied from 2-0 deficits in the quarterfinals and semifinals - outlasting Central Florida’s Brigette Harrelson, then McKendree’s Rebekah Diers for 3-2 victories in each.

It’s the second national title in as many months for Wright, who helped lead the Bears to the women's crown at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in April.

“I'm proud that I was able to represent Pikeville like this,” said Wright, a former Team USA and Junior Team USA member as well as 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur champion. “I knew all my girls were behind me even though most couldn’t be here. I’m just happy I was able to keep the success going.”

In the men’s division, Rochester Institute of Technology junior Dan Vick of Pittsford, N.Y. - another former Junior Team USA member - rolled past North Carolina State senior Vincent DiNova, 3-0, for the men’s national title.

Vick became the fourth straight men’s champion with experience as a Junior Team USA member, joining Fresno State’s P.J. Haggerty (2005), Lindenwood’s Brian Valenta (2006) and Robert Morris University’s Tim Pfeifer (2007).

Competitors bowled 12 games Monday to determine seeding for the best-of-5, single-elimination match play competition Tuesday. The top four seeds in each division received byes to the third round of match play, while the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds received byes to the second round.

Qualifying for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships was held at the four Intercollegiate Bowling Championships Sectional Qualifier sites - Allentown, Pa.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Las Vegas - on March 14. All participants bowled six games with total pinfall determining final standings. The top four finishers in each division (male and female) at each site advanced to the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships.

The USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships is sponsored by Hammer Bowling and Kegel, the official lane maintenance provider for USBC.

2008 USBC INTERCOLLEGIATE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
(at Olympic Lanes, Milwaukee)
Tuesday's Results

Match Play
(Best of five, single elimination)
Seeds in parentheses

WOMEN
First Round
(9) Rebekah Diers, McKendree def. (16) Michelle Snyder, Morehead State, 3-0
(203-196, 215-158, 213-194)
(12) Jennifer Wright, Pikeville def. (13) Christine Belsky, Newman, 3-0
(219-127, 215-168, 237-181)
(14) Cindy Buckner, Martin Methodist def. (11) Hayley Beavis, Martin Methodist, 3-1
(207-181, 215-245, 197-170, 210-185)
(10) Michelle Kendrick, Florida State def. (15) Kaidee Sutphin, Central Florida, 3-2
(204-161, 232-239, 197-191, 148-218, 224-203)
Second Round
(9) Rebekah Diers, McKendree def. (8) Kayla Bandy, Pikeville, 3-2
(175-229, 255-224, 221-248, 191-167, 237-158)
(12) Jennifer Wright, Pikeville def. (5) Melissa Hurst, Wichita State, 3-0
(245-174, 208-200, 187-152)
(14) Cindy Buckner, Martin Methodist def. (6) Jillian Pavlak, Central Florida, 3-1
(199-233, 224-189, 236-213, 204-131)
(7) Amy Corbin, Morehead State def. (10) Michelle Kendrick, Florida State, 3-0
(254-223, 222-168, 210-171)
Quarterfinals
(9) Rebekah Diers, McKendree def. (1) Elysia Current, Wichita State, 3-1
(213-175, 173-248, 245-199, 216-193)
(12) Jennifer Wright, Pikeville def. (4) Brigette Harrelson, Central Florida, 3-2
(212-243, 197-201, 233-188, 211-204, 183-159)
(3) Kristen Nielsen, Robert Morris (Ill.) def. (14) Cindy Buckner, Martin Methodist, 3.5-1.5
(149-157, 192-181, 233-200, 179-179, 203-188)
(2) Jen Donahue, Lindenwood def. (7) Amy Corbin, Morehead State, 3-0
(233-196, 266-206, 235-220)
Semifinals
(12) Jennifer Wright, Pikeville def. (9) Rebekah Diers, McKendree, 3-2
(179-222, 182-195, 247-192, 246-212, 226-225)
(3) Kristen Nielsen, Robert Morris (Ill.) def. (2) Jen Donahue, Lindenwood, 3-2
(179-212, 191-227, 224-201, 194-193, 218-181)
Championship
(12) Jennifer Wright, Pikeville def. (3) Kristen Nielsen, Robert Morris (Ill.), 3-1
(258-221, 170-216, 215-180, 191-182)