Bowling Leads Field at Mid-Winter Classic
Faces Vanderbilt in first bracket match Sunday
 
JONESBORO, Ark.—Jax State bowling leads the 15-team field at the Mid-Winter Invitational in total pinfall heading into head-to-head bracket play Sunday morning.
 
The Gamecocks went 8-1 during the first two days of play, highlighted by a 5-0 session on Friday in Baker matches. After opening the tournament with a 1,002-775 win over LA Tech, Jax State took on top-ranked Nebraska and came away with an impressive 1,204-1,031 victory. In the fourth game, the Gamecocks posted a 289 to help push the advantage to 188 pins in the series.
 
Jax State then downed Sam Houston 1,046-858 and Arkansas State 1,067-969 and closed out the day with a 1,030-829 win over Jackson State, posting a 213.96 average through the first day.
 
Saturday got off to a tough start with a 1,041-962 loss to second-ranked Vanderbilt, but the team bounced back with a 1,128-892 win over McKendree, highlighted by Erin Klemencic's 268, taking a perfect game into the ninth. The Gamecocks knocked off in-state rivals UAB 1,052-878 and Alabama State 975-854 as well.
 
During the bye round, the Gamecocks racked up 1,138 pins with Annalise OBryant posting a 256 and Dannielle Henderson a 236 to help their team hold a 12-pin lead over Vanderbilt for the top seed in tomorrow's bracket round.
 
Klemencic is 11^th in the field in scoring with an average of 215.4.
 
The Gamecocks will have a rematch with Vanderbilt in a best-of-seven Baker format with the winner advancing to the final.