Mustangs top the field at Warhawk Open

ADDISON, Ill. -- The Mount Mercy bowling teams wrapped up the pre-holiday portion of their schedule this weekend with first-place finishes in qualifying at the Brunswick Warhawk Open. Brett Lloyd earned his first career all-tournament nod as well.

The Mustang men finished more than 100 pins in front of the field to finish first in qualifying. Mount Mercy totaled 9,591 pins, with St. Ambrose next with 9,472. Rounding out the top eight were Wisconsin-Whitewater (9,393), Notre Dame College (9,385), Purdue (9,294), Marian (9,188), Saint Xavier (9,078), and St. Francis (Ill.) (8,979). Lloyd finished third individually with 1,346 pins and a 224.3 average over six games to make the all-tournament team.

The Mustangs squared off with eighth-seeded St. Francis in the opening match of the championship bracket and the Fighting Saints swept both games to advance. They moved all the way into the final where they were defeated by sixth-seeded Marian, 2-1.

In women's action, it was Mount Mercy in the top spot again with a total pinfall of 8,659. That was nearly 80 pins better than William Penn (8,581). St. Francis (8,376), Saint Xavier (8,351), Calumet St. Joseph (8,293), Coe (8,266), Wisconsin-Whitewater (8,236), and Davenport (8,226) also made the championship bracket. Megan Kolberg was Mount Mercy's top individual bowler, placing eighth with 1,159 pins and a 193.17 average.

There, eighth-seeded Davenport knocked out the Mustangs in the quarterfinals, 2-0. Davenport went on to win match play, defeating fifth-seeded Calumet St. Joseph, 2-0, and second-seeded William Penn, 2-1.

The Mustangs will be back on the lanes next month at the Illinois BPA Kegel Midwest Collegiate Classic on Jan. 14-15 in Addison, Ill.