OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.-The Newman University Men's Bowling team traveled to Oklahoma City to compete in the SWIBC Championship. The team posted an impressive performance on day 2 to secure the win as SWIBC Conference Champions.
SWIBC Championship Recap:
Newman University Men's Bowling captured the SWIBC Conference Championship after a two-day performance that saw the Jets climb from behind and take control on the final day. The Jets got off to a slow start on Day 1 but stayed within reach of the lead, finishing the opening round in 2nd place.
Day 2 opened with a statement. Newman fired a 1,157 team game to begin the block, swinging the standings in a single game. Entering the day 120 pins behind, the Jets moved to 120 pins in the lead after that performance. They maintained the top spot through the remainder of qualifying and finished as the No. 1 seed heading into match play. Freshman Daryus Alo led the way throughout qualifying, earning Tournament MVP honors with a 235.6 average over seven games. His performance also secured him All-Conference First Team recognition. Senior Noah Akiona joined Alo on the All-Conference First Team, while Kalin Ogata added to the team's honors by earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team with a 216 average.
In the semifinals, the Jets were pushed to five games but closed out the match 3–2 to advance. The championship match brought a matchup with Southern Nazarene University, where Newman controlled the pace and secured the title with a 3–1 victory. The Jets leave the weekend as SWIBC Conference Champions. Up next the Jets will head to the Hoosier Classic, the last tournament of the regular season, in Indianapolis February 14th and 15th.
