Belmont Abbey, Lincoln Memorial Claim Conference Carolinas / Great Midwest Bowling Titles
MEN’S BRACKET | WOMEN’S BRACKET
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE | WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE
GASTONIA, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey men and the Lincoln Memorial women won the 2023 Conference Carolinas / Great Midwest Bowling Championships on Sunday afternoon at Liberty Lanes in Gastonia.
It was a thrilling finish to the men’s tournament as the championship went to the if necessary contest with the top-seeded Crusaders of Belmont Abbey eventually coming away victorious. The Crusaders got off to a good start as they won the five-player team match, 1,000-945, but second-seeded Emmanuel battled back to take the baker total pinfall match, 978-853. In the best-of-seven baker series, the teams traded wins for the first six games and it was the Lions who were able to win game seven, 187-169, to force the winner-take-all match.
In the final match, the Crusaders opened with a 211-201 victory and cruised to a 4-0 sweep of the Lions for the program’s first conference title. Fans can watch a full replay of the championship match on the tournament webpage at the link listed at the top of the story.
Belmont Abbey's Caleb Huggins, the Conference Carolinas Men’s Bowler of the Year, was named the Most Outstanding Bowler for the tournament. The complete all-tournament team is listed below.
Sunday’s women’s bracket began with the consolation championship between No. 3 Emmanuel and No. 4 Belmont Abbey with the Crusaders pulling the upset. Emmanuel won game one, 171-146, but The Abbey won the next three before the Lions squeaked out a 173-171 win in game five. The Lions had a chance to force a game seven, but came up just short in a 175-167 loss.
In the championship final, the Crusaders got off to a quick start in the team game, but second-seeded Lincoln Memorial settled in and cruised to their season straight conference title. The Railsplitters won the team match, 932-784, and made quick work of the baker total pinfall contest as they led by 35 points after the first game and never looked back. LMU capped off the championship performance with a 245 in game five for the 1018-848 victory and a 2-0 win in the match.
Haley Powell of Lincoln Memorial, the Conference Carolinas Women’s Bowler of the Year, earned Most Outstanding Bowler honors with the rest of the all-tournament team listed below. As with the men, a full replay of the championship final is available on the tournament webpage linked at the top of the story.
MEN’S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Most Outstanding Player - Caleb Huggins, Belmont Abbey
Tyler Michel, Belmont Abbey
Connor Breaman, Belmont Abbey
Patrick Phillips, Emmanuel
Logan Mathis, Emmanuel
Seth Koloski, Kentucky Wesleyan
Jordan Norris, Walsh
WOMEN’S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Most Outstanding Player - Haley Powell, Lincoln Memorial
Michaela Clardy, Lincoln Memorial
Sofia Colon, Lincoln Memorial
Aubrey Lloyd, Belmont Abbey
Canan Bademci, Belmont Abbey
Daylin Tolgo, Kentucky Wesleyan
Gillian Moore, Emmanuel