Howell, N.J. — Youngstown State's bowling team beat a trio of top-five opponents on Sunday at the Garden State Classic to capture the program's fourth all-time regular-season tournament championship.
The Penguins were seeded third in the championship bracket, and they topped Vanderbilt, Jacksonville State and Nebraska in the best-of-seven Baker format to win its first tournament since the 2023 Destination Orlando event. Youngstown State finished the tournament at Howell Lanes in New Jersey with 12 consecutive wins, and it made a strong impression at its final competition of the fall semester.
"I'm very proud of the team. We have been making strides and elevating across the board, and it's sure nice to finish the win," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "We felt the oneness reach new levels on Friday, and that energy empowered us throughout the tournament. After some time off to enjoy the holiday, we will focus on finishing the semester strong on the lanes and in the classroom."
Youngstown State's tournament began with a 916 set in a nine-pin loss to Wilmington that put them in 11th place early Friday morning. After that point, YSU dipped below 1,000 just once over its next eight matches of qualifying to climb to third place and give it a chance at the title. The road the title was certainly challenging with the three top-five foes standing in the way, but the third-ranked Penguins were up to the task.
YSU trailed No. 4 Vanderbilt 2-1 through three games in the opening match, but the Penguins won the final three games to advance. Kirsten Moore and Madison Doseck doubled over the eighth and ninth frames to help YSU win 199-190 in game four, and a five-bagger in game five allowed YSU to win 239-189 and take a 3-2 lead in the match. The Penguins were then clean over the back half of game six, and another late double by Moore and Doseck set up a 197-180 clincher.
Youngstown State fired a 226 in a 20-pin opening win over Jacksonville State in the semifinal, and the Gamecocks evened the match with a 213-181 win in game two. The Penguins emerged 169-160 in a low-scoring game three, and they went on to win the final two games 246-168 and 226-156.
In the championship match, the Penguins won the first three games against the Huskers by an average of 23.7 pins, and Nebraska won game four 205-159 to stay alive. Youngstown State then struck in seven of the first eight frames in game five to win 211-162.
Doseck was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after topping the individual standings on Saturday. Madyson Marx and Moore were both named to the All-Tournament Second Team by placing seventh and eighth, respectively.
Youngstown State's next tournament will be the Northeast Classic on Jan. 17-19 in New Castle, Del.
