Bowling Steps Back Into Action This Weekend in Wisconsin

Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State's third-ranked bowling team will continue its fall semester schedule this weekend by heading northwest to Kenosha, Wis., for the SFA Ladyjack Classic. The three-day tournament is being held Friday through Sunday at Sheridan Lanes, and Stephen F. Austin is serving as the event's host.

The Penguins' 13 matches will be streamed live on the YSUsports YouTube channel, and results will be posted throughout the weekend on the @ysubowling X feed.

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Tournament Preview

Eight Conference USA programs and 14 teams that were ranked in the National Tenpin Coaches Association's Preseason Top 25 Poll will be among the field of 18 competing at the SFA Ladyjack Classic. The field will feature the top five teams in the poll - No. 1 Jacksonville State, No. 2 Arkansas State, No. 3 Youngstown State, No. 4 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Nebraska - plus seventh-ranked Louisianan Tech and ninth-ranked Maryville.

Previewing the Field

Ranked Teams (14): #1 Jacksonville State, #2 Arkansas State, #3 Youngstown State, #4 Vanderbilt, #5 Nebraska, #7 Louisiana Tech, #9 Maryville, #11 Stephen F. Austin, #15 Newman, #17 Wichita State, #19 Valparaiso, #21 McKendree, #22 UW-Whitewater, #24 Oklahoma Christian

Teams Receiving Votes (1): Lewis

Unranked Teams (3): Aurora, Carthage, Marian

Conference USA Teams (8): Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, Stephen F. Austin, Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, Wichita State, Youngstown State

Format and Schedule

The 2024 SFA Ladyjack Classic will follow the standard NCAA format with a 13-match rotation. There will be five Baker matches on Friday beginning at 11:35 a.m., and total pinfall will determine the winners of each head-to-head match. Five traditional matches will follow on Saturday starting at 10:25 a.m. Eastern with total pinfall again determining the winners. The total pins from the first 10 matches of the tournament will determine seeding for bracket play on Sunday, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. The bracket matches will be contested in a best-of-seven Baker format.

Friday at 11:35 a.m. Eastern » Five Baker matches

Match 1 vs. #1 Jacksonville State | Lanes 13-14
Match 2 vs. #19 Valparaiso | Lanes 15-16
Match 3 vs. #7 Louisiana Tech | Lanes 7-8
Match 4 vs. #4 Vanderbilt | Lanes 17-18
Match 5 vs. #17 Wichita State | Lanes 3-4

Saturday at 10:25 a.m. Eastern » Five traditional matches

Match 6 vs. TBD - Position round within pool.
Match 7 vs. Marian | Lanes 21-22
Match 8 vs. Carthage | Lanes 19-20
Match 9 vs. #24 Oklahoma Christian | Lanes 3-4
Match 10 vs. #15 Newman | Lanes 13-14

Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern » Three best-of-seven Baker matches

YSU's History at the Ladyjack Classic

Youngstown State will compete at the Ladyjack Classic at Sheridan Lanes for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Penguin had their best finish at the event last season, placing fourth overall and posting a 10-3 record. YSU's Madyson Marx topped the individual standings last season with a five-game set of 1,144, and teammate Madison Doseck joined her on the all-tournament team with a fifth-place set of 1,075. Overall, YSU has finished in the top half of the standings in each of its previous four trips to Kenosha, Wis.

2019-20

Team finish » 7th of 15
Head-to-head record » 8-5
Top individual finisher - Rachel Darrow (16th)

2021-22

Team finish » 5th of 16
Head-to-head record » 10-3
Top individual finisher » Lyndsay Ennis (17th)

2022-23

Team finish » 6th of 14
Head-to-head record » 9-5
Top individual finisher » Kirsten Moore (8th)

2023-24

Team finish » 4th of 16
Head-to-head record » 10-3
Top individual finisher » Madyson Marx (1st)

Recapping Destination Orlando

YSU had a strong close to the Destination Orlando event in its last tournament on Oct. 18-20. The Penguins were fourth through the Baker round on the opening day, but lower scores in traditional play caused them to slide to seventh at the end of qualifying. YSU won its two best-of-seven bracket matches on the final day, beating Sacred Heart 4-0 and Stephen F. Austin 4-1.

Youngstown State finished the tournament with an 8-5 overall record, and YSU earned wins over No. 1 Jacksonville State, No. 1-0 Duquesne and No. 11 SFA.

Ellie Drescher was YSU's top individual finisher with a five-game set of 1,016. The senior's round was highlighted by a career-best 259 game against Nebraska when the Penguins shot 1,114 as a team. Jade Cote led the Penguins in Baker with a 22.15 average in the format, and she averaged 21.09 pins per frame overall at the tournament.

A Glimpse at the Guins

Team Overview: Youngstown State has high aspirations of returning to the Final Four for the third time in the last five years in 2024-25. Eight bowlers return from last year's team that won the Lansing Regional and finished third overall at the NCAA Championship. A trio of All-Americans, fourth-year senior Jade Cote and fifth-year seniors Madyson Marx and Kirsten Moore, headline the veteran returning group that includes seven upperclassmen. Madison Doseck, Ellie Drescher and Lyndsay Ennis are fourth-year seniors, Hannah Miller is a junior, Amanda Granata is a sophomore, and Kara Beissel is the lone freshman. Doug Kuberski, the 2023-24 Bill Straub Division I National Coach of the Year, is entering his sixth full season at Youngstown State.

Quick Tidbits

Youngstown State was ranked third in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 Preseason Poll that was announced on Oct. 1. It is the highest preseason ranking in program history, and it matches YSU's final ranking last season. The Penguins were ranked third or higher in each of the final four polls of last season, peaked at second in February, and received first-place votes for the first time in program history.
In addition to finishing third at the NCAA Championship in 2023-24, Youngstown State was the runner-up at the Conference USA Championship. That tied the best finish in program history.
The Penguins finished fourth or higher in 10 of their 11 tournaments in 2023-24, and they were first or second six times. YSU has a third-place finish and a fifth-place finish so far in 2024-25.
The Penguins finished last season with an overall record of 80-36 for a school-best .690 winning percentage while bowling against the toughest schedule in the country. YSU also set program records for highest scoring average in all three formats and strike percentage. This season, YSU has a 20-6 record for a .769 winning percentage, and the Penguins are 10-1 in Baker pinfinall decisions.
Jade Cote became the program's first player to be named a First-Team All-American last season. She led the country in strike percentage and ranked third in individual scoring average. She was also a First-Team All-Central Region and First-Team All-Conference USA selection.
Madyson Marx and Kirsten Moore were both Second-Team All-Americans in 2023-24 after being honorable mention picks in 2022-23.
Cote, Marx and Moore combined to claim the individual title at five of YSU's eight regular-season tournaments last season. Moore won three events and set the school record for single-season traditional average at 213.13.
Kuberski is a two-time National Coach of the Year (2020 and 2024) and a two-time conference coach of the year (2020 and 2023).
YSU posted the sixth-best GPA in the country last season, its fifth straight season ranking among the top six. The Penguins topped the list in 2022-23.

Up Next

Youngstown State will compete at the Garden State Classic in two weeks to conclude its fall schedule. The tournament will be hosted by Monmouth on Nov. 22-24 at Howell Lanes in Howell, N.J.