Smyrna, Tenn. -- The Youngstown State bowling team split two matches against top-ranked Jacksonville State on Sunday and finished as the runners-up at the 2024 Music City Classic.
The three-day tournament was the final event for the Penguins during the regular season, and they made a strong statement as the schedule flips to postseason play.
"I'm very proud of our effort. The ladies showed a lot of versatility, executed at a high level, and channeled powerful energy for each other," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "We're looking forward to a solid blend of rest and practice this week as we prepare for New Orleans."
It was YSU's seventh appearance at the annual Music City Classic held at the Smyrna Bowling Center, and it was the Penguins' highest finish by a substantial amount. The Penguins were eighth last season, and they were sixth or better after each day this season. YSU was sixth after Baker play on Friday, and it had the highest traditional round in the 33-team field on Saturday to jump to second after qualifying.
The Penguins were the second seed in Sunday's best-of-seven Baker bracket, and they won their opening match 4-1 against the Gamecocks. Anchor Jade Cote threw a turkey in the 10th of game two as YSU won a close 197-194 game, and the Penguins led 3-0 after a 225-190 win in the third game. Jacksonville State salvaged a game with a five-pin win in game four, and Youngstown State shot 235 in game five to close out the match.
YSU earned a bye to the championship match with the first-round victory, and Jacksonville State fought off North Carolina A&T in six games to create a rematch with the Penguins. The teams split the first two games, and YSU shot 239 in game two for its highest total of the day. The Gamecocks won the next two games to take a 3-1 lead, and YSU took game four 180-169 to extend the match. Jacksonville State won another low-scoring sixth game 177-152 to claim the title.
The Penguins received the runner-up trophy after the tournament, and seniors Kirsten Moore and Madyson Marx were both named to the all-tournament team. Moore was the tournament's individual champion from her traditional total on Saturday, and Marx finished in a tie for fifth. The Penguins beat No. 1 Jacksonville State, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 5 North Carolina A&T and No. 7 Louisiana Tech over the final two days of the tournament.
Youngstown State's postseason will begin on Friday at the inaugural Conference USA Championship at Colonial Bowling Lanes in Harahan, La. Tournament seeds and live coverage for the event will be announced this week.
