Women claim top spot, men battle to second at Hastings

HASTINGS, NEB. – The sophomore tandem of Reece Hartmann (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Carissa Johnson (Hartford, S.D.) each gained all-tournament honors to lead Morningside University Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6 and 7.

Johnson's all-tournament award led an all-star two-day run for the Mustangs. They topped the baker series field by 110 pins. They proceeded to topple Hawkeye Community College 3-1 and Hastings 2-1 in bracket play for the team championship.

"I was pleased with how the women's team rallied back to win the baker series after trailing by 105 pins at one point," Gonshorowski noted. "It was huge to the top seed going into bracket play, too, as lane choice played a key role in our success."

Hartmann helped guide the men to a runner-up finish overall. He and freshman Dylan Hamil (Rockford, Ill.) topped the individual efforts, according to head coach Steve Gonshorowski, with Hamil just missing all-tourney accolades.

After taking fourth in the baker series set Saturday, Mside's men upended the top-seeded and host Broncos 2-1 in the semifinals of bracket play Sunday. They gave Peru State all they could handle in the finale, falling 3-2.

"The men bowled their best all weekend during the match-play competition," Gonshorowski said. "All teams in the tournament struggled on a very demanding condition, though. It was difficult for us to open a shot, so the bowlers needed to be very exact on where they were throwing their strike shots and pick up most of their spares." 

"I feel both teams improved even though the scores were a bit lower than usual," he added. "They had to throw exact shots in an uncomfortable situation."

Morningside continues its 2021-22 fall section Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13 and 14, at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill.