Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Kylee Trexler’s historic run came to an end in the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championship finals on Saturday at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
After shooting 39 under in qualifying to rank near the bottom of the 24-person field, Trexler shot in the plus for each round of match play. She would average 235 over the final five games of the tournament.
“I’ve known Kylee Trexler since she was nine years old, and from the very beginning, she’s been one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen in the sport of bowling,” said head coach Matt Nantais. “When she joined our team last year, it gave us a huge boost — her consistency and spare shooting made an immediate impact. Kylee is the definition of a self-motivated athlete; she’s probably her own toughest critic.
“A week before qualifying, during an event in Fort Worth, Kylee had a scary moment — her thumb got stuck in the ball, causing her to fall into the gutter while still holding the ball. She badly injured her ring and pinky finger on her bowling hand and wasn’t able to compete for the rest of that event or the following week while she let it heal.
“When we arrived in Chicago for qualifying, we honestly weren’t sure if she’d even be able to throw a ball. Thankfully, during our practice session, she didn’t feel any pain, which was a huge relief. Throughout qualifying and match play, Kylee’s versatility really showed — she adjusted to different areas of the lane, threw multiple bowling balls, and adapted to whatever was in front of her, which ultimately earned her a spot on the TV show. Averaging 235 on TV is no small feat, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. Kylee’s future is incredibly bright, and I’m so grateful we have her on our team.
Trexler started the match on the left lane and opened with a spare. Amanda Granata of Youngstown State would take a slight lead with a turkey. Trexler would match that straight and take the lead after a double in the sixth and seven frames.
The lefthander would strike in the foundation frame to put pressure on Granata. Trexler would need an eight count to advance after the Penguin finished at 213. She would shut the door with another strike and close out a 235.
That would set up the championship match against Erin Klemencic of Jacksonville State, who shot 274 in the semifinals.
The last two Conference USA Freshmen of the Year remained calm on one of the biggest stages in college bowling. The duo would start with a turkey each before an eight count by Klemencic ended her run. Trexler would go on for a six-bagger. However, an open by Trexler in the eighth would allow Kelemncic back into the game.
Trexler would spare in the ninth before striking in the 10th and finishing with a 236. At that point, the Gamecock needed a mark and struck to win the game with a 245.
As a team Louisiana Tech’s season came to an end for the team portion of competition on Saturday.
The Bulldogs started the day in an elimination match against Judson. Tech fell behind 1-0 in part to an open in a 203-199 loss. After that, the ‘Dogs started clicking and came away with the back 10 in a 268 to tie the match at one apiece. Tech reeled off wins in the next three games to come away with the match 4-1 and escape elimination, finishing 93 over for the five games.
LA Tech increased their winning streak to five games after coming away with a 204-190 victory over Newman in game one. The Bulldogs took a 2-0 advantage with a 223 before the Jets picked up the win in game three.
Splits would be a problem for Tech in game four. The Bulldogs left four and the Jets tied the match up. The final three games would come down to the 10th frame.
Tech needed a mark in the 10th of game five and struck to seal the win to take a 3-2 advantage. The Bulldogs double in the 10th in the sixth game to force the Jets anchor to mark. They did just that to force a game seven.
With the match on the line, LA Tech struck out in the 10th to force Newman to mark and get count. The Jets would spare and get nine on the fill to beat the Bulldogs 181-179 and take the match 4-3.
