Story And Photo Courtesy Of GCU
Las Vegas, NV - - - Get the brooms out.
Grand Canyon University Bowling swept first-place honors in the Sin City Open and Rebel Classic tournaments over the weekend, marking the first time the team has sent all four of their teams out-of-state this year.
Sin City Classic
The Lopes' varsity squad spent much of the tournament neck-and-neck with Arizona State, narrowly trailing after the first few team games. After a long day of bowling and battling, GCU edged out the Sun Devils by 59 pins in the final Baker game, taking home first place.
"We got out to a bit of a slower start than normal due to some abnormal lane conditions," said GCU Head Coach Ben Canfield. "We just controlled what we could control and stayed focused, and that helped us take down ASU."
Two Lopes' bowlers had notable individual performances at the tournament. Josh Molloy (1st), and Justin Kocher (2nd), both achieved a personal-best individual finish.
"It was a blast to be able to go out and bowl so well with my team," said Kocher. "It was a bonus to perform great individually, being able to bowl my second highest game ever (278)."
The GCU women's team beat San Jose State University for first place, led by Erika Kemp. The GCU JV1 team also placed first in their division.
Rebel Classic
Following the qualifying games for the Rebel Classic, the first-seeded varsity squad swept the ensuing three-round match play bracket, taking down rival ASU in the finals.
"The guys bowled at a really high level during the Baker portion of the event," said Canfield. "I'm hoping that we can keep this momentum rolling into some of our national competitions to end the year."
Lopes' Christopher Lellos (2nd) and Anthony Scharton (5th) both achieved personal-best individual finishes.
GCU's JV1 and JV2 teams would went head-to-head in the final match for their bracket, with JV1 narrowly seizing first place. The GCU women knocked off San Jose State yet again, with MacKenzie Theophilus (2nd) leading the way.
"The depth of our team has been impressive," said Canfield. "I'm proud of the way our entire team continues to show up and show out."
The Lopes head out to Indianapolis, IN on Feb 18 for the Hoosier Classic.
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While The Women's Team Continues To Grow In 2022-23
Phoenix - - - The Grand Canyon University Women's Bowling team started 2022 with a clean sweep in January competitions. The Lopes earned four first-place victories in combination of local and out-of-state tournaments in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Devil's Duel
A successful start.
The Lopes' women's varsity team went into Glenfair Lanes in Glendale and grabbed a first-place victory at the Devil's Duel. GCU scored a team total of 5719 pins, while Lopes' senior Stephanie Vasquez dominated with 997 pins individually.
"I believe our success has two main contributors, our team dynamic and our coach, (Lopes' Head Coach Ben Canfield)," said Vasquez. "We have grown as a team, learned how to push each other to be the best, and Coach Canfield has faith in all of us."
Antelope Shoot-out
The Lopes' varsity team added to their success with another first-place finish in the Antelope Shoot-out at Glenfair Lanes with an overall pin total of 5607. The Lopes were led by sophomore Erika Kemp with 606 individual pins.
"Winning always feels great," said Vasquez. "These wins validate the belief we have in ourselves and the hard work we put in."
Sin City Open
The GCU women's varsity team added to the streak with another first-place finish in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Sin City Open. GCU dominated San Jose State University by 1043 pins with 5773 pins overall. The Lopes' Mackenzie Theophilus and Maranda Hall finished first and second individually with 758 and 740 total pins, respectively.
Rebel Classic
The Lopes' varsity team kept their streak alive with their fourth first-place finish in a row at the Rebel Classic in Las Vegas. The team ended with a total of 6622 pins overall, topping SJSU by 945 pins. Lopes' sophomore Maranda Hall finished second individually with 807 total pins.
"Each win shows us what we are capable of," said Vasquez. "These wins give us a confidence boost going into the Collegiate Championships, and we're continuing to work hard every day in order to continue this performance in April."
Next up for the Lopes is the Collegiate Club Championships in Moline, Illinois on April 9 and 10.