Sandham on fire at 2006 USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships
Now she's only a few steps away from closing her collegiate bowling career as national champion.
Sandham, a first-team All-American this season, earned the women's division top seed for match play by posting a 12-game qualifying total of 2,781 in the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championships at Olympic Lanes on Monday.
By being one of the top four seeds in the 15-player women's field, she receives a bye to the quarterfinals of Tuesday's best-of-5, single-elimination match play.
"It just all came together. I had a lot of room with the way the lanes broke down," said Sandham, who is aiming for an individual collegiate national championship to go along with her team national title she won with the Shockers in 2005. "Each block I was working, trying to figure out what the lanes would be doing Tuesday as the day progressed.
Sandham closed Monday morning's six-game block with a 768 series over the final three games, then blew past the field with 1,387 over the final six games in the afternoon to finish the day averaging a staggering 231.75 on the USBC Sport Bowling long lane pattern.
She wasn't the only female participant to find success -- eight of the 15 women's participants averaged over 200.
"It's better to play a little bit straighter on that type of condition and girls naturally play a little bit straighter than guys," said Sandham, a member of Team USA in 2006. "We ended up breaking it down to make it a little easier for ourselves."
Also receiving byes to the quarterfinals in the women's division were Florida State senior Leslie Rapach, Central Florida sophomore Michelle Carcagente and Pikeville senior Tracy Miller. Carcagente rolled her first career 300 game Monday in Game 8.
Lindenwood junior Brian Valenta, who was runner-up at this event in 2004, led the men's field with 2,487 over 12 games (a 207.25 average) to claim the No. 1 seed and a bye to Tuesday's quarterfinals.
Also receiving byes to the quarterfinals in the men's division were East Tennessee State senior Aaron Murray, Wichita State junior Steve Elson and Saginaw Valley State senior LeRoy Anderson.
Hammer Bowling, an Ebonite International brand, is the official sponsor of the 2006 USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
Participants bowled 12 qualifying games Monday to determine seeding for the best-of-5, single-elimination match play competition beginning 9 a.m. Tuesday. The top four seeds in each division received byes to match play's third round, while No. 5 through No. 8 seeds received byes to the second round.
Qualifying for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships was held at the four Intercollegiate Bowling Championships Sectional Qualifier sites -- Allentown, Pa.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Fort Worth, Texas -- on March 24. All participants bowled six games with total pinfall determining final standings. The top four finishers in each division (male and female) at each site advanced to the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
The event replaced the Association of College Unions International National Championships as the premier individual college bowling tournament supported by the USBC Collegiate program.
2006 USBC INTERCOLLEGIATE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (at Olympic Lanes, Milwaukee) May 22-23, 2006
MONDAY'S RESULTS Qualifying (12 games)
MEN 1. Brian Valenta, Lindenwood, 2,487 (207.25 average); 2. Aaron Murray, East Tennessee State, 2,452; 3. Steve Elson, Wichita State, 2,444; 4. LeRoy Anderson, Saginaw Valley State, 2,437; 5. Brandon Frazier, Newman, 2,436; 6. Daniel Hannagan, Martin Methodist, 2,411; 7. Kevin Tabron, Wichita State, 2,400; 8. Vito Genova, Western New England, 2,368; 9. Matt Robinson, Fresno State, 2,366; 10. Kevin Kovash, Pikeville, 2,307; 11. Tim Pfeifer, Robert Morris (Pa.), 2,266; 12. David Kipperman, Sacred Heart, 2,211; 13. Brandon Baker, Arizona State, 2,166; 14. Jason Blevins, Texas Tech, 2,151; 15. Dan Vick, Rochester Tech, 2,137; 16. Collin Kerschner, Purdue, 2,105.
WOMEN 1. Olivia Sandham, Wichita State, 2,781 (231.75 average); 2. Leslie Rapach, Florida State, 2,594; 3. Michelle Carcagente, Central Florida, 2,539; 4. Tracy Miller, Pikeville, 2,500; 5. Michelle Quirk, Fresno State, 2,496; 6. Stefanie Nation, Central Florida, 2,471; 7. Jessica Lesagonicz, Lindenwood, 2,441; 8. Mindy Pancoast, Virginia Tech, 2,422; 9. Melissa Brownie, Morehead State, 2,397; 10. Brigette Harrelson, Central Florida, 2,354; 11. Elysia Current, Penn State, 2,338; 12. Courtney Ward, West Texas A&M, 2,326; 13. Brandy Silva, New Mexico, 2,266; 14. Jamie Miller, UC Davis, 2,258; 15. Lisa Hunt, 2,192; 16. Stephanie Ehlers, Cincinnati, withdrew (injury).
TUESDAY'S PAIRINGS Best-of-5, single-elimination match play (Seeds in parentheses)
MEN First Round 9 a.m. Match 1 - (9) Matt Robinson, Fresno State vs. (16) Collin Kerschner, Purdue Match 2 - (12) David Kipperman, Sacred Heart vs. (13) Brandon Baker, Arizona State Match 3 - (11) Tim Pfeifer, Robert Morris (Pa.) vs. (14) Jason Blevins, Texas Tech Match 4 - (10) Kevin Kovash, Pikeville vs. (15) Dan Vick, Rochester Tech Second Round 10:25 a.m. Match 5 - (8) Vito Genova, Western New England vs. Match 1 winner Match 6 - (5) Brandon Frazier, Newman vs. Match 2 winner Match 7 - (6) Daniel Hannagan, Martin Methodist vs. Match 3 winner Match 8 - (7) Kevin Tabron, Wichita State vs. Match 4 winner Quarterfinals 11:50 a.m. Match 9 - (1) Brian Valenta, Lindenwood vs. Match 5 winner Match 10 - (4) LeRoy Anderson, Saginaw Valley State vs. Match 6 winner Match 11 - (3) Steve Elson, Wichita State vs. Match 7 winner Match 12 - (2) Aaron Murray, East Tennessee State vs. Match 8 winner Semifinals 2:35 p.m. Match 13 - Match 9 winner vs. Match 10 winner Match 14 - Match 11 winner vs. Match 12 winner Championship 4 p.m. Match 15 - Match 13 winner vs. Match 14 winner
WOMEN First Round 9 a.m. Match 1 - (12) Courtney Ward, West Texas A&M vs. (13) Brandy Silva, New Mexico Match 2 - (11) Elysia Current, Penn State vs. (14) Jamie Miller, UC Davis Match 3 - (10) Brigette Harrelson, Central Florida vs. (15) Lisa Hunt, Purdue Second Round 10:25 a.m. Match 4 - (8) Mindy Pancoast, Virginia Tech vs. (9) Melissa Brownie, Morehead State Match 5 - (5) Michelle Quirk, Fresno State vs. Match 1 winner Match 6 - (6) Stefanie Nation, Central Florida vs. Match 2 winner Match 7 - (7) Jessica Lesagonicz, Lindenwood vs. Match 3 winner Quarterfinals 11:50 a.m. Match 8 - (1) Olivia Sandham, Wichita State vs. Match 4 winner Match 9 - (4) Tracy Miller, Pikeville vs. Match 5 winner Match 10 - (3) Michelle Carcagente, Central Florida vs. Match 6 winner Match 11 - (2) Leslie Rapach, Florida State vs. Match 7 winner Semifinals 2:35 p.m. Match 12 - Match 8 winner vs. Match 9 winner Match 13 - Match 10 winner vs. Match 11 winner Championship 4 p.m. Match 14 - Match 12 winner vs. Match 13 winner
5/22/2006
By Kevin Hazaert USBC Communications