ROCKFORD — The Carthage College women's bowling team turned in an improved showing at the Leatherneck Classic, held at Cherry Bowl and Forest Hills Lanes. The event featured 39 teams and 273 bowlers.

The Firebirds' varsity squad placed 20th overall, while the junior varsity finished 38th.

Junior Maxine Lathrop led Carthage with a 20th-place individual finish. Sophomore Airie Frost placed 70th, followed by sophomore Emma Winter in 93rd, freshman Kyleah Baker in 105th, senior Isabel Gonzalez in 133rd, sophomore Alicyn Klok in 136th, and freshman Jocelyn Garcia-Cruz in 157th.

The opening day featured five traditional games, with Lathrop averaging 189.6 and posting a high game of 232. She recorded a 47.2 percent strike rate and an 80 percent fill rate. Freshman Emmary Arciniega-Sanchez was perfect on single-pin attempts, while Frost converted 87.5 percent, Winter 76.9 percent, Gonzalez 72.5 percent on fills, and Baker 77.7 percent on single pins and 30.1 percent on strikes.

On the second day, teams bowled 16 Baker games. Lathrop converted 80 percent of single-pin attempts and struck at a 41.6 percent clip. Deacon went 100 percent on single pins, Arciniega-Sanchez 85.7 percent, Frost 88.8 percent, Winter 75 percent, Wahle 75 percent, Baker 75 percent, and Klok 80 percent on multi-pin spares.

Carthage will take next weekend off before competing in the first conference tournament of the season, scheduled for Nov. 22-23 at Sunset Bowl in Waukesha, Wisconsin.