DES PLAINES, Ill. — The Carthage Firebirds women's bowling team capped off a three-day run at the Windy City Classic on Sunday at River Rand Bowl, featuring a dramatic day-three comeback and solid individual performances across a 16-team field.
Senior Maxine Lathrop led the Firebirds individual effort, finishing 27th overall in a field of 113 bowlers.
Carthage opened the tournament Friday with five 5-game Baker matches, enduring a tough opening day while working through spare conversions. The Firebirds earned a victory over Quincy University, defeating the Hawks 896-829, to finish the day 1-4. Lathrop posted a perfect 100% execution rate on single-pin spares, while sophomore Emmary Arciniega-Sanchez converted 93.3% of her single-pin attempts. Freshman Nicole Weber posted a 74% fill rate on the day.
The Firebirds bounced back Saturday during traditional team game play, turning in a 2-3 record with several tightly contested matches. Carthage secured victories over Marian University (835-819) and Aurora University (823-809). The squad narrowly missed two additional wins, falling by just seven pins to the University of Indianapolis and by two pins to Lewis University.
Lathrop continued her consistent play on day two, converting 87.5% of single-pin spares and 83.3% of multi-pin spares to finish with an 82% fill rate. Freshman Danica Hoffland added to the performance with an 85.7% single-pin spare conversion rate and a 75% fill rate. Arciniega-Sanchez placed 32nd overall in the individual standings, while Weber finished 36th.
Carthage concluded the event Sunday on a high note in best-of-seven Baker bracket play, finishing 2-1. After dropping the first three games against Elmhurst University, the Firebirds staged a four-game sweep to rally for a 4-3 victory. Carthage also picked up a 4.5-3.5 win over Edgewood College.
Freshman Allissa Gerth was flawless on single-pin spares (100%), and junior Emma Winter went perfect on multi-pin spare conversions (100%). Lathrop (87.5%) and Arciniega-Sanchez (83.3% single-pin, 75.6% fill rate) remained key contributors, while Weber hit 72.7% of her multi-pin spares.
Following a bye week, Carthage returns to action in Rockford, Illinois, for the Leatherneck Classic.
