MOLINE — The Carthage College women's bowling team delivered a competitive performance at the CCIW Championships held at Highland Park Bowl, advancing to the final day of competition and closing out a successful season.

Entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed, Carthage opened against top-seeded Marian and set the tone early in traditional play. Behind consistent spare shooting, the Firebirds secured an 874-778 victory.

In the five-game Baker total pinfall format, Carthage faced an early deficit after a pair of 145 games. The Firebirds rebounded with strong finishes of 188 and 201 but fell 922-836.

The match shifted to a best-of-seven Baker format, where Carthage jumped out to a 2-0 lead with decisive wins of 193-136 and 215-182. Marian responded with three consecutive victories before Carthage evened the match with a 199-179 win in game six. In the deciding game, missed opportunities proved costly as Marian edged the Firebirds 204-188, sending Carthage to the contenders bracket in the double-elimination tournament.

Carthage responded against Augustana in an elimination match. The Firebirds dropped a tight traditional game 769-759 but rallied in Baker total pinfall. Trailing by 22 pins entering the final game, Carthage surged with a 43-pin advantage in the finale to claim an 898-877 victory.

In the best-of-seven Baker match, Carthage took control early and won four of five games to secure the match and advance to Sunday's competition.

Facing Marian once again, the Firebirds were unable to replicate their earlier success, falling in two straight formats to conclude their tournament run.

Carthage posted several notable individual performances across the two-day event. In traditional play single-pin spare percentage, junior Maxine Lathrop recorded 83.3 percent, sophomore Airie Frost finished at 80 percent, and senior Isabel Gonzalez led the way at 90 percent. In multi-pin spare shooting, sophomore Emma Winter converted 77.7 percent of her attempts. Frost posted an 80 percent fill rate, while Gonzalez added an 83.3 percent mark.

In Baker play, Carthage continued its efficiency in spare shooting. Frost converted 85.7 percent of single-pin opportunities, Lathrop added 87.5 percent, and Gonzalez posted 88.2 percent. Winter and sophomore Alicyn Klok each recorded perfect 100 percent marks. Freshman Emmary Arciniega-Sanchez led the team with a 79.1 percent fill rate, followed closely by Frost at 79.6 percent. Gonzalez also converted a challenging 7-7 split during Baker competition.

The Firebirds conclude the season having met their goal of qualifying for the CCIW Championships. Carthage also earned victories over Division I and Division II opponents throughout the year, highlighting the program's growth and competitiveness. With only one senior departing and a strong incoming class, the Firebirds are positioned to build on this season's success.