Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University bowling team opened the 2025 calendar year this weekend, competing in the Northeast Classic, hosted by Sacred Heart, in New Castle, Del., at Bowlerama. The Dukes posted a record of 8-5 in their first competition of the new year, improving their overall record during the 2024-25 season to 40-24 (.625).
BAKER ACTION
Baker action opened the Northeast Classic, with Duquesne finishing with a 2-3 record Friday. Kutztown defeated the Dukes, 1,016-968, to open competition before the Dukes rallied to earn a 976-932 win over No. 9 Maryville. No. 24 Mercyhurst followed with a 945-897 win over the Dukes, and Duquesne closed Baker play with a 1,051-735 win over Morgan State as well as a six-pin loss to No. 8 Sam Houston state, 1,075-1,069. The best game for the Dukes came in game two against the Bears, as Duquesne fired a 237 en route to the 316-pin victory.
BAKER LINEUPS
The opener against Kutztown for Duquesne featured sophomore
Maribeth Baker, senior
Morgan Brookover, junior
Emma Siekierski and seniors
Ranelle Ulanday and
Shannon Small, with graduate student
Samantha Timm subbing in for Ulanday in game three. Timm would get the start in the win over Maryville before being subbed for sophomore
Ivanna Fraticelli in game four of the match against the Lakers. Fraticelli would start the final two matches of Baker action Friday, with Brookover, Siekierski and Small landing in the three, four and five spots of the lineup in the each of the final four matches of the day.
RANKED FOES
Despite a 1-2 record on the first day of action at the Northeast Classic against ranked foes, the Dukes held their own against a loaded field. Nine of the 13 matches Duquesne participated in at the Northeast Classic featured opposition ranked in the
National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll, with the Dukes finishing 5-4 in those contests. In traditional play Saturday, Duquesne opened with a 1,118-1,026 loss to No. 2 Jacksonville State but rallied to win four consecutive to close out the day, including a 989-917 win over Central Missouri and a 989-901 triumph over No. 22 Delaware State before defeating No. 12 Louisiana Tech, 954-900, and William Smith, 920-897.
MS. SMALLS THEATRE
Small wasted no time kicking off the new year in style, earning all-tournament team accolades after finishing second in traditional play. She knocked down a total of 1,157 pins in five games, an average score of 231.40, to trail only Cassidy Anshutz of Merrimack, who garnered the individual crown by just seven pins over Small. In the opener against Jacksonville State, Small fired a 243, followed by a 236 in the victory over the Jennies. She also added a 227 in the win over the Hornets, a 228 against Louisiana Tech and a 223 against William Smith. Small owns four top 10 finishes thus far during the 2024-25 season.
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
Moving into the best-of-seven championship bracket Sunday, the Dukes opened with a 4-3 victory over Maryville and followed with another 4-3 win, this time against No. 17 Mount St. Mary's. Duquesne was set to take on North Carolina A&T for seventh place, but the Aggies left the competition early in order to avoid the winter weather bearing down on the Northeast. The Dukes instead faced No. 11 Sacred Heart and dropped a 4-2 decision. Multiple teams decided to leave early due to the weather.
THE LINEUP
The highest score of the weekend in traditional play came courtesy of Baker, who along with the 243 from Small unleashed a 247 against Jacksonville State. Baker closed traditional play with 930 pins, an average score of 186, while Siekierski finished with 940 pins, an average score of 188. Siekierski posted a 202 against Jacksonville State and was consistent across all five games in traditional play, including a 195 in the win over the Bulldogs and a 190 in the triumph over Delaware State.
UP NEXT
Duquesne now gets set for the Prairie View Invitational, one of the most prestigious tournaments in college bowling. The Dukes will be making their debut at the competition, which is set for Friday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 26, in Arlington, Texas, as the International Training Center.
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