WICHITA, Kan. – No. 17 University of Central Missouri Jennies bowling started their 2021-22 competition season at Newman Mid-States Championships Oct. 16-17 at West Acres Bowl.

The Jennies finished 10th out of 26 teams in the two-day event with a total pinfall of 8,322.

Sam Houston State finished first in the team standings with a score of 9,265, followed by Wichita State in second with 9,178 points. Mount Mercy rounded out the top-three in third with 9,153 points.

"The tournament was a challenging, unique event which allowed us the opportunity to start the season and learn a great deal about our team. The competition format gave us a chance to get our young players some valuable collegiate experience against a wide range of teams," head coach Ron Holmes said.

Freshman Andrea Perez Perez paced the Jennies in the event, finishing 24th out of 218 competitors with a pinfall average of 177.83 and 1,067 pins in six games bowled, while fellow freshman Brooke Law was 26th with a six-game average of 176.5 and 1,059 pins.

"Our new players got a nice sample of the challenges involved in this level of team play, which is very important and tough to simulate in other settings. Although we did not play as well as we had hoped, we learned a great deal and plan to use the lessons to improve quickly," Holmes added.

Sydney Miller (156.4 average in five games) and Alexandria Newell (166.5 average in four games), Cayla Bortz (165.33 average in three games), Hannah Abbott (153 average in three games), Norma Alicia Romero Alarid (150.5 average in two games) and Jacqueline Garcia Ulloa Morales (126 in one game) also competed in the event.

Central Missouri competes again this weekend at the McKendree Bearcat Invitational, Friday-Sunday, Oct. 22-24 in Fairview Heights, Ill.