Freshman Hannah Forton (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) earned Tournament MVP honors and junior Kendra Tryniski (Fulton, N.Y./Fulton) joined her on the All-Tournament Team as the Valparaiso University bowling team concluded hosting of the Crusader Challenge from Lynwood, Ill. on Sunday. The Crusaders finished the tournament in second place.

How It Happened

• Valpo opened the second day of competition, contested in the traditional team format, against North Central and eased to the win with the best single-match performance of the tournament, earning a 1005-689 victory. Freshman Mirica Yancey (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) led the way with a 226, while Tryniski posted a 206 and Forton a 202 in the win.
• The Crusaders suffered their only loss on Sunday to #11 UW-Whitewater in the next match, falling 979-892 despite a game of 208 from freshman Jess Soskich (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove).
• Valpo bounced back with victories over Aurora (880-732) and Augustana (884-796). Forton paced Valpo in the Aurora win with a 188 game, while freshman Payton Bertermann (Grayslake, Ill./North) rolled a team-best 209 in the victory against Augustana.
• The Crusaders closed tournament play with a 934-775 win against Elmhurst, led by a 224 effort from Forton. Sam Kunke (Woodstock, Ill./North) rolled a 201 in the finale as well.

Inside the Tournament

• UW-Whitewater earned the team tournament title with a perfect 10-0 record, as the champion was determined by won/loss record. Valpo finished second with an 8-2 record, but topped the field with a total pinfall of 9,077, over 200 pins clear of the Warhawks.
• Forton claimed Tournament MVP honors in her third career tournament, recording a 198.2 average over Sunday’s five matches to top all individuals in the field. Forton narrowly clipped UWW’s Emma Kuhn by four pins for the accolade.
• Forton is the fifth different Crusader in program history to earn a Tournament MVP award, and the first since Olivia Wirtz did so at last season’s Crusader Challenge.
• Tryniski finished third in the tournament field among bowlers who bowled all five matches Sunday with a 182.6 average to earn her All-Tournament award. The junior previously earned All-Tournament Team accolades as a freshman at the Virginia Union Invitational.
• Eight different Crusaders earned starts on Sunday, as head coach Shon Washington took the opportunity to get most of his squad involved. Forton and Tryniski were the only Valpo bowlers to start all five matches on Sunday.
• Forton and Tryniski were joined on the All-Tournament Team by Kuhn, North Central’s Melissa March and Elmhurst’s Marissa Soverino.

Next Up

Valpo (19-16) competes for the fourth straight weekend next weekend at UW-Whitewater’s Warhawk Classic in Kenosha, Wis. The three-day event begins on Friday, Nov. 10.