Showdown is a letdown for bowlers

Familiarity breeds confidence. Unfortunately, confidence doesn't always lead to success.

A year ago, the Penn State bowling team traveled to Turnersville, N.J., and earned first place in the Brunswick-Northeast Showdown. By claiming the tournament, the team gained an automatic bid to the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships for the first time since 1991.

This season on Dec. 29-30, the bowlers were primed for a repeat performance in the familiar confines. But on the initial day of the two-day tournament, Penn State came out sluggish and found itself in a disappointing 16th place. Despite a second-day rally, the bowlers were unable to climb out of the hole they dug themselves and finished the tournament a disappointing eighth.

- Senior bowler Mike Sumerano

The slow first day could have been attributed to fatigue. Penn State competed in consecutive two-day tournaments. Before the Brunswick-Northeast Showdown, the bowlers competed in the Colgate Invitational, in which they finished sixth.

"It's a little rough, bowling that much," Penn State coach Denny Jaworski said. "They were a little disappointed after the first tournament. After the first night of the second tournament I had a good talk with them. The next day they came out fired up and they got into the flow."

Another factor that may have contributed to the disappointing outcome is the competition. Since last year, it seems the skill level in intercollegiate bowling has escalated.

"One thing I've noticed at tournaments is that there's a lot more teams with quality bowlers," Jaworski said. "Teams are accelerating with a lot more talent."

After the dismal first day in Turnersville, No. 7 Penn State achieved an incredible feat: 22 consecutive strikes. The unexpected spurt rallied the team from the middle of the pack to contention, only to fall short in the end.

"That put us in a good position to win the tournament," Sumerano said. "When everybody's on, we do well, but when one guy's down, we tend to be off."

With only three tournaments remaining which guarantee an automatic bid to nationals, time is running out for the team. The bowlers are not ready to push the panic button quite yet, but there is a sense of urgency.

"We don't feel pressure yet," Sumerano said. "But pressure is a good thing for this team. We seem to thrive under pressure."

The team feels as confident as ever in qualifying for the Super Bowl of intercollegiate bowling. The next chance to earn that bid comes Feb. 6 in Las Vegas.

"The team's spirit is pretty high," Jaworski said. "We're going out there with the attitude that we're going to win. It would be disheartening for players from last year if we didn't make it to nationals this year. But our outlook is good."