ORLANDO, FL– The Youngstown State women’s bowling team continued its strong showing at the Destination Florida tournament on Saturday, posting its second consecutive 4-1 record to improve to 8-2 through the opening two days of competition at Boardwalk Bowl.

The Penguins, ranked sixth nationally in the preseason National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, picked up victories over Saint Anselm, No. 11 Wright State, No. 14 Niagara and Southern while suffering their only defeat against ninth-ranked North Carolina A&T.

Youngstown State finished Saturday’s traditional-format competition with 5,058 total pins, averaging 202.3 per game, and sat seventh in the 23-team field heading into Sunday’s final day.

PENGUINS COME OUT FIRING

After closing Friday’s Baker competition with four consecutive victories, Youngstown State carried that momentum into Saturday’s traditional matches.

The Penguins opened the morning with a convincing 1,010-895 victory over Saint Anselm before delivering their best performance of the tournament against nationally ranked Wright State.

YSU rolled a tournament-high 1,072 pins to defeat the 11th-ranked Raiders by 209 pins, marking one of the team’s most impressive performances of the weekend.

The Penguins then faced another nationally ranked opponent in No. 14 Niagara and came away with a hard-fought 1,009-993 victory.

The narrow 16-pin win extended Youngstown State’s winning streak to seven consecutive matches dating back to Friday’s opening round.

North Carolina A&T finally snapped the streak in the fourth match of the day, defeating the Penguins 1,062-960.

However, Youngstown State wasted little time getting back into the win column.

The Penguins closed Saturday’s competition with a 1,007-921 victory over Southern, securing their fourth win of the day and eighth victory in 10 matches.

MASON LEADS THE WAY

Amber Mason paced Youngstown State’s individual efforts with a five-game total of 1,100 pins, placing her 15th in the individual standings heading into Sunday’s final traditional match.

Mason delivered two outstanding individual games of 247, reaching that mark against both Wright State and Southern.

Elizabeth Teuber also put together a strong afternoon, totaling 1,075 pins across five matches.

Kara Beissel followed with 1,039 pins, while Liv Baskin contributed 1,010 to help give the Penguins four bowlers with at least 1,000 pins during Saturday’s competition.

The balanced performances helped Youngstown State remain among the tournament’s top teams despite competing against a challenging field featuring several nationally ranked programs.

EIGHT WINS IN TWO DAYS

Youngstown State’s impressive weekend began Friday with four consecutive Baker victories after an opening loss to second-ranked Vanderbilt.

The Penguins defeated Emmanuel, No. 17 Tulane, No. 5 Nebraska and No. 20 UAB to finish the opening day at 4-1.

Saturday’s four victories pushed YSU’s overall tournament record to 8-2, including wins over five nationally ranked opponents through the first two days.

The Penguins entered Sunday’s competition seventh in total pinfall, positioning themselves for a strong finish in one of the early season’s competitive tournaments.

UP NEXT

Youngstown State will conclude qualifying Sunday morning with a traditional match against Alabama State at 8:25 a.m.

Following qualifying, the Penguins will compete in two best-of-seven Baker matches to determine their final tournament placement.

With eight victories already secured and several nationally ranked opponents knocked off, Youngstown State has continued to demonstrate why it entered the 2026-27 season among the nation’s top bowling programs.