SCAD-Savannah men, Midland women lead after opening round at Midwest Collegiate Championships

STANDINGS
TEAM: Men | Women
INDIVIDUAL: Men | Women

WAUWATOSA, Wis.
- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)-Savannah men and Midland women paced their respective divisions Saturday at the Midwest Collegiate Championships, the first Tier 1 event of the 2019-2020 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season.

The event is being held at Bowlero and includes 40 men's and 28 women's varsity programs. Teams competed in six traditional games Saturday and will return for 16 Baker games Sunday. Total pinfall will determine the champions in each division.

The 2019 Midwest Collegiate Championships is being broadcast live at BowlTV.com, and Sunday's Baker competition will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern.

The SCAD-Savannah men hold a 34-pin lead over Webber International after six games, finishing Saturday's block with a 6,166 total. Webber, the 2019 Intercollegiate Team Championships winner, is at 6,132, while McKendree (6,103), Calumet (6,015) and Notre Dame-Ohio (6,009) round out the top five.

Individually, Hastings' Trenton Johnston led the way Saturday with a 1,388 six-game total, a 231.33 average. St. Ambrose's Cameron Crowe was second with 1,353, Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Cale Rusch was third with 1,349 and Trine's Austin Robison was fourth with 1,333. SCAD-Savannah's Dylan Byars finished fifth with 1,331, and his teammate, Benjamin Martinez, rolled the only 300 game at the 72-lane center to help his team into the lead.

On the women's side, Midland finished the round with a 5,830 total, placing the Warriors 21 pins ahead of St. Francis-Illinois (5,809). Robert Morris-Illinois, the reigning ITC champion, is third with 5,800, Mount Mercy is fourth with 5,752 and St. Ambrose is fifth with 5,714.

St. Francis-Illinois' Abby Ragsdale, the 2018-2019 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Player of the Year, posted the top individual set Saturday, finishing with a 1,297 score (216.17 average). Robert Morris-Illinois' Mattie Brandos was second with 1,269.

SCAD-Savannah's Rebekah Commane (1,262), Midland's Candice Goldfinch (1,261) and Webber's Caitlyn Johnson (1,250) also earned spots in the top five.