TOPEKA, Kan. - The Ottawa men's bowling team made their second bracket of the season at the NAIABCA Invitational in Topeka.

On Friday, the Braves finished 12th with a 4,689 total for five team games. Jesse Holtcamp led Ottawa with a 1,029 pinfall for five games, good for 14th place.

Ottawa finished fifth in Saturday's tournament with a 4,685 total for 25 baker games. This brought their combined total to 9,554 and qualified them for the overall matchplay bracket on Sunday. There, they beat William Penn 4-2 the quarterfinals and Saint Xavier 4-3 in the semifinals before falling to SCAD Savannah 2-4 in the championship match.

Coach Poston's Thoughts
"The men entered this season with super high expectations. We struggled out of the gate to try to meet those expectations. This past weekend was different. The guys didn't have their best day on Friday. However, they bounced back Saturday and got themselves in the bracket on Sunday. We made it to the finals and fell a little short in the title match that could have gone either way. It was nice to see them work as a team and have the success as a team that we know they are capable of."

Coach Maida's Thoughts
"Friday was not a great day, and put ourselves in a tough spot for the rest of the weekend with a 12th place finish and 194 pins out of the cut line. Saturday the guys came out with a different mindset and battled hard to move us into the top 8 with a 5th place finish. Sunday was matchplay and the guys came out mentally tough and full of resilience. The boys fought and battled their way to the finals, falling short 4-2. The guys got to see a glimpse of their potential and what they can be when all 8 players come together to form one team and one common goal."

Up Next
The Ottawa bowling teams continue their seasons at the Columbia Cougar Clash from December 6-7 at AMF Town & Country Lanes in Columbia, Missouri.