WICHITA, Kan. (Feb. 7, 2021) – A strong showing in the Baker-game portion of the Mid-States Championships on Sunday lifted Oklahoma Christian's women to a runner-up finish in their first tournament of the collegiate bowling season.

OC started the day at Northrock Bowl in third place in the 15-team field, trailing second-place Midland (Neb.) by 117 pins. The Eagles quickly closed to within 16 pins after the first block of four Baker games, then moved into second place – with a 48-pin lead – after the second block.

After the third block, OC's lead over third-place Baker (Kan.) was 58 pins and it increased to 137 after the final block.

Wichita State, one of the tournament's co-hosts, won with a score of 8,125, while OC had a score of 7,592 and Baker had 7,455. This year, the Mid-States was listed as a Tier II tournament, although in previous years it's been a Tier I event on the college bowling calendar.

"The ladies worked hard all day," OC coach James Hayes said. "It was a complete team effort. Our spare shooting suffered a little bit, but the ladies were able to throw some big strikes when we needed them. I am super-proud of how this young team battled.

"Traditionally, this is a Tier I tournament and to come up here and perform against a very talented field and finish second is a great confidence booster for this team. It's a great way to start the season."

The Eagles' next tournament will be the Hammer Lions Classic, scheduled for Feb. 27-28 at Concord Bowl in St. Louis.