Bowling | 2/9/2025 9:09:00 PM

LOCKPORT, Ill. – The sixth-ranked North Carolina A&T bowling team has found its rhythm since the calendar year 2025 started. Two weeks after defeating the top five teams in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, the Aggies finished second at the Flyer Classic hosted by Lewis University at the Strike N' Spare II bowling center on Sunday.

The Aggies entered Sunday's best-of-seven Baker format bracket competition as the No. 3 seed. It earned A&T a first-round matchup against the No. 5 team in the country, the Youngstown State Penguins.

Youngstown State got off to a blazing start, defeating the Aggies with a 225-206 total pinfall. It was all A&T from there. The Aggies out-pinned the Penguins 898-758 over the next four games to win the series 4-1. The series win secured the Aggies a matchup against seventh-ranked Wichita State, who lost to No. 3 Jacksonville State in the previous round.

A&T carried the momentum from the Youngstown State win as they defeated the Shockers in Game 1, 236-194. The Shockers won the next two games by out-pinning the Aggies 486-377 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The Aggies recovered to capture a vital Game 4 win, 215-192 before taking the lead in the series with a 206-191 Game 5 win.

Facing defeat, the Shockers fired off a 245 total pinfall compared to A&T's 181, setting up Game 7. In a thriller, the Aggies triumphed 216-212, earning an opportunity to play for the Flyer Classic championship against defending national champion Jacksonville State with a 4-3 series win. The Shockers collected 1,520 total pins in the series, and A&T posted a 1,431 total pinfall.

A&T, who has succeeded against the Gamecocks this season, played in another seven-game showdown. The Gamecocks won Game 1 before the Aggies evened the series with a Game 2 victory. The Aggies won the next two, putting them on the brink of winning the tournament title after out-pinning the Gamecocks in those two games, 373-337.

Carrying a 3-1 lead into Game 5, the Gamecocks squeaked by to force Game 6 with a 196-194 win over the Aggies. The Gamecocks' narrow escape from defeat gave them enough life to close out the Aggies over the next two games. They out-pinned A&T 490-413 to win in seven games.

A&T finished the tournament with a 14,314 total pinfall. In 69 games, they averaged 207.4 pins per game. The Aggies are 58-26 overall after a 9-4 weekend. They return to conference play in two weeks when participating in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Meet #2 hosted by Delaware State, February 22-23.