By Emma Hicken, Leatherneck Athletic Communications
MACOMB, Ill.- The Western Illinois University women's bowling team wrapped up competition at the 2026 Music City Classic, hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, finishing 24th in a 36-team field that featured many of the nation's top programs.
The Leathernecks posted a 3–10 overall record across the three-day tournament while competing in both Baker and traditional team formats. Western Illinois totaled 11,766 pins over 66 games, averaging 178.3 pins per game for the event. The team recorded 4,430 pins in Baker competition and 4,514 pins in traditional matches while facing several nationally ranked opponents throughout the tournament.
Western Illinois showed flashes of strong scoring during Baker play, highlighted by a 971 performance in Baker Match 5, one of the team's top totals of the weekend. The Leathernecks also produced several competitive traditional games, including a 972–884 victory over #21 Fairleigh Dickinson, demonstrating the team's ability to put together strong games against quality competition.
Individually, Jaydyn Hunting paced Western Illinois in the traditional format, knocking down 970 pins across five games to average 194.0, finishing among the top 60 bowlers in the tournament standings. Teammates Melina Eresbey added 902 total pins with a 180.4 average, while Cassidy Williams contributed 898 pins and a 179.6 average during the traditional portion of the event.
Despite the challenging field, the weekend provided valuable late-season competition for the Leathernecks as they faced nationally competitive programs throughout the tournament. The event featured teams from across NCAA women's bowling, including eventual champion #1 Jacksonville State University, runner-up #2 Sam Houston State University, and host #3 Vanderbilt University, all of whom finished among the top teams in the final standings.
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