Vanderbilt Hosts the Music City Classic Friday Through Sunday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This is the 20th annual Vanderbilt Music City Classic, one of the NCAA’s largest regular season bowling tournaments. The event will be held at the Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tennessee, Friday through Sunday.  There is no admission charge.

Start times
Practice will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Friday with play beginning at 9:45 a.m. Saturday’s practice is at 9 a.m. with competition starting at 9:30 a.m. Sunday’s practice is at 8:30 a.m. and play begins at 9 a.m.

Format
The tournament will follow the standard NCAA format with five, five-game Baker sets on Friday, five traditional team games on Saturday and three best-of-seven Baker bracket matches on Sunday.

Strong field of 33 teams
This year’s field features many of the nation’s top teams, including 17 ranked among the top 25 in the March National Tenpin Coaches Association poll. Here is the field (indicates rank):

Adelphi, Arkansas State (2), Belmont Abbey, Carroll University, Carthage, Central Missouri, Emmanuel (Ga.), Howard, Jackson State, Jacksonville State (1), Kentucky Wesleyan, Lewis, Lincoln Memorial, Long Island, Louisiana Tech (7), Marian (Wis.), Maryland-Eastern Shore (15), Maryville (9), McKendree (20), Mt. Aloysius, Newman (14), North Carolina A&T (5), Oklahoma Christian (22), Prairie View A&M, Sacred Heart (18), Sam Houston State (10), Stephen F. Austin (11), Tulane (13), Valparaiso (17), Vanderbilt (4), Wisconsin-Whitewater (21), Wright State and Youngstown State (3)

Following the event
Most schools will be streaming from their own platforms. Vanderbilt will stream its matches on YouTube.

March NTCA Poll
Vanderbilt rose up a spot and now occupies fourth place in the latest poll of NCAA head coaches.

Special Note to Fans
All fans should be aware that the traditional step ladders that many use to see over the tops of the spectator and bowler heads will not be permitted. Many bowling centers across the country have banned the use of ladders, chairs and so forth for enhanced viewing angles after being informed that their insurance no longer covers injuries sustained if someone falls from an elevated position.

All-tournament and MVP awards
There will be a five-woman all-tournament team announced at the completion of play along with a tournament most valuable player to be named from the championship team.

Last year’s tournament
Sam Houston State swept McKendree, 4-0, in the championship match to win the Music City Classic for the first time. Vanderbilt edged Louisiana Tech for third place.

Sam Houston’s Bea Hernandez was the tournament MVP. The all-tournament team consisted of North Carolina A&T’s Lauren Tomaszewski—the individual champ with a 238.4 average—and Rebecca Hagerman of McKendree, Elise Chambers of Sam Houston, Patricia Rosales of Louisiana Tech and Emma Stull of Arkansas State.

Music City Classic history
The Commodores have won this event five times in 18 years, the last coming in 2019.  Vandy also prevailed in 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2015.  McKendree has won five of the last six years; Nebraska has also won the tournament five times. Central Missouri, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Arkansas State have taken home the crystal bowl once.  In 2020, a classic Nashville guitar became the championship trophy replacing the crystal bowl.

2005       Nebraska
2006       Nebraska
2007       Nebraska
2008       Central Missouri
2009       Vanderbilt
2010       Vanderbilt
2011       Nebraska
2012       Nebraska
2013       Maryland-Eastern Shore
2014       Vanderbilt
2015       Vanderbilt
2016       Arkansas State
2017       McKendree
2018       McKendree
2019       Vanderbilt
2020       McKendree
2021       McKendree
2022       McKendree
2023       Sam Houston State

Senior Day ’24
Vanderbilt will salute seniors Jennifer Loredo, Amanda Naujokas and Caroline Thesier after competition concludes Sunday afternoon.

Stoddard Award recipient to be announced
This award is named in honor of former Smyrna Bowling Center general manager Harry Stoddard, whose early enthusiasm, loyalty, hard work was instrumental in laying the foundation for Vanderbilt bowling’s success. When Stoddard was dying of cancer, Vanderbilt head coach John Williamson promised Harry that he would keep his name and spirit alive with the bowling program by creating the Harry Stoddard Award; it is the Commodores’ only award, and it is decided as a result of a team vote for the individual that most embodies Stoddard’s selfless attitude, hard work and enthusiasm.

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