WAUWATOSA, Wis. – The Missouri Baptist University men's bowling team opened the 2022-23 season at the Midwest Collegiate Championships over the weekend and placed in the top half of the field at the Tier 1 tournament in Wisconsin. Overall, the Spartans tallied 9,049 pins to finish 20^th out of 49 teams.
 
To open the tournament held at Bowlero Wauwatosa, Missouri Baptist had three individuals average 200 or better with a fourth just one pin shy of hitting the mark. Upperclassmen Dakoda Phelps, Grant Smith, and Hunter Jones all finished in the Top 50 with just 11 pins separating Phelps and Jones in 42^nd and 46^th.
 
Graduate student Dakoda Phelps paced the Spartans with 1,271 pins across six games for a 211.83 average. Smith finished just one spot behind Phelps in the individual standings and bowled five games of 200 and above with a 211.83 average. Southeastern Illinois College transfer Hunter Jones made the most of his MBU debut tallying 1,260 pins and a 210.00 average. Junior Cameron Peters bowled four games for the Spartans and needed one pin more to average 200 per game.
 
Rounding out the Spartans competitors in Wisconsin were returners Seth Harris (167.60 avg.) and Bryce Thurman (169.00 avg.)
 
On Day Two of the 51^st Annual Midwest Collegiate Championships, the Spartans improved their positioning in the final standings totaling 3,106 pins across 16 Baker games. MBU amassed seven games of 200+ including highs of 246 in Game 6 and 234 in Game 10.
 
The Spartans will be much closer to home in their next tournament as they take the lanes at the Lindenwood Lions Classic in St. Charles on Oct. 22.