The Saint Francis University bowling team is set to host the 10-team Red Flash Invitational tournament this weekend at the Holiday Bowl in Altoona, Pa.

The Red Flash (31-35, 9-5 NEC) are coming off a challenging Northeast Classic tournament that saw them claim wins over No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 21 McKendree. They hope this tournament will give them a jolt of energy as they enter the final stretch of the 2023-24 season.

WHO WILL BE THERE
Six of the ten schools competing in the Red Flash Invitational are from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, a Division III Conference that sponsors bowling, a sport where the NCAA holds only one championship for all divisions. Morgan State is traveling from Baltimore to compete in the tournament for the 6th time, and No. 19 Valparaiso is the lone representative from Conference USA.

No. 8 Duquesne is the only team joining the Red Flash from the Northeast Conference, as the current conference leaders hope to continue building momentum toward the end of the season. No. 15 Mount St. Mary's, a team that competes independently in the NCAA, is coached by former Saint Francis graduate assistant Kenneth DeGraaf, who worked under legendary bowling coach Tom Falbo prior to creating the Mountaineers' bowling program.

Three of the ten teams are ranked in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association's top-25 polls: No. 8 Duquesne, No. 15 Mount St. Mary's and No. 19 Valparaiso. Saint Francis and Saint Vincent also received votes in the polls, coming in as the country's 29th- and 30th-ranked teams. In addition, Saint Vincent was ranked No. 13 in the top 15 teams in NCAA Divisions II and III, announced in a separate poll released at the beginning of the season.

COMPETITION LAYOUT
The facility will open at 8:30 a.m. for fans on Friday and Saturday, with competition beginning at 10 a.m. on each day. Friday will feature five traditional matches set to end at 5:30 p.m., while Saturday will see the teams compete in five Baker matches estimated to conclude around 4:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the lanes will be opened to fans at 8 a.m., with three best-of-seven Baker matches beginning at 9 a.m. The competition is scheduled to conclude around 2:45 p.m., with the awards ceremony taking place shortly thereafter.

SENIOR RECOGNITION
Before Saturday's competition, there will be a time honoring the senior class of the Red Flash bowling team. Three current senior bowlers will be honored before the competition: Emma Meade, Marissa Metcalfe and Samantha Timm.

Kassidy Landwehr, a senior who competed in the first half of the season and graduated this fall, will also get recognized on Saturday with this year's graduating class.

SURROUNDING THE TOURNAMENT
On top of the bowling tournament, the Red Flash bowling team will have a basket raffle to fundraise for the upcoming season. Each basket, provided by parents of the bowlers, will be auctioned off on Friday and Saturday.

The Holiday Bowl operates a restaurant and a snack bar, which are both set to be open for the duration of the tournament.

FOLLOW ALONG
Doors open at the Holiday Bowl at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 8:00 a.m. on Sunday. The Red Flash Invitational, as well as Saturday's senior ceremony and Sunday's awards ceremony, will be live-streamed on the team's Facebook page, and the latest updates will be posted on the team's Facebook and X pages.

For more information on the Red Flash, visit sfuathletics.com and follow RedFlashBowling on Facebook, Instagram, and X.