SMYRNA, Tenn. – The No. 14 Norfolk State bowling team finished in fourth place at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Sectional over the weekend, earning the right to compete in the 2013 USBC xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championship in mid-April.

The Spartans competed in one of the four sectionals held this weekend, and the top four teams in terms of total pin fall from each sectional advance to form the women's 16-school field at the team championship scheduled for April 18-20 at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.

NSU bowled 64 Baker games over the two-day sectional and finished with a total pin fall of 11,543, just behind third-place Marian – Indianapolis' total of 11,582. Lindenwood won the sectional after knocking down 12,299 pins, while McKendree finished second at 11,992.

The Spartans sat in seventh place after the first 16 games but moved up to fourth after the first 32 games were completed at the end of Saturday's competition. NSU held down fourth place following the conclusion of the first 48 games on Sunday and slowly stretched its lead over fifth-place Adrian College to 460 pins at the end of the competition.

The USBC xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) is considered one of two premiere championships in intercollegiate bowling along with the NCAA Championship. Unlike the NCAA Championship, the ITC is made up of both NCAA and non-NCAA bowling programs.

NSU was one of seven NCAA teams to advance to the ITC, including MEAC foe No. 2 UMES. The other schools to advance included No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 11 Kutztown, No. 12 Sacred Heart, No. 13 Stephen F. Austin and McKendree.

The other sectionals took place at Allentown, Pa., Fairview Heights, Ill., and Las Vegas, Nev.

NSU will not have to travel far for its next competition, as the Spartans will compete at the MEAC Championship March 22-24 at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake.