LAUREL, Md. – Sophomore Briana Gardner rolled a 289 on Saturday to set the Norfolk State school record, and the No. 20 Spartan bowling team finished 8-5 over the weekend at the three-day Lady Bulldog Classic hosted by Bowie State at the AMF Lanes in Laurel.
 
Gardner tallied that 289 score in the third game on Saturday in a win against Virginia State, topping the previous school best of 280 set by Sheila-Marie Smith on Jan. 24, 2009. Gardner finished the day with a career-best 215.2 average in five games, ranking second in the tournament in terms of average to Fairleigh Dickinson's Nicolette Sarin (230.0).

Her 289 included 10 straight strikes to start the game before leaving one pin standing with her second ball of the 10^th frame.
 
Earlier in the day, Gardner bowled a 234 when NSU opened up Saturday's traditional play with a 944-883 win over Bowie State. Freshman Alexa Rodriguez carded a 224 in the second game, but NSU succumbed to No. 18 St. Francis Brooklyn by a narrow 922-915 margin. The Spartans then rebounded thanks to Gardner's big game as well as a 201 from Rodriguez and a 200 from freshman Yarelis Burgos. Those three individual games helped give NSU a 1,006-802 victory against Virginia State.
 
Howard handed NSU its second loss of the day, 1,001-858, in the fourth game, while the Spartans secured an easy victory over Virginia Union to close out traditional play, 844-611.
 
That 3-2 record on Saturday had followed a 3-2 record on Friday in Baker play, where NSU started the tournament with a 730-661 win over Virginia State. After a loss to Howard, 852-783, the Spartans defeated Virginia Union, 726-658, and Hampton, 801-740. No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson then handed Norfolk State a loss in the final game of the day, 968-829.
 
On Sunday in the bracket round, NSU outscored Bowie State 728-606 to sweep the Bulldogs in four games in a best-of-seven format. The Spartans also took game one from Fairleigh Dickinson in the next round, 205-162, before the Knights won the next four for a 4-1 Baker victory. Finally in the last game, NSU swept Hampton by a 4-0 score, topping the Pirates by a combined 181 pins.
 
Rodriguez finished Saturday with a 191.2 average in all five games, while Burgos had a pair of 200 games and tallied a 185.2 average in five games. Senior Carrie Hickey and sophomore Meagan Marciano each took part in five games as well to round out the NSU lineup.
 
The Spartans will be amongst an always loaded field at the Kutztown Invitational beginning on Friday.