UMES: HAWKS WIN 2024 MEAC BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH, N.C. – After running through the champions bracket and defeating the No. 1 Aggies of North Carolina A&T not once but twice, the No. 3 seeded Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore claimed the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Bowling Championship Title.
The Hawks snapped the Aggies championship streak at three and claimed their first MEAC Championship title for the first time since 2019. The win gives the University of Maryland Eastern Shore 11 MEAC titles since the sport became sponsored by the conference in 2000.
Game one saw the Aggies use seven strikes, including a turkey from Lauren Tomaszewski in the tenth frame, to take the opening game 208-174.
N.C. A&T followed with their second win in game two, scrapping by with just four points of buffer winning 211-207. North Carolina A&T collected six strikes and four spares as a team, while Maryland Eastern Shore put five strikes and six spares on the board.
The Hawks gained some momentum in the third game, closing the Aggies match score lead to one after winning 212-168. Maryland Eastern Shore put together seven strikes and three spares with Mariana Santos Rivero closing the tenth frame with a turkey, three strikes in a row.
The momentum continued to shift in favor of UMES as they evened the match score at two games apiece winning 233-189 in the fourth game. The Hawks added another seven strikes, including five in a row from frames two to six, and did not leave any frame open claiming four spares in the process as well.
Game five was truly a nail bitter as the teams were neck-and-neck throughout. The first two frames saw UMES bowl a strike and a spare while N.C. A&T bowled a spare and a strike before the Aggies added a spare in frame three while the Hawks left the frame open leaving one pin stranded in the pit. North Carolina A&T put back-to-back strikes on the board while Maryland Eastern Shore added a spare and a strike putting the Aggies up 104-97 heading into the sixth frame.
N.C. A&T left the sixth frame open, knocking down just eight pins, while UMES bowled their second consecutive strike taking the lead, 126-112. Both teams answered with the same three results over the next three frames, a strike in the seventh, a spare in the eighth, and a strike in the ninth, heading into the final frame with UMES leading 186-181. Tomaszewski finished the tenth frame with a strike and a spare to give the Aggies a final score of 201, while Santos Rivero bowled a spare plus nine pins to put UMES ahead by four points, 205, winning game five and pulling ahead in the match score, 3-2.
The sixth game, what would be the final game of the championship match, saw the Hawks put the game to bed opening the game with a strike and back-to-back spares while N.C. A&T bowled a spare, strike, spare pattern with the Aggies leading by one point, 59-58 heading into the fourth frame. UMES went on a roll scoring four of their five strikes throughout the next four frames putting their score at 167.
N.C. A&T recorded a pair of spares, one strike and left the seventh frame open with one pin left in the pit trailing by 41 pins, 126. North Carolina A&T bowled three consecutive spares and capped the tenth frame with a strike putting their game six total at 181. Maryland Eastern Shore bowled three spares plus eight pins to close the tenth putting their final score at 223 and claiming the championship title.
The Hawks of UMES earned the MEAC’s automatic qualifier spot to the NCAA Bowling Tournament.
The 2024 NCAA bowling championship selections show will air on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 27, ahead of regional matches in early April. The championships will then take place from Friday, April 12, to Saturday, April 13 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan.
2024 MEAC Bowling Championship – Best of Seven Baker Scores
- Game 1 – N.C. A&T 208 – UMES 174 – (N.C. A&T led 1 – 0)
- Game 2 – N.C. A&T 211 – UMES 207 – (N.C. A&T led 2 – 0)
- Game 3 – UMES 212 – N.C. A&T 168 – (N.C. A&T led 2 – 1)
- Game 4 – UMES 233 – N.C. A&T 189 – (Match tied at 2 – 2)
- Game 5 – UMES 205 – N.C. A&T 201 – (UMES led 3 – 2)
- Game 6 – UMES 223 – N.C. A&T 181 – (UMES led 4 – 2)
2024 MEAC Bowling Championship – All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Bowler: Brooke Roberts, UMES
Most Outstanding Coach: Roger Petrin
- Lauren Tomaszewski, N.C. A&T
- Brooke Roberts, UMES
- Cameren Sullivan, HOW
- Melanie Katen, N.C. A&T
- Megan Wheat, NSU
