By Jaydn James
EAST GREENSBORO – Newly-crowned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) bowler of the year Melanie Katen describes as shy, possessing a contagious laugh and a loyal friend.
Loyal Friend? Yes. That's believable. Owner of a contagious laugh? Katen's teammates can vouch for that. Shy?
Perhaps. Although it is unclear if anyone has ever asked the pins how shy Katen really is.
"When I bowl, I'm not shy because the only people I interact with are those I feel comfortable with," said Katen. "I think the shyness goes away when I bowl because I become competitive and fierce. But if you put me in a position where I have to engage in a conversation with people I don't know, my shyness will be there."
Katen and the shyness, friendliness and contagious laughter she brings to the Aggies will team with A&T teammates, March 25-27, at Pinboy's At The Beach bowling alley in Virginia Beach, Va., for the MEAC Bowling Championships. The Aggies will try to repeat as conference champions, win their third championship in five years, and win the seventh MEAC title in program history.
The championship final will be a best-of-seven baker match starting at 2 p.m., Sunday. It will be re-air at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 3 on ESPNU, effectively serving as the lead-in for the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship that will tip at 8 p.m.
As Katen completes her second collegiate season, She is already a two-time first-team All-MEAC performer. A year ago, she captured National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-America honors, and there is no reason to believe those accolades will avoid her grasp again this season.
NTCA also named her to its inaugural All-Freshman team and the All-Northeast Region first team. But the early accolades should surprise no one. Katen grew up in San Jose, Calif.
She also grew up at the bowling alley because her grandfather worked in a pro shop; therefore, she would hang out with him often at the bowling alley. Katen tossed her first bowling ball down the lane at age 6, and received instant praise.
"My grandpa told me that I had naturally born talent," said Katen.
Grandpa got it right.
Katen began collecting tournament titles, but the shy Katen would make the first of her two bold moves that changed her bowling fortunes.
At 13, she believed her natural-born talent made the game a little too easy. She wanted to challenge herself. Therefore, she stepped away from what she knew, her grandfather's bowling alley, to something unfamiliar.
She still excelled against stiffer competition, which brought her to realize she wanted to take her talents to college. That introduced her to bold move No. 2.
Katen moved from California to North Carolina to attend North Carolina A&T State University. Why? She wanted to experience a different culture. And even though she is shy, her laughter and friendliness could overcome all that.
"I thought it was time to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to spend more time with other people," said Katen. "In California, it was all individual. You had yourself and maybe one parent or two. But bowling here, I have nine girls behind my back and two coaches."
Katen adores her teammates and coaches. She said she considers head coach Kim Terrell-Kearney and her assistant coach and husband Eric Kearney as her mother and father. "My teammates are like a sisterhood here. I feel more at home here than I did (in California), "said Katen. "I'm so glad that I am here."
Terrell-Kearney is certainly glad Katen is in AggieLand.
"What Melanie has given this team is the power of positivity," said coach Terrell-Kearney. "She simply believes that with hard work, things will go your way. There is such an innocence to her approach to the sport; it's refreshing."
Innocence? Again, has anyone asked the pins about that?
