GREENSBORO – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships keep flowing into North Carolina A&T's bowling program.
The Aggies captured the MEAC regular-season crown on Sunday at MEAC Meet #2 held at Greensboro's Triad Lanes by going 3-0 Sunday and 7-1 overall for the weekend, with all eight matches played under traditional format. The Aggies finish conference play with a 15-1 record, three games ahead of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Delaware State, who finished in a second-place tie at 12-4.
A&T, the sixth-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll and two-time defending MEAC tournament champions, has had the best regular-season record conference record the past two seasons. The Aggies will go for a third straight conference tournament championship, March 24-26, at Pinboy's at the Beach in Virginia Beach, Va.
On Sunday, the Aggies totaled 4,019 pins, including 937 pins in a bye that opened the day for A&T. The Aggies had a 9,137 total pinfall over two days for a 45-game average of 203.0. Sixteenth-ranked Delaware State totaled 8,527 pins (189.5), and 10th-ranked UMES totaled 8,414 (187.0).
Included in A&T's average was junior Melanie Katen's perfect game on Saturday. Katen's 300 game propelled her to the individual title at the second MEAC meet, totaling 1,957 pins over nine games to average 217.44.
Two other Aggies joined Katen in the top-3 as sophomore Maya Avilez finished second with 1,923 total pins over nine games (213.67), and fellow sophomore Chloe Newberry placed third with 1,865 pins over nine games (207.22). Senior anchor Lauren Tomaszewski made it four Aggies in the top-10 by finishing seventh with 1,774 pins in nine games (197.11). Tomaszewski played a significant role for the Aggies on Sunday.
After their bye, the Aggies toppled UAB 986-864 as Tomaszewski led the way by bowling a 235. Katen secured a 201 in the win. Next, the Aggies eased to a win over Coppin State as well. Led by Avilez's career-high 269, the Aggies defeated the Eagles 1,139-850. Newberry contributed with a 248 score, and Tomaszewski went over 200 again with a 224.
But A&T's biggest test still lay ahead in UMES. With the MEAC regular-season title already decided, the Aggies still went out and had a solid performance against the Hawks, winning 957-919. Newberry led A&T with a 228 as the Aggies survived a 232 from Brooke Driver.
The Aggies improved to 68-24 over the weekend. They are 17-3 in their last two tournaments after starting the semester 11-15. A&T has two tournaments remaining before the MEAC championships. Next week the Aggies will host another tournament, their annual NCATSU Vernell Stallings Invitational. The invite will be held at AML All-Star Lanes on 910 S. Holden Road in Greensboro, Feb. 24-26.
