EAST GREENSBORO – The 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular-season bowling champions, the North Carolina A&T Aggies, are back in action in the city of Greensboro for the second straight weekend. Last weekend went very well for the Aggies in the Gate City, as they wrapped up the conference regular-season title with a 7-1 showing at MEAC Meet #2 at Triad Lanes. The Aggies will participate in the fourth annual NCATSU Vernell Stallings Invitational at AMF All-Star Lanes on 910 S. Holden Road.
In addition to winning the regular-season title, there was history made. Junior Melanie Katen became the first Aggie to bowl a 300-game in program history, as she accomplished the feat in a win over Howard on Saturday. Katen won the individual title with 1,957 total pins and a 217.44 average. The Aggies had four other bowlers finish in the top-10, including two others in the top-3.
Sophomore Maya Avilez totaled 1,923 pins (213.67) to finish second, and sophomore Chloe Newberry finished third with 1,865 pins (207.22). Lauren Tomaszewski rounded out the top-10 with 1,774 pins (197.11) to finish seventh. A&T totaled 9,137 pins for the weekend.
THE WEEKEND
A&T comes into the Stallings Invitational 68-24 overall and 15-1 in the MEAC. The Aggies are the sixth-ranked team in the nation in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA). The Aggies are looking to reclaim their tournament. After winning the first two Stallings, the Aggies placed second to Vanderbilt last season.
On Sunday, the Aggies will honor Jada Bassette as a part of Senior Day. The Aggies have captured their rhythm again after a slow start to the second semester. The Aggies are 17-3 in their last two tournaments, finishing second at the James Brown Invitational and first at MEAC Meet #2. A&T will face six other ranked teams this weekend, including defending champion and second-ranked Vanderbilt.
The Stallings invite is played in honor of Vernell Stallings, who is considered the Godfather of collegiate bowling at A&T. Stallings, a 1964 A&T graduate, led his alma mater to MEAC bowling titles in 1996, 1997 and 1999 before the conference sponsored the sport. He retired as the team's first head coach after the 1999 championship.
"Coach Stallings has been instrumental in providing the foundation of the bowling program here at A&T," Aggies head bowling coach Kim Terrell-Kearney said. "Without his many years of hard work, these young ladies may not have all the opportunities we can offer them today. I am so thankful for all he has done, and we are honored to host this event in his name."
THE TEAMS
Belmont Abbey, Coppin State, No. 16 Delaware State, Florida A&M, Howard, No. 21 Lincoln Memorial, No. 10 Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, No. 9 Sam Houston State, No. 22 Tulane, Tusculum, No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 6 North Carolina A&T.
THE FORMAT
The doors open at AMF All-Star Lanes at 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Each team will play five Baker-format games on Friday starting at 9:45 a.m. On Saturday, teams will play five traditional games starting at 9:25 a.m. Sunday's play begins at 8:30 a.m. with three best-of-seven bracket play Baker games to determine the champion.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Aggies have one remaining regular-season tournament when they travel to Smyrna, Tenn., to participate in the Vanderbilt U Music City Classic, March 17-19. The following weekend the Aggies go after their third straight MEAC title in Virginia Beach, Va.
