Women's Bowling | 3/26/2023 9:02:00 PM
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – It is lonely at the top.
That is not always a statement of arrogance. In most cases, it is very accurate because staying at the top becomes more demanding as the day passes. A champion's acceleration to the top enhances others because, with each passing championship, others work harder to get the spot occupied by the champion.
Despite the difficulties of remaining as the best, the top-seeded North Carolina A&T bowling team pulled off staying atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) by winning its third straight MEAC tournament championship with a 4-3 best-of-seven Baker format win over Monmouth, Sunday at Pinboys at the Beach.
The Aggies used the tool utilized by other champions throughout the years to ward off potential contenders to their throne. They hammered the Hawks repeatedly with clutch-ness. The Aggies, ranked seventh in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven before Lauren Tomaszewski 10th-framed Monmouth into submission to rally, leading the Aggies to the program's eighth MEAC championship.
"Winning the MEAC gets harder every year," said A&T head coach Kim Terrell-Kearney. "You have to applaud the league because the teams get better each year. I'm proud of my team because they show up. Everyone is giving them their best shot, and they show up, endure it, and do what is necessary to win."
Monmouth, who entered the MEAC tournament as the No. 3 seed, earned a spot in the championship best-of-seven with a 2-1 Mega Match win over UAB earlier in the day. The Hawks appeared ready to make the most of their opportunity. Monmouth took a 2-0 lead behind a 233-213 win in Game 1 and a 185-175 win in Game 2.
But A&T opened Game 3 with five straight strikes. Led by two-time MEAC bowler of the year Melanie Katen and Tomaszewski, the Aggies did not leave a frame open in a 229-174 win. But the Hawks took their 3-1 lead in the series with a 182-178 win.
"We were down 3-1, but we were making great shots," said Tomaszewski. "I knew those great shots would eventually start to pay off for us."
Tomaszewski won her second straight MEAC Bowling Championship Tournament most outstanding performer award fueled by a fantastic anchor performance that started with her going strike, strike, nine in the final frame to lead the Aggies to a 196-183 win. Tomaszewski followed that showing by recording three strikes in the 10th frame of Game 6 for a 243-190 victory to force a Game 7. A&T won Game 7, 194-163.
"When you're in the middle of it, it seemed like they all came down to the 10th frame," said Terrell-Kearney. "But Lauren was terrific. That's the Lauren we've become accustomed to seeing over the years, and she showed up big today."
Tomaszewski added: "We've been in these situations before. "It was not a new moment for us. I have not bowled up to my own standards this year, but my teammates supported me all season. We've supported each other, and that all came together today."
Katen joined Tomaszewski on the MEAC's all-tournament team. Sunday marks the program's second MEAC tournament championship 3-peat, the last one coming between 2002-04. A&T earns the MEAC's automatic bid to the 20223 NCAA Women's Bowling National Championship Tournament, April 14-15. The Selection Show will air live on NCAA.com on Wednesday, March 29, at 4 p.m. The NCAA tournament is April 14-15 at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. The Aggies hope they're still alone at the top when the NCAA tournament ends.
"We have said from the start of the year we believe we can win it all," said Terrell-Kearney. "I've always believed it will come down to how we are playing going into the tournament. Based on that, I still believe we can win a national championship."
