Women's Bowling | 4/5/2025 11:16:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – The North Carolina A&T bowling team is not going to the Final Four but is not because of lack of effort or heart. Aggie Pride displayed itself in all its regalness in Upstate New York. The Aggies bowled for a little more than 10 ½ hours for a chance to make a trip to Las Vegas and compete for an NCAA bowling national championship.
They took the No. 4 team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll and the top seed in the NCAA Rochester Region to the very brink of elimination before the Youngstown Penguins pulled out a 4-0 best-of-seven-series win in a winner-takes-all Baker format event as the clock on the East Coast ticked toward 8 p.m. at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes.
Youngstown State will join Wichita State, Nebraska and Jacksonville State in the Final Four in Vegas, April 11-12. A&T's NCAA season comes to an end at 87-38.
After their marathon day, the Aggies will turn their attention to the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITCs) sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and the Intercollegiate Singles Championships (ISCs) sponsored by the USBCs. Both national championship opportunities for the Aggies will take place in Las Vegas, April 17-19.
"I think this is a great tournament to come from," said A&T senior Chloe Newberry, who proved clutch most of the day. "We fought very hard and are peaking at the right time. We know what we need to do. We know how good we are when we do those things. We are prepared for the next tournament. That's for sure."
The Aggies started the day at 9 a.m. against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a Mega Match elimination contest. 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowler of the Year and senior Maya Avilez had a tough day on the lanes on Friday. That was not the case on Saturday. She returned to form early during traditional play, bowling three straight strikes to start her day. Two more strikes on frames five and six helped her bowl a 211 to lead the Aggies to a 975-956 win over the Bulldogs.
During the Baker format portion of the Mega Match, the Aggies ended La Tech's season, 1,061-978. Again, Avilez had a monster showing. Despite a slow start, the Aggies got going in Game 3 behind the strong rolls of Avilez, freshman Victorya White and senior Chloe Newberry. Avilez bowled five straight strikes. White ended the match with six straight, and Newberry bowled three straight strikes on the anchor frame of Game 5 to put the Bulldogs away.
"It was about getting the momentum, keeping the momentum, and getting out ahead," said A&T head coach Kim Terrell-Kearney. "That certainly serves us because our swings get a little looser during the back half of the game when we get ahead. Conversely, the other team tends to tighten up when they need to put a lot together."
That is the exact formula the Aggies followed during their 2:30 p.m. Mega Match against the Youngstown State Penguins. A&T captured the momentum early behind another terrific showing from Avilez and never relinquished it. The order of White, Avilez and Newberry proved too much in a 1,058-969 traditional win over the Penguins.
A&T started fast again during the Baker format, making it look like a winner-take-all best-of-seven was imminent. But Youngstown's Madison Dosek got going, and Jade Cote bowled an excellent anchor leg to lead the Penguins to a 1,087-1,024 win, evening the Mega Match at 1-1. The Aggies need to win the best-of-seven to advance to the winner-take-all round and keep their national championship hopes alive.
They trailed 2-1 going into Game 4 and turned to Newberry for a lift. She delivered. The Aggies out-pinned the Penguins 631-554 over the next three games to win the best-of-seven, 4-2, which gave them a chance to have another reason to travel to Las Vegas.
Despite the gallant effort given by Junior Julianna Sams on Saturday, the Aggies' season came to an end. Sams subbed in for fifth-year senior Laura Garcia. Plus, the Aggies were without the availability of fifth-year senior Melanie Katen, who was injured. Terrell-
Kearney summed up a very long day, and the Aggies 2024-25 NCAA season on her Facebook page: "I will remember the tears as my seniors' dreams (Avilez, Newberry, Garcia, Katen, Grace Stull) of winning an NCAA national championship faded away, all in a matter of an hour. But I'll also remember the laughter, the growth, and the family Eric (husband and assistant coach) and I have built here at A&T. I am reminded as I scroll thru all the good luck texts and videos that poured in from past players as we played today.
Being an Aggie means something special. It is how we define family. And we hold onto family tight with both hands. The amount of love and pride I have in this group is immeasurable.
Let me simply just label it AGIGIE PRIDE!"
