UMES to host Championship Rally for National Champions

Collegiate Women's Bowling

University will celebrate its bowling program Tuesday at 11a.m.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) will take time out to celebrate its most recent athletic success Tuesday at 11 a.m. when it honors the Lady Hawks Bowling Program.

The Hawks made history this season winning not one, but two, national championships. UMES won the NCAA Championship, their second overall on April 16 and one week later the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITCs).

The Championship Rally will be held in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center and is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public. There will be championship t- shirts thrown out to the crowd and a small reception and autograph session will follow the program.

The event will feature introductions of the team and coaches (pictured with the ITC trophy), a reciting of the team accomplishments, remarks from University President Thelma B. Thompson. Ph.D., and the presentation of several proclamations, ranging from the Town of Princess Anne, Somerset County, the State Senate and from Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The event will also feature remarks from Director of Athletics Keith Davidson and head coach Sharon Brummell. It will conclude with the unveiling of the three championship banners from this season, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title, the NCAA championship and the USBC Collegiate title.

No school in college bowling history has won two national titles in the same year and UMES is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to own two DI NCAA titles.

Admission is free and fans are encouraged to wear their maroon and grey to show their support.

UMES claims MEAC Bowling Championship

As the careers draw to an end for three University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) seniors it is ending up the same as it started, with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship.

The Lady Hawks captured the 2011 title Sunday, March 20th in Greensboro, their fifth overall and the second for three All-American seniors in Kristina Frahm (right; Oswego, Ill.), Martha Perez (Bogota, Colombia) and Maria Rodriguez (Ibague Tolima, Colombia). UMES defeated Morgan State 4-0 to capture the crown.

The Hawks, rolling all the way through the winner's bracket made short work of the Bears, 4-0 (206-162, 161-157, 170-138, 187-134) to capture the match in straight games.

"What took us over was the fact that we were able to make our spares. I constantly drive into the young ladies that we have to make spares and it proved to be worth it today," said head coach Sharon Brummell (left).

Despite the solid play of the three seniors, it was a junior, Paula Vilas (right; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) who came up big, being named the Most Outstanding Performer of the championship.

"It feels amazing, I did not expect this award," stated Vilas, "When they called my name I was in shock, but I appreciate the honor." Vilas aided her team throughout the tournament and bowled a high of 193 against Norfolk State during the qualifying rounds.

Also claiming an award was Brummell, who was named Outstanding Coach of the championship. It was her fifth time receiving this honor.

"This fifth championship was very special for me because of our three seniors (Frahm, Perez and Rodriguez). This was their last MEAC Bowling Championship. They were a part of the 2008 National Championship team and they really wanted to go out with a win and they were able to achieve that," Brummell said.

Morgan State, the sixth seed, topped second-seeded Delaware State earlier on Sunday in the semifinal round, 4-2. They were led in the tournament by Danielle Hale, Devin Revels and Keisheena Waldron. Hale averaged a 181 in the event while Revels and Waldron were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The MEAC Bowling Championship finale will air in a tape-delayed format on Monday, March 28 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

Up next for UMES are the hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships April 14-16 in Taylor, Mich. A spot will be the eighth straight selection for the Hawks.

Alabama State Hornet's Bowling Makes SWAC Championship Field

The Alabama State University bowling team has qualified for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 2011 Bowling Championship Field.

The top three teams from each division made the field and the Lady Hornets were one of the three teams from the Eastern Division.

The Lady Hornets have shown tremendous improvement during the course of the season. After only winning four matches last season, the Lady Hornets pushed their record into double digits this season with 10 overall wins, and that includes winning four SWAC matches.

Alabama A&M and Jackson State are the other two teams from the Eastern Division to make the field while Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern and Southern University made the field from the Western Division.

The SWAC Tournament will begin Friday, March 4, with qualifying rounds to determine seeding. Teams will then be placed in a double-elimination bracket in Baker play.

Play will continue on Saturday with teams competing in a best-of-seven Baker series. The 2011 SWAC Bowling Championship will conclude on Sunday, March 6 which will begin at 1 p.m. and will broadcast tape-delayed on ESPNU.