A&T State University wins 2022 MEAC Bowling Championship
Courtesy The MEAC / April 1, 2022
Members of the 2022 MEAC Bowling Championship team at N.C. A&T. Front row (L-R): Pamela Warr, Christina Acosta, Erica Quesada and Lauren Tomaszewski. Top row (L-R): Jada Bassett, Maya Avilez, Chloe Newberry, Grace Stull, Melanie Katen and Laura Garcia.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – North Carolina A&T State University won the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowling Championship Sunday afternoon at Pinboy’s at the Beach with a 4-0 victory over Delaware State.
The top-seeded Aggies, ranked No. 5 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll, won their second straight MEAC championship, third out of the last four and seventh overall.
North Carolina A&T State University also earned the MEAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Bowling National Championship.
The Aggies came out of the gate strong, recording strikes in the first four frames in the first game of the Baker best-of-seven format to take control. They also ended the game with five spares and a strike in four of the final five frames to take the first game 212-181.
That momentum carried into the second game, as the Aggies went strike-spare-strike-strike-spare-spare-strike in the first seven frames en route to a 184-168 win and a 2-0 lead in the overall match. The Aggies then had three straight strikes to open the third game, before closing the game with six in a row – including a three-bagger from Lauren Tomaszewski in the final frame.
North Carolina won that game 255-124 to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
The fourth game was a struggle to start for the Aggies, and the No. 2 seed Hornets (No. 14 in the NTCA poll) appeared to take advantage, going strike-spare-spare-strike-spare-spare-strike-spare-spare in the first nine frames. But frames four through seven saw the Aggies record four consecutive strikes, followed by spares in frames eight and nine from Chloe Newberry and Ericka Quesada.
hat proved to be enough for a 189-180 game win and the match sweep.
Tomaszewski, a First Team All-MEAC selection, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Performer, while MEAC Coach of the Year Kim Terrell-Kearney also took home Outstanding Coach honors.
Tomaszewski was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Melanie Katen (the MEAC Bowler of the Year), Delaware State’s Stefanny Toala and Saralyne Nassberg and Maryland Eastern Shore’s Brooke Roberts.
Sunday’s championship match will broadcast on ESPNU via re-air on Sunday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m., leading into ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA women’s basketball championship game.
