Coming off three straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship victories, the Lady Aggies bowling team are looking for continued success in the conference.
The team is ranked fourth in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) top-25 poll with a 4-1 record on the year. The Aggies kicked off this season by winning their season-opening tournament, the 2023 Colonial Classic hosted by Tulane University at the Colonial Lanes.
One player in particular for the team has been taking big strides in her performance during her time at A&T. That is two-time MEAC preseason bowler of the year, Lauren Tomaszewski.
As the Aggies faced Alabama A&M in the season-opening tournament, Tomaszewski bowled a perfect 300 game to lead the Aggies to a 1,120-817 win. This marked the second time an Aggie has bowled a perfect game in eight months.
Tomaszewski is a graduate student from O’Fallon, Illinois, and is the program’s only first-team NTCA All-American in history, as well as the reigning two-time MEAC tournament’s most outstanding bowler. She is a three-time all-conference selection, including two first-team selections.
Having fun and capturing another MEAC title is essential this season for Tomaszewski, as this year marks her last season of college bowling.
“For this year, I hope to have fun and stay in the present and enjoy my last season of college bowling,” Tomaszewski said. “I do also hope for us to win our fourth straight MEAC championship title and to go on and win the national championship this year. I believe we have what it takes to win and to have the same girls on the team as last year. We know in our hearts that we are more than capable of achieving our post-season goals.”
Last season, Tomaszewski bowled 1,223 total frames, averaging 20.28 pins per frame. The NTCA All-American had an overall fill of 85.6 percent with a strike percentage of 50.2 and converted 93.1 percent of her single-pin spares.
With her time bowling for A&T coming to an end, Tomaszewski described how an HBCU has helped her outside of her athletic career.
“My experience here at A&T has been nothing short of amazing. Not only have I gotten to grow as a player but also as a person,” Tomaszewski said. “My coaches have been an instrumental part of it, and I am eternally grateful for them and what they have done for me. At A&T, it’s a family, and I’m proud to be a part of the Aggie family and Aggie Nation.”
The Illinois native also expressed her admiration for bowling and how it has impacted her life.
“Being a bowler means a lot of things to me. One thing is for sure: it means the world to me. Without bowling, I wouldn’t have the life experiences or some of my friends I have had if I wasn’t a bowler,” Tomaszewski said. “It will always be a part of me and my life, even if I’m not bowling competitively. I do, however, have aspirations to bowl professionally on the PWBA tour and to make Team USA and be able to represent my country in international competitions someday.”
With the 2023 season off to a great start, Tomaszewski and the Aggies look to continue the quest for their fourth straight MEAC title on Nov. 3 when the Aggies participate in the Sam Houston Kat Klash in Houston, Texas.
