From Nov. 9-10, the Women’s Bowling team hosted and won the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) bowling meet of the year at Triad Lanes in Greensboro.
N.C. A&T matched up against seven MEAC schools and remained undefeated throughout the tournament. The competing schools were Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
A&T ended with a total of 7,107 pin falls across both days of competition, knocking down an average of 203.1 per game. While A&T holds a winning record by a respectable margin against most teams, the story was much different regarding the formidable opponent, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
A&T and UMES have a competitive bowling history, holding a 13-13 record against each other. UMES, who fell short of a victory against A&T by 52 pins, went 4-3 on Sunday, earning them a shared third-place finish with the defending MEAC champions, UAB, and Delaware State.
“We came in knowing there was a good chance we would do well, but I still don’t like how close we let it get,” said assistant coach Eric Kearney. “You can’t give them confidence, which is what we ended up doing early on. A large part of the game is mental.”
This winning mentality isn’t just for show, seeing as A&T’s success at the lanes began even before the first official MEAC meet. Senior Maya Avilez joined an elite list of A&T bowlers after she was voted the conference’s pre-season bowler of the year by MEAC coaches.
“My goals above all are always to bowl well and obviously win the national championship, but personally, I just want to have fun and bowl to the best of my ability,” said Avilez. “I want to come away from college bowling knowing that I enjoyed my time and feel accomplished in what I did here.”
Avilez was also placed on the preseason All-MEAC team alongside her teammates, graduate student Melanie Katen and senior Chloe Newberry.
The battle for the MEAC title became more personal for A&T following their loss in the Championship match against the UMES Hawks last year. With a team led by seniors and graduate students, the drive to reclaim the title of champions is high on the priority list.
“Last year was really disappointing when we didn’t win, but I think that is all the more reason to fight to get back in that position this year,” said Avilez. “Redemption is everything for us and I want that.”
The journey to regaining glory is still underway for the Aggies. The team currently holds a 25-8 overall record and looks to carry their momentum to the Garden State Classic Matchup at Monmouth University from Nov. 22 – 24.
