March 16, 2009
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A late addition to the schedule, but not unfamiliar territory, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) attended the sectional qualifying for the 2009 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. The sectional, held in Allentown, Pa., proved to be just what the coach ordered, a renewed swagger that led the Lady Hawks to a win in the event with 12,027 pins, topping the USBC defending National Champion Pikeville who had 11,902 pins.
The two teams, both national champions in their own events in 2009, went toe to toe throughout the event, but UMES never relinquished the lead. They set the pace for the nine-team field with the top four earning a berth to the National Championship. The four best from Allentown, along with the four best from three other sectionals, held in Chattanooga, Tenn., Fairview Heights, Ill. and Las Vegas will meet in Rockford, Ill. April 15-18.
The teams bowled 64 baker games in the event with no team games. UMES did run into two NCAA teams at the event, traditionally consisting of club teams from various colleges throughout the United States. They faced Medaille and SUNY IT at the meet where they posted a 3-1 mark, running their NCAA record to 109-36. There are no win/loss records for UMES facing USBC teams at the event.
They topped Medaille twice (714-706 and 751-722) and split with SUNY IT, winning one 749-695 while dropping the second contest 834-729.
UMES posted 6,115 pins on day one the best of any team while nabbing 5,912 on day two, the second highest total at the event, but still enough to stay on top and win the sectional.
Penn State (11,791) and Erie Community College (11,575) finished third and fourth, respectively at the sectional. The USBC also hosts a men's championship and in Allentown, Pikeville won the men's competition with a 64-game total of 13,066 pins. Rochester Institute of Technology was second with 12,983, leaving Webber International (12,956) and Robert Morris (Pa.) (12,546) to collect the final two qualifying positions.
In other women's sectionals, Central Florida, Bellarmine, Robert Morris, Ball State, Calumet, Wichita State, Wright State, Newman, McKendree, Fresno State, Martin Methodist and Lindenwood all made the finals.
Day one of the event featured a singles competition where, again, the top four earn a berth to the singles national title in May. No UMES bowler made that, though Maria Rodriguez came very close, posting a pinfall of 1,217 coming in fifth and missing fourth place by just four pins.
Sara DiScioscia was solid, rolling a 1,159 and taking ninth place while Martha Perez also made the top 20 with 1,086 pins. Katherine Brown was 26th, Paula Vilas was 32nd and Jamie Culbreth was 36th in a 50 bowler field. Liz Seibel from Penn State won the title with a 1,241 pin fall.
