RALEIGH, N.C. -- Third Seeded and 15th Ranked University of Maryland Eastern Shore bowling team are your 2024 MEAC Bowling Champions! The Hawks, who advanced to the finals from the winner's bracket, knocked off top seeded and fourth-ranked North Carolina A&T 4-2 in the best of seven games to claim the program's 11th MEAC title and first since 2019.

Coming out of the bottom bracket, the Aggies were looking to claim their ninth team title and fourth in a row. And they started off strong. They didn't look much like a team that had lost already in the tournament with a 208 to 174 game one win. Showing why they deserved to be there the Hawks began to rebound in game two holding a lead for most of the game. I was not until the ninth and 10th frames that NCAT was able to take advantage of a small crack in the Hawk armor and come from behind and edge UMES by four pins in game to 211-207 for the 2-0 championship lead.

The Hawks did not go away, nor quietly.

UMES began its comeback in game three with their foot on the pedal and did not let up. Cutting into the Aggie lead, the team from Princess Anne got a huge 212-168 win in game three to get on the board in the championship match. The Hawks then leveled the match at 2-2 with a 44 pin win in the fourth game. This is when "Tito the Chicken" began to get excited.

The good luck charm was passed around to those who closed out and the Hawks started off by doing that in game five with their own four-pin game win, 205-201, this time maintaining the lead and taking the a 3-2 championship advantage.

While momentum swung in favor the Hawks, the cheers began to get louder and louder with every strike in game six. Needing just one of the final two games to claim the title, UMES did not want to wait any further. The Hawks took advantage of multiple open frames by NCAT in the game while getting strike streaks going. Nearly matching their game four win pin total, the Hawks never let up for a 42 pin total win in game six and claimed the 2024 MEAC Championship 4-2 over the Aggies.

For their efforts, head coach Roger Petrin and senior Brooke Roberts were named the tournaments Most Outstanding Coach and Most Outstanding Performer, respectively. Roberts was also an All-Tournament selection.

"I could not be more proud of these young ladies than I am right now," said an elated Petrin. "They have worked hard and have shown their dedication to their teammates and this program with this championship."

When asked about why he changed his lineup heading into the final four games, Petrin knew what had to be done.

"We lost the first two so something had to change. The ladies knew this too. Brooke (Roberts) and Mariana Santos Rivero both came and asked to have Mariana switch to the important anchor spot in the fifth and 10th frames. They knew what they were doing as I was thinking the same and it paid off right away and throughout the final games."

Other members of the team who bowled and were on the floor include Alexis Ingersoll, Alejandra Amezcua, Brooke Driver, Gabriella Ochoa Hubbard, Sybille Buezon, and Aaliyah Friend.

The NCAA Championship will feature an 18-team double-elimination tournament. Automatic qualification was given to 10 conferences, including the MEAC, while eight other teams will be selected with at-large bids.

The 18 teams will be split into four regions — two sites with four teams each, two sites with five teams each. Regionals will take place from Thursday, April 4, to Saturday, April 6. The four regional winners will advance to the championship finals at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan from Friday, April 12, to Saturday, April 13. Each match will consist of a best-of-three format.