Defending national champion University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) was picked to finish atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) northern division, as voted on by the league’s head bowling coaches and sports information directors. Bethune-Cookman was selected to as the favorite to win the southern division.
The Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks completed the 2007-08 season with a 24-3 mark in conference play and 117-24 overall record. The Lady Hawks defeated Arkansas State, 4-2, and made MEAC history when they captured their first NCAA Women’s Bowling title since the sport’s sanction in 2004. The title was the first national Division I title for UMES, as well as the MEAC. UMES Head Coach Sharon Brummell became the first woman head coach to lead her team to a bowling title.
The Lady Hawks received 16 first-place votes for a total of 228 points to earn this year’s top northern selection.
Delaware State, last year’s MEAC championship runners-up, were predicted to finish second in the northern division with 192 points. Morgan State (149) was slated to finish third followed by Hampton (143), Howard (128) and Coppin State (100).
Bethune-Cookman received 11 first-place votes after recording a 15-9 MEAC mark and 39-31 overall record last year.
Florida A&M was picked to finish second in the southern division with 191 total points. Norfolk State was predicted to finish third in the south with 159 points. North Carolina A&T (155) and South Carolina State (129) wraps up the preseason predictions with a fourth and fifth place ranking, respectively.
Conference play begins this weekend with the MEAC southern teams in action at North Carolina A&T. The northern division will also gets underway with conference play this weekend in Washington, DC in a meet hosted by Howard. The 2008-09 MEAC Bowling Championship tournament is scheduled for March 20-22, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For more information on MEAC bowling and other sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com.
The 2008-09 MEAC Bowling Predicted Order of Finish listed below.
2008-09 MEAC Bowling Predicted Order of Finish
as voted on by the leagues head coaches and sports information directors
(First place votes in parenthesis)
MEAC Northern Division
1. Maryland Eastern Shore (16)....... 228 pts.
2. Delaware State (4)...................... 192 pts.
3. Morgan State ............................ 149 pts.
4. Hampton.................................... 143 pts.
5. Howard...................................... 128 pts.
6. Coppin State.............................. 100 pts.
MEAC Southern Division
1. Bethune-Cookman (11)................... 203 pts.
2. Florida A&M (7)............................. 194 pts.
3. Norfolk State (2)............................ 159 pts.
4. North Carolina A&T........................ 155 pts.
5. South Carolina State...................... 129 pts.