Four Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) bowlers have been voted on the 2010 All-American team by the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) tonight. They join Head Coach Sharon Brummell who was noted the National Coach of the Year for the second time in her career. The announcements came at the NCAA Banquet, held before the 2010 NCAA Championship which begins tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
Sharon Brummell earns her second National Coach of the Year award. She previously was named the recipient in 2008 when UMES captured the NCAA title. That feat made her the first African-American and the first woman to capture the NCAA women's bowling crown. Earlier this season she earned her fifth MEAC Coach of the Year honor. In her 12th year at the helm, the Lady Hawks posted a 100-30 overall record and 23-7 mark in MEAC play. Brummell has her Lady Hawks currently ranked first in the nation in the National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) Poll. UMES won four events this season, the Lady Bulldog Invite, the Kutztown Invite, the Mid-Winter Classic and the USBC Chattanooga Sectional. She was recently named to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Women's Bowling Committee.
Topping the player accolades was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year, Maria Rodriguez. Rodriguez earns her third straight All-American selection and her second First-Team nod. This season she earned MEAC Player of the
Year accolades for the second straight year. The junior totaled 9,886 pinfall in 49 games this season. She averaged a 202, including a game high 277 at the Fright Knight Invitational where she was named an All-Star. The MEAC Preseason Bowler of the Year aided her team to a 100-30 overall mark and 23-7 record in conference play this season. Rodriguez was a four-time All-Tournament team selection and recorded five top ten finishes at meets this season.
Paula Vilas earned her first All-American honor with a second-team selection. Vilas, in her sophomore campaign, is finishing her first complete season, as she started bowling collegiately in January of 2009. This season she rolled the first 300 game in the history of UMES while posting a 195.25 average on a 10,739 pinfall over 55 games. She earned a nod on the MEAC First-Team, MEAC Player of the Week honors once and was named MVP of the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic.
Also making her first All-American selection was Martha Perez. Perez, a junior, was named a third-team selection in her best season ever. She earned MEAC First-Team honors and three straight MEAC Bowler of the Week awards. Perez earned All-Tournament honors at the Lady Bulldog Classic, the Kutztown Invite and the Mid-Winter Classic. Perez averaged a 189.2 and tallied a 9,681 pinfall over 51 games. Her high was a 278 at Bowie State.
Kristina Frahm earned her third straight All-American honor with an Honorable
Mention selection. Frahm is the model of consistency for the Hawks. She earned second-team All-MEAC honors and averaged a 191.76 over 50 games, posting a 9,588 pinfall. She rolled a season high-game of a 276 at the Mid-Winter Classic.
UMES' four All-Americans lead the team into competition today at 9:00 a.m. at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Competition begins with qualifying rounds in which each team bowls one five-person regular team game against each of the other seven teams participating in the championship for a total of seven games. Teams will be seeded for bracket play based on their win-loss record during the qualifying rounds. Teams will then compete in best-of-seven-games Baker matches in a double elimination tournament starting Friday, April 9.
The 2010 NTCA All-America Team
First Team
Cassie Leuthold, Nebraska, Senior
Brittni Hamilton, Vanderbilt, Sophomore
Maria Rodriguez, UMES, Junior
Josie Earnest, Vanderbilt, Senior
Amanda Falk, Central Missouri, Senior
Second Team
Paula Vilas, UMES, Sophomore
Erica Perez, FDU, Senior
Jessica Earnest, Vanderbilt, Freshman
Natalie Cortese, Valparaiso, Sophomore
Samantha Santoro, Arkansas State, Sophomore
Third Team
Angela Reynolds, FDU, Junior
Martha Perez, UMES, Junior
Sara Litteral, FDU, Junior
Ashley Clinchoc, Minnesota State, Senior
Natalie Jimenez, Central Missouri, Freshman
Honorable Mention
Keisheena Waldon, Morgan State, Sophomore
Alexandra Stein, Saint Francis, Senior
Brittany Garcia, Vanderbilt, Senior
Adriana Jamie, Delaware State, Sophomore
Marissa Martinek, Arkansas State, Senior
Joely Carrillo, FDU, Sophomore
Danielle McEwan, FDU, Freshman
Nicole Drejewski, New Jersey City, Junior