ARLINGTON, Texas —The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) learned their destination on Wednesday of this week for the sectional-qualifier for the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships.  The Hawks are headed to Las Vegas and for a few Hawks, it will be their second trip this season.

The four sectional qualifiers will be held March 9-10 at AMF Parkway Lanes in Allentown, Pa.; Texas Star Lanes in Las Vegas; St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tenn.

The top four teams in each division at each sectional will advance to the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships, which will be held April 18-20 at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.

Several Hawks, including junior stand-out Megan Buja and both coaches, Kristina Frahm and Tyler Schmitz all competed in Vegas for a spot on TEAM USA.  While none of them made the squad, Frahm herself led the entire field after day one.

Also heading to ‘Sin City’ will be Baker, Central Oklahoma, Clarke, Fresno State, Grand View, Indiana Tech, No. 4 Midland, Mount Mercy, Northwestern Ohio, fellow NCAA team Stephen F. Austin, West Texas A&M and second-ranked Wichita State.

“It’s a tough field for sure,” said Frahm.  “Wichita and Midland are top five teams and everyone else is pretty solid as well, but we just need a top-four finish to advance and once we get there its anyone’s game.”

The Robert Morris-Illinois women earned the top spot in their division and will go to Fairview Heights, while third-ranked Webber International will compete in Allentown. The fifth-ranked squad from Lindenwood headlines the Smyrna women's field.

The ITC Championships also features a men’s event.  On their side, Robert Morris-Illinois earned the No. 1 spot in the Team Ranking System and will head to Fairview Heights. Second-ranked Wichita State will headline in Las Vegas, third-ranked Morehead State heads to Allentown, while No. 4 Lindenwood will go to Smyrna.

The NCAA is well represented in the field.  Five will be in the Allentown sectional alone, two are in the Fairview Heights sectional and three in Smyrna.  Other women’s teams making it include:

Allentown Sectional
Briarcliffe, Erie CC, Hudson Valley CC, Kutztown, Long Island-Brooklyn, Mohawk Valley CC, Morehead State, Niagara CC, Notre Dame-Ohio, Ohio State, Pikeville, Robert Morris-Peoria, Sacred Heart, Schenectady CC, St. Francis-Pa., Ursuline, Viterbo, Webber International

Fairview Heights Sectional
Ashford, Ball State, Bellarmine, Bethel-Tenn., Bowling Green State, Calumet, Carthage, Elmhurst, Iowa Central CC, Louisville, Newman, Robert Morris-Illinois, St. Ambrose, William Penn, Winona State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wright State

Smyrna Sectional
Adrian, Alma, Campbellsville, Central Florida, Florida State, Huntington, Lindenwood, Lindenwood-Belleville, Marian, Martin Methodist, McKendree, Norfolk State, Siena Heights, St. Catharine, Toledo, Urbana, Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Sectional assignments are based on the Team Ranking System points earned in USBC Collegiate-certified competition throughout the season. USBC Collegiate attempts to place no more than two of the top eight schools and no more than four of the top 16 schools in a sectional based on final TRS totals. Sectional qualifier fields are determined by taking geographic distance, economics and field size into consideration.

The sectionals will consist of 32 Baker games each day for a total of 64 Baker games. The top four teams based on total pinfall in each division following the completion of competition at each sectional will advance to the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships.

In addition, these four locations will host qualifying for the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Singles Championships on March 8. Competitors at each of the four sectional events will bowl six games with 24 men and 16 women - the top four men and top four women at each sectional plus eight additional selections from the men's field based on size of field at each location - advancing to the national singles tournament on April 16 at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb.  Several Hawks will also compete in singles.

For more information on USBC Collegiate, visit BOWL.com/collegiate.

xbowling is the title sponsor of the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships. xbowling is a first-of-its-kind bowling app that empowers bowlers to connect and compete using their smart phone or tablet devices while bowling within xbowling enabled centers locally, across the country and around the world.  The xbowling platform allows bowlers to enter challenges, view live scoring, and compete remotely while bowling.

UMES is now off until March when they will compete in a conference divisional match-up before heading to Las Vegas.