NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s (UMES) women’s bowling team climbed three spots to second overall in the latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) Media poll, the NTCA released earlier this week. UMES garnered 207 points, just 11 shy of new number one Arkansas State University.
While UMES was second in the poll, they received three first place votes, half the total received by the new No. 1 Red Wolves. No other team received a first place vote. ASU moved up from fourth in the preseason poll while UMES was fifth.
UMES had a tough start to the season, finishing ninth place in the New Jersey Jamboree but still posting a 9-3 record. After that the Hawks got rolling, taking first place in their conference Northern Division meet with a 9-1 mark, then taking first-place in the UMES Hawk Classic, sponsored by Brunswick. That tournament, featuring many of the nation’s top teams, showed the Hawks’ mettle as they led from start to finish. They followed that up with another first-place victory this past weekend at the second conference northern division meet, going a perfect 10-0.
UMES is now 40-5 overall after completing the 2013 portion of the schedule.
The University of Central Missouri maintained its place as the nation’s No. 3 team, earning 183 points. Stephen F. Austin University was fourth with 171 points and Fairleigh Dickinson was fifth, earning 169 points. FDU climbed up from seventh while SFA jumped up from ninth place. The two teams were flip-flopped in the coach’s poll.
Nebraska was sixth with 147 points while Wisconsin-Whitewater, Vanderbilt, Kutztown and Sam Houston State rounded out the top ten. Those teams hold identical spots in the coach’s poll.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) rival Delaware State earned its first ranking of the season, coming in 14th while the MEAC’s North Carolina A&T rounded out the poll in 20th, earning its first ranking of the year.
The Hawks will return to the lanes January 24-26, 2014 in Reading, Pa. at the Kutztown Invitational.