STRATFORD, N.J. — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women’s bowling team had a sold showing at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Singles Qualifier (ISC) on Friday.
The Hawks failed to qualify anyone for the championship round, but senior Mariana Alvarado fell just shy taking fifth place overall, needing a top four finish to qualify.
Alvarado led UMES with a pinfall of 1,227 over six games, an impressive average of a 204.5 but she missed qualifying for the singles championship by 38 pins, the difference in fifth and fourth place.
Alvarado tossed a high game in the fourth game with a 234 while her first game was a solid 224. She added two more games over 200 but it just wasn’t enough.
UMES junior newcomer Thashaina Seraus was 15th overall with a tally of 1,177. She posted a high game of a 239 in game five, getting off to a slow start with a pair of 168s but recovering with a 225 in game three. She finished with a 196.33 average.
Tatiana Munoz, who, along with Alvarado qualified last year, took 22nd with a pin fall of 1,152 to average a 192.
Freshman Melanie Copey showed some nice lane play, taking 33rd while the reigning ECAC Player of the Week, Victoria Jones took 44th. Valerie Riggin was 67th.
Verity Crawley of Webber International won the individual sectional with a pinfall of 1,310 while Lauren Hoffman of Sacred Heart was second with a 1,279. Emily Strombeck of North Carolina A&T was third with a 1,272 while Shannon Dewitt of Wright State was fourth with 1,265.
The field was jam packed in a pattern that favored players with less revolutions on their ball. There were 133 women who bowled the event. Meaning that all of the Hawks were at least in the top half of the contestants.
“This was a good experience for us,” said head coach Kayla Bandy. “We had a chance to compete for something while getting in what amounted to some good practice in a tough setting. It really helped us get ready for the ECAC Championships tomorrow and Sunday.”
The Hawks take the lanes across the state on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the ECAC Championships in Elmwood Park, N.J. UMES will play six team games before a bracket day on Sunday.