NORFOLK, Va., March 20, 2018—Maryland Eastern Shore’s Cayla Hicks was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowler of the Year, the conference office announced today. Stefanny Toala of Delaware State was named Rookie of the Year. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Kayla Bandy received Coach of the Year accolades.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Hicks headed into this past weekend averaging a MEAC-best 196.6 pins in traditional play, recording her season high of 247 last month in the James Brown Invitational. She finished third in that tournament, and she also had a second-place finish at Prairie View A&M earlier in the season. On top of those tournaments, Hicks was an All-Tournament selection at both Kutztown and Caldwell. She helped lead Maryland Eastern Shore to a United States Bowling Congress (USBC) sectional title and national qualification, as well as the top seed in the upcoming MEAC Bowling Championship. The MEAC Bowler of the Week on Feb. 5, Hicks’ season was also highlighted by her qualifying for Junior Team USA.
 
Toala averaged 183.3 pins in traditional play this season, ranking third on the team with a total pinfall of 8,066. She has the best single-game score in the MEAC this season at 279, which she bowled last month at the James Brown Invitational (a tournament in which she averaged a season-best 211.2 pins in traditional play). Named MEAC Bowler of the Week on Feb. 19, Toala also bowled a 278 this season, and she was named to the Bud Whitman Invitational All-Tournament Team in her first collegiate competition.
 
Bandy has led Maryland Eastern Shore to a 71-43 overall mark this season and the top seed in the upcoming MEAC Bowling Championships after the Hawks had the best average pinfall in the two regular-season conference meets at 184.05. Maryland Eastern Shore is the highest-ranked MEAC team in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top 25 poll, sitting at No. 7, and the Hawks have already qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championship after winning their sectional – and freshman Chloe Skurzynski qualified for the USBC singles championship.
 
Joining Hicks on the All-MEAC First Team are Alexis Neuer of Delaware State, Brigitte Jacobs of Maryland Eastern Shore, Ana Olaya of North Carolina A&T State and UAB’s Caitlin Cunningham.
 
The 2018 MEAC Bowling Championships begin Friday, March 22 at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Va. at 8:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony. In that ceremony, the First Team honorees, regular-season champion, Bowler of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year will be recognized.
 
Teams will compete in Mega Match play beginning at 9 a.m.
 
The championship concludes on Sunday, March 24 with the championship final at 12 p.m.
 

2018-19 All-MEAC Bowling Teams
As voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors
 
Bowler of the Year: Cayla Hicks, Maryland Eastern Shore
Rookie of the Year: Stefanny Toala, Delaware State
Coach of the Year: Kayla Bandy, Maryland Eastern Shore


FIRST TEAM

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Alexis Neuer	Jr.	Delaware State	Lewisburg, Pa.
Cayla Hicks	Jr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Salem, Va.
Brigitte Jacobs	Jr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Freeport, Ill.
Ana Olaya	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Bogota, Colombia
Caitlin Cunningham	r-Jr.	UAB	Honolulu, Hawaii

SECOND TEAM

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Nia Turner	Jr.	Coppin State	Glenn Dale, Md.
Stefanny Toala	Fr.	Delaware State	Tucson, Ariz.
Keondra Eaton	So.	Florida A&M	Baton Rouge, La.
Haley Solberg	Sr.	Monmouth	Belvidere, Ill.
Cameron Strombeck	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Durham, N.C.

THIRD TEAM

Name	Class	School	Hometown
LeAnn Militscher	Fr.	Florida A&M	Brooksville, Fla.
Monique Ragland	Jr.	Florida A&M	Flint, Mich.
Tea Lewis	Jr.	Howard	Chesterfield, Va.
Kyla Day	Jr.	Monmouth	Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
Mia Pope	Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Chicago, Ill.