Bowling | 3/20/2026 8:56:12 PM

BRACKET

GREENSBORO, N.C., March 20, 2026 - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) officially opened the 2026 MEAC Bowling Championship on Friday at Triad Lanes, with an action-packed first day that saw six of eight teams advance into Saturday’s competition.
 
Top-seeded and regular season champion No. 1 North Carolina A&T State University and No. 2 UAB both delivered strong performances, winning their opening two matches to remain undefeated and advance through the winner’s bracket.
 
North Carolina A&T began its championship run with a dominant 2-0 victory over No. 8 Norfolk State, posting a 1050–613 win in traditional play followed by a 972–657 Baker victory. The Aggies continued their momentum with a 2-1 win over No. 5 Maryland Eastern Shore, narrowly edging the Hawks in both formats. Highlighting the day, N.C. A&T’s Savannah Burgin delivered a standout performance, recording the tournament’s highest individual game with a 256.
 
UAB also advanced cleanly through its first two matches, defeating No. 7 Coppin State 2-0 (914–797 traditional; 1003–839 Baker). Jordan Shipp led the way with a top individual score of 214. The Blazers later secured a 2-0 victory over No. 6 Howard, winning 881–770 in traditional play and 917–837 in Baker competition.
 
In other opening-round action, Maryland Eastern Shore defeated No. 4 Morgan State 2-0 (960–896 traditional; 960–826 Baker), while Howard earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over No. 3 Delaware State. After splitting traditional and Baker play, the Bison clinched the match in a decisive best-of-seven Baker format.
 
Afternoon elimination matches intensified the competition. Morgan State rebounded with a commanding performance to eliminate Norfolk State, winning 815–615 in traditional play and 979–715 in Baker competition to stay alive in the tournament.
 
Delaware State also extended its postseason run with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Coppin State. After dropping the traditional match (948–1058), the Hornets responded with an 838–819 Baker win before capturing the decisive Baker best-of-seven series, 4-3. Freshman standout and MEAC Rookie of the Year Ryan Starke played a pivotal role, delivering a 224 in traditional play.
 
North Carolina A&T closed out the day by securing its spot in Saturday’s winner’s bracket matchup with another 2-0 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore, winning 993–983 in traditional play and 1047–1029 in Baker competition.
 
Day Two Outlook
 
Saturday’s action resumes at 9 a.m. with elimination matches:

• Match 9: Morgan State vs. Howard
• Match 10: Delaware State vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

 
Winner’s bracket play continues at 2 p.m. as:

• No. 1 North Carolina A&T faces No. 2 UAB
• Winners of Match 9 and Match 10