(DOWNINGTOWN, PA) The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks Bowling
Team has moved from a field of 64 National Women’s Collegiate Bowling Teams to 16, making it for the
first time in school history, and as the first HBCU, to enter the
National Championships at this level. UMES finished third in the East College Bowling USA Sectional
Qualifier, good enough for a sweet sixteen birth into Nationals. They did it with a Baker Game total of
11,768 pins. The National event will be held April 23-26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with the final day of
competition to be televised nationally by TNT or ESPN2.
“I am very excited for our first trip to Nationals,” said Head Coach Sharon Brummell. “There were a lot
of people who did not think we could make it, when the polls came out they never wanted to rank us and
think we could make it, now we are ranked in the top ten in the country and are moving on to Oklahoma,”
she added. Currently UMES is ranked tenth in the NCBCA (National Collegiate Bowling Coaches
Association) poll and eighth by CollegeBowling.com’s Team Ranking System with new polls due out
soon.
“The young ladies stayed focused, did what had to be done and are now one of the top 16 teams in the
country, at this last meet (the CB USA East Sectional Qualifier) everybody bowled, we have seven girls
on the team and all seven had to bowl to earn us this accomplishment,” said Brummell. Those seven
include two seniors, Lori Rumping and Krista King, as well as juniors Lynn Oldack and Vicki Gay. The
remaining three bowlers include two sophomores Sandra Maresca and Ariel Givens, with freshman
MaryEtta Lewis providing the rookie spark. Those ladies are no slouches either. In national rankings
Maresca stands 20th in the country, Rumping at 26th, and Gay at 45th in averages with a minimum of 56
games. Maresca is averaging a whopping 198.819 pins while Rumping trails her with 197.243. Gay is
knocking down 192.380 when she steps to the stripe. Others ranked include Oldack, who stands 47th in
total average with 195.974 when there is no game minimum. Even freshman Lewis stands 14th nationally
in the Top Rookie category with 189.826 pins.
“We are just so excited to be going and to represent not only the University of Maryland Eastern Shore,
but the state of Maryland, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the nation,” said
Brummell. “Look for us later this month, we will make an impact,” she concluded.
Sacred Heart University, St. Peter’s College and Morehead State University from the East Sectional join
UMES. Others in the Sweet 16 include West Texas A & M Univ., Central Missouri State Univ.,
California State Univ.-Fresno, Arizona State Univ., Wichita State Univ., Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Kansas, Lindenwood Univ., Pikeville College, Florida State Univ., Central Florida, and Indiana State
Univ.
