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| T'NIA FALBO MEAC BOWLER OF THE YEAR |
NORFOLK, Va. - University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) junior T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Bowling Player of the Year, the league announced today. Falbo had a brilliant season, coming on strong in the second half of the year to boast three MEAC Player of the Week honors and three All-Tournament Team selections.
She averaged a 203.8 over 49 games with a pinfall of 9,989, helping UMES clinch its third MEAC Northern Division Title with a 29-1 conference mark. The Hawks sport a 94-29 overall record and are currently ranked fifth in the latest NTCA Coaches' and Media polls.
Falbo is the second Hawk to earn the accolade, following three-time MEAC Player of the Year Maria Rodriguez (Ibague Tolima, Colombia). Rodriguez won the inaugural award in 2009 and UMES has never let another school take it home since. Falbo has the highest game in the league this season, sporting a 280 at the Prairie View Invitational with an average of 235.2 over five games in Texas.
Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Guanajuanto, Mexico) earned the schools second ever bowling MEAC Rookie of the Year. She recorded a 7,826 total pinfall and notched a high game of a 242 at a MEAC North meet. She averaged a 185 or above in nine of 10 events this season and finished sporting a 190.8 average.
Norfolk State's Wilhelmenia Harrison earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season.
Also earning conference accolades is Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) who was the pre-season player of the year for the MEAC and also the only other MEAC Rookie of the Year from UMES back in 2009. Ramirez also had a solid season that earned her inclusion on the First-Team All-MEAC squad. Ramirez had the highest average on the team this season, a 206.81, thanks to a sensational first half of the year. She tallied a pinfall of 8,686 over 42 games and rolled a 277 high game this season at the first MEAC North match-up. She was a four-time MEAC Bowler of the Week and her 277 was the third highest game this season and the best recorded in MEAC only play.
Filling out the First-Team was Tiffany Lebahn of Delaware State, Thea Aspiras of Norfolk State and Keisheena Waldon of Morgan State.
UMES didn't stop there however, getting two more nods on the MEAC Second-Team. Despite holding higher averages than other members of the First-Team, Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) and Paula Vilas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) were both tabbed for that accolade. They joined Jazmyne Hefflefinger of DSU, Laverne Jones of North Carolina Central, Chelsea Krall of Norfolk State and Staci Hillard of Bethune-Cookman.
Buja carried a 197.07 average over 44 games with a pin count of 8,671. Her high game on the season came at Prairie View with a 264 where she joined Falbo on the All-Tournament Team. That game was the sixth best in the league this year. She was also an All-Star at the N.J. Jamboree to open the season
Vilas, the lone senior on the squad, earned All-MEAC honors for the second straight year. She averaged a 192.63 over 40 games and tallied a pin fall of 7,705. Her high game, a 256 came at the first MEAC North meet of the season. That was the ninth best game in the league this season.
UMES is coming off of a second place finish in the USBC ITC Allentown sectional where they qualified for the Intercollegiate Team Championships. They are hoping to defend their National Championship at that event. This weekend the Hawks are off to Greensboro, N.C. where they are looking for their sixth MEAC Championship and second straight title. Play starts Friday the 16th with qualifying rounds and continues through Sunday.
On Saturday the teams compete in a best-of-seven Baker series. The championship concludes on Sunday, March 18 beginning with the semifinal round at 9:50 a.m. and concluding with the championship final at 11:45 a.m. The championship finale will air tape-delayed on ESPNU on March 26 at 10 p.m.
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION
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