UAB Dominates at First MEAC Tournament

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The UAB bowling team made a big statement in its first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) event, closing out the weekend-long tournament in Wilmington, Delaware leading the conference based on its win-loss record.

UAB finished the event with a 9-1 record, including wins over three teams ranked in the National Tenpin Coaches Association's (NTCA) top-25. The Blazers also claimed a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore, the first win over the Hawks in program history.

"The girls played fiercely and rose to the occasion all weekend," head coach Michelle Crews said. "We didn't have the best look at times, but they overcame a lot to come out ahead in our first appearance in the MEAC. Our only loss came against the defending MEAC Champs. That is something to be very proud of. We are excited to take all we learned into next weekend as we look to defend our title at the Hornet Classic."

The Blazers got off to a hot start, finishing Saturday's competition with a 4-1 record across their five Traditional matches. Their first conference win came in their opening match against Florida A&M, when clean frames in the 10th sealed a 918-911 victory.

Two more wins followed, topping Bethune Cookman, 907-709, and No. 8 Delaware State, 886-879 before falling in a heartbreaker to No. 11 North Carolina A&T, 896-815. UAB finished the opening day of conference play with a thriller, as Caitlin Cunningham struck out in the 10th frame against Morgan State to seal an 831-806 victory.

Sunday could not have started any better for the Blazers, who came out firing on all cylinders against the No. 7 Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks. Looking for the program's first win against the Hawks, the Blazers locked in and stunned the MEAC powerhouse, 927-868, to improve to 5-1 in the event.

The Blazers followed suit with four more wins on Sunday, defeating No. 23 Monmouth (883-851), Coppin State (911-852), Howard (1,023-901) and Norfolk State (793-702) to finish their first MEAC competition with a 9-1 record.

UAB closes out the fall portion of its schedule on November 16-18 when it makes the short drive down I-65 to compete in the Hornet Classic hosted by Alabama State. More information on the event can be found here.

For more information on the UAB bowling team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Bowl) or like them on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABBowling2011).

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS