Photo: University of Maryland Eastern Shore Head Bowling Coach Sharon Brummell has her team ranked second in the nation.
UMES HAWKS GAIN HIGHEST RANKING EVER, ARE 2ND IN NTCA NATIONAL POLL; Earns five first place votes.HACKENSACK, N.J. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women's bowling team has achieved something no other team in the history of UMES athletics has done; earned a second place ranking in a national poll. The Lady Hawks moved up one spot from third in the latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll and received an impressive five first place votes.
UMES earned the ranking after capturing the championship at the NCA Mid-Winter Classic, an event featuring nine of the top 10 teams in the country. They also took a third place finish in the Bowie State Classic tournament that featured 20 teams.
"This is amazing," said Head Coach Sharon Brummell. "To be ranked second in the country and to receive those first place votes is just great. The young ladies and I are so proud of this accomplishment."
The Lady Hawks are second only to Nebraska who held down the top spot for the second consecutive poll. They received 14 out of the 20 first place votes.
The current NCAA Champions, Vanderbilt University fell to third after a disappoint tournament at the Mid-Winter Classic. UMES topped the Commodores in their only meeting at that event. Vanderbilt received the other first place vote.
Sacred Heart was fourth, up from eighth place after an impressive stretch and Central Missouri moved down a spot to fifth place.
UMES is coming off of a second place finish in the Capital Classic where they posted a 9-1 mark. They currently stand 87-20 on the year and were 78-19 at the time of the poll voting.
They next head to Baltimore, Md. to bowl in the Morgan State Invitational. #1 Nebraska will be at the event and a possible one vs. two meeting could take place.
The event will be held on February 16-17, at Columbia, MD.
In addition to UMES, others ranked are: Alabama A&M University ranked #9; Delaware State University #10 (tied); Jackson State University #12 and Southern University #13 from the MEAC and SWAC. Other ranked HBCU institutions are shown in the poll in bold type below.
2007-08 NTCA FEBRUARY NATIONAL POLLSeason Record 1st Place Total Previously
Rank Institution, City, State W – L – T Votes Points Ranked
1. University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE 47 – 12 – 0 14 616 1
2. Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 78 – 19 – 0 5 571 3
3. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 51 – 19 – 0 1 527 2
4. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT 61 – 11 – 0 498 8
5. University of Central Missouri. Warrensburg, MO 52 – 18 – 0 452 4
6. Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ 67 – 29 – 0 430 5
7. New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ 59 – 22 – 0 390 6
8. Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 42 – 20 – 0 318 7
9. Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL 47 – 17 – 0 285 9
10T Minnesota State University – Mankato, MN 40 – 16 – 0 250 11
10T Delaware State University, Dover, DE 64 – 26 – 0 250 10
12. Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 44 – 23 – 0 171 12
13. Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA 53 – 34 – 0 168 13
14. Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 44 – 49 – 0 115 15
15. University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, WI 29 – 31 – 0 112 16
16. Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC 60 – 7 108 14
17. St. Peter’s College, Jersey City, NJ 38 – 41 – 0 57 19
18. St. Paul’s College, Lawrenceville, VA 64 – 37 – 0 44 17T
19. St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, NY 33 – 49 – 0 41 17T
20. Bowie State University, Bowie, MD 64 – 38 – 0 31 20
Also receiving votes:
Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD; Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA;
Hampton University, Hampton, VA
; Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX; Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL;
Texas Southern University, Houston, TX; Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA;
Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC;
Shaw University, Raleigh, NC;
Howard University, Washington, DC.
Point system:
NTCA voters rank the top 20 teams on their ballot. Each position has an assigned point value, ranging from 32 points for first place and one point for twentieth place. The sums for every team receiving votes are then sorted into descending order. The specific point values follow:
1st place = 32 points, 2nd = 29, 3rd = 27, 4th = 25, 5th = 23, 6th = 21, 7th = 19, 8th = 17, 9th = 15, 10th = 13, 11th = 11, 12th = 9, 13th = 8, 14th = 7, 15th = 6, 16th = 5, 17th = 4, 18th = 3, 19th = 2, 20th = 1.
Based on our research, this accomplishment is historic for an HBCU institutuion. No other minority institution has been ranked above #3 (UMES) in the history of the NTCA polls.
Photo: Whitney Cunningham scored 10 points to help defeat BCU. The 6-3 junior center is from Western H.S., Baltimore, MD and is majoring in Psycology.
