UMES Takes Home 2011 Crown; Lady Hawks Win Second National Title, Top Vandy

Coach Sharon Brummell wins second NCAA
National Bowling Championship (2011, 2008)
with a talented roster with FIVE 2011 All-Americans,
Paula Vilas, Martha Perez, Anggie Ramirez,
Kristina Frahm and Maria Rodriguez.

TAYLOR, Mich. -- Maryland-Eastern Shore took home the crown at the 2011 NCAA Women's Bowling Championships, defeating Vanderbilt, 4-2 at Skore Lanes in Taylor, Mich. Saturday. The Lady Hawks rebounded from a two-games-to-one deficit to win three consecutive games and the match.

UMES grabbed the early lead with a 215-197 win in the opening game but Vanderbilt answered with a 193-164 win in game two. The Commodores struck in each of the first six frames en route to a 248-201 win in game three. The Lady Hawks roared back with a 30-pin win for the equalizer in game four and it became a best-of-three for the national title.

The Lady Hawks re-gained the lead with a commanding 235-166 victory in the fifth game, inching UMES closer to its second national championship. The sixth game was a back-and-forth affair all the way to the final frame when a Vanderbilt open frame opened the door for UMES. Lady Hawk anchor Maria Rodriguez marked 29 in the 10th to put it away.

To qualify for the championship match, both teams needed to win a pair of matches against undefeated and higher-seeded teams earlier in the bracket. Each did.

UMES knocked-out top seed Fairleigh Dickinson with a 4-2 win Saturday morning, following-up a 4-1 win in Friday's final round in the double-elimination bracket. VU duplicated its Friday afternoon win over second-seeded Nebraska with 4-1 victories on each occasion to advance to the championship.

Saturday's championship will air on ESPN Sunday afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Courtesy Detroit Athletics

Championship Bracket

2010/11 UMES Lady Hawks National Champions Roster

NO NAME Year Handed Hometown Last School 04 Buja, Megan FR Right Rockford, Ill. Thomas Jefferson H.S. 23 Falbo, T'nia SO Right Greensburg, Pa. Hempfield Senior H.S. 14 Frahm, Kristina SR Left Oswego Ill. Oswego East H.S. 21 Perez, Martha SR Right Bogota, Colombia English School 02 Ramirez, Anggie SO Left Bogota, Colombia Saint George School 01 Rodriguez, Maria SR Right Ibague Tolima, Colombia La Presentacion 05 Vilas, Paula JR Right Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub Univ. of APEC Sharon Brummell - Head Coach Doug Dukes - Assistant Coach Vince Brummell - Assistant Coach Maurice Lee - Manager

VISIT: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
VISIT: UMESHAWKS

2011 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: UMES HEADS BACK TO THE TITLE MATCH WITH 4-2 WIN OVER FDU

TAYLOR, Mich. - Three times is a charm, all three, as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) 4-2 and will advance to the National Championship match against Vanderbilt.

The Commodores defeated Nebraska 4-1 to earn their second trip to the finals. FDU only had three losses in the entire tournament, all three were to the Hawks who defeated them yesterday to force today's match and then again today to eliminate them from the event.

The quintet of Paula Vilas, Martha Perez, Anggie Ramirez, Kristina Frahm and Maria Rodriguez, all All-Americans, dominated on right lane, winning games one, three and five before overcoming the left lane to win game six and handing the Knights a 4-2 loss.

In game one UMES rolled six strikes and took advantage of three FDU opens to post a 50 pin spread, 217-167.

Photo Gallery

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2011 NCAA BOWLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: MARYLAND - EASTERN SHORE MAKES FINAL FOUR; IN TITLE HUNT

Past four NCAA championship teams remain in title hunt.  UMES to face Fairleigh Dickinson (2010 NCAA National Champs) today.



The top four seeded teams all remain alive with one loss heading into the final day of the 2011 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship at Skore Lanes in Taylor, Mich. The four teams represent the last four NCAA champions in the sport and are the only schools to win the crown since the tournament began in 2004.

Top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson and second-seeded Nebraska advanced through the winner's bracket in their first two matches while Maryland Eastern Shore and Vanderbilt had to fight back through elimination matches.

The day wasn't without its drama, as FDU had to fend off Vanderbilt in an epic second-round match that went to a tiebreaker. The 192-192 tie in the first game set the tone for this match. After the Commodores posted wins in each of the next two games, defending NCAA-champ FDU answered with three consecutive wins. VU's 199-184 win in the seventh game left the teams each with 3.5 games through seventh forcing a tiebreaker. In the five-frame roll-off, FDU squeaked by with a 107-105 win to advance.

Saturday's matches include FDU (2010 NCAA champ) against UMES (2008) with the other semifinal pitting Nebraska (2009) against Vanderbilt (2007). Nebraska won it all the last time the championships were held in the Detroit area.



Semifinals begin at 10:40 a.m. on Saturday with the championship set for 3:40 p.m. A tape-delayed broadcast of the final round can be seen on ESPN on Sun., April 17 at 2:30 p.m.

Courtesy NCAA.com

SATURDAY: 10:40 AM CT, WATCH LIVE --UMES VS. FDU, CLICK HERE

HOW THEY GOT THERE: • Printable Bracket

Grambling climbs back into SWAC hunt

(CLICK ON FLYER TO ENLARGE)

In 2010, the Grambling State baseball team seemingly came out of nowhere when it caught fire late in the season, captured the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

This season, the Tigers have been in the thick of the SWAC race all along.

Grambling (16-15 overall, 10-5 SWAC) now sits in second place in the SWAC Western Division standings, one game behind first-place Southern (19-12, 11-4). The Tigers visit Alabama State today for a doubleheader starting at noon in Montgomery, Ala.

ASU Black and Gold game, other athletic events set for Saturday

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University has a busy Saturday of athletic events planned, which will include the annual Black and Gold football game set for 2 p.m. at Hornet Stadium.

The Hornets held their final of 14 spring practices prior to the game, which will feature a defensive unit returning several key players and a defensive coordinator back for another year. The defense ranked second in the SWAC in fewest points allowed and third in total defense.

The offense is learning a new scheme, which is being installed by first-year offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss.

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VISIT: GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: GSUTIGERS

What to look for at B-CU's spring football game today

ABOUT THE GAME
WHERE: Ormond Beach Sports Complex
WHEN: Today, 4 p.m.
ADMISSION: $5 ($1 students with ID); parking

1. Quarterbacks
This could be the last chance for Jackie Wilson or David Blackwell to get a leg up heading into summer drills in the battle to replace 2010 MEAC player of the year Matt Johnson. Head coach Brian Jenkins calls the two QBs mirror images of each other. Will Wilson have an advantage playing with the maroon squad and the first-team O-line?  In the summer, the position battle could heat up even more when freshman Quentin Williams, Florida's Mr. Football winner, arrives.

2. Running backs
This could be a chance for someone to break out of a crowded pack. Three of last season's top four rushers (excluding quarterbacks) return: Isidore Jackson (514 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, eight TDs), Johnathan Moment (257 yards, 4.4 ypc, three TDs) and Andronicus Lovette (261 yards, 6.7 ypc, six TDs). Throw into the mix...


Videographer: madie1898; BCU Symphonic Band, Spring Concert 2011, "Someone"

Will Spirited Spring Game Draft Add To Saturday's Show?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –- What was the difference between the Bethune-Cookman University football team’s spring game player draft and those drafts you’re accustomed to watching on television? Well, Mel Kiper Jr. would have been completely clueless for one thing.

Part actual draft, part brokering session and part deal-making that you expect to find in smoke-filled rooms – in this case, without the smoke – as the evening progressed, the Wildcats gathered Thursday night in the football coaches office and labored until the wee hours of the morning hammering out the line-ups for Saturday’s game at Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

There were players practicing to be agents and the ever-looming threat of a “blockbuster trade” at the 11th hour, but the most important thing for B-CU Head Coach Brian Jenkins was seeing a lot of enthusiasm and camaraderie among the coaching staff and players.

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VISIT: BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY
VISIT: BCUATHLETICS

Paine College to host SIAC Golf Classic

Atlanta, GA — The 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Golf Classic is set to take place Monday, April 18th through Wednesday, April 20th. This year’s classic will be hosted by Paine College and be played at the Lions home course, Jones Creek Golf Club in Augusta, GA.

“Paine College is excited to host golf invitational here in Augusta, Georgia at our golf team’s home golf course, Jones Creek. This gives our community a chance to see some of the finest collegiate student athletes’ play. We encourage members of the community to come out and join us as we celebrate golf in our community,” said Dr. George C. Bradley, president of Paine College.

The 2011 golf championship will feature all five SIAC teams including Benedict College, Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, LeMoyne-Owen College, and Paine College.

Originally designed by renowned golf architect Rees Jones, Jones Creek Golf Club opened its doors in 1985 and is ranked as one of the top golf courses in the state of Georgia, including the best course in Columbia County for 2010. The club is built on a superb site and offers a challenge for golfers of all skill levels. The 6,928-yard course features many changes in elevation, tall Georgia pines, and winding streams throughout the course create a beautiful setting for a championship golf event.

Established in 1736, Augusta is the second largest and oldest city in Georgia. Located in the east central section of the state, Augusta is approximately 150 miles east of Atlanta on Interstate 20. Augusta, also known as the “Garden City”, is home to the most famous professional golfing event in the world, The Masters.

Stillman softball team wins pair over Concordia

Tuscaloosa, AL | The Stillman College softball team picked up two more victories Thursday, as their two starting pitchers threw one-hit and no-hit games to win over Concordia 19-0 and 16-0. The Tigers were honoring their two seniors, Anjelica Nixon of Tuscaloosa and captain Janay Hudson of Moultrie, Ga. With the two wins, Stillman improves to 14-21 overall and 8-11 in conference play.

Freshman Brittany Perry picked up her ninth win as she recorded her fifth shutout in the 19-0 victory. Perry allowed one hit and struck out 12. Perry was a leader offensively as well, as she hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first. Perry also had two singles and walked once with one stolen base and three runs scored. Hudson was 3-for-3 with a double, two singles and a walk. Hudson scored four runs, stole two bases, and had one RBI.

Softball Seniors Honor as Softball teams Sweeps Concordia

Tuscaloosa, AL - The Stillman Lady Tigers Softball team picked up two more victories on Senior Day on Thursday, as their two starting pitchers threw one-hit and no-hit games to win over Concordia 19-0 and 16-0. The Tigers were honoring their two seniors, Anjelica Nixon of Tuscaloosa and captain Janay Hudson of Moultrie, GA. With the two wins, Stillman improves to 14-21 overall and 8-11 in conference play.

Freshman Brittany Perry, the SIAC Western Division Pitcher of the Week, picked up her ninth win of the season, as she recorded her fifth shutout of the season to win 19-0. Perry allowed only one hit (a single), while striking out 12 and walking none. Perry was a leader offensively as well, as she blasted her first homerun of the season, a solo homer in the bottom of the first.

Perry also had two singles and walked once to go three for three with one RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored.

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VISIT: STILLMAN COLLEGE
VISIT: STILLMAN ATHLETICS
VISIT: CONCORDIA COLLEGE AT SELMA
VISIT: CONCORDIA HORNETS