Maryland Eastern Shore’s Thashaina Seraus was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowler of the Year, the conference announced today. Cayla Hicks, of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Alexis Neuer, of Delaware State, were selected as Co-Rookies of the Year. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Kayla Bandy received Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Seraus earned her second consecutive Bowler of the Year honor after leading the Hawks in strike percentage (52.0 percent) with 583 total strikes this season. A three-time MEAC Bowler of the Week, she finished first individually at the Hawk Classic with a 227.6 average, where she bowled a season-high 269 in a win over LIU Brooklyn. She recently helped the Hawks finish in second place at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Sectionals after bowling the most frames (128), while converting 94.9 percent of her single-pin spares.
Hicks averaged 196.2 pins in Baker play and 155.84 in team matches this year. She led the Hawks at the Lady Jack Classic in Baker matches in strikes (48) with an 86.6 strike percentage. Hicks, who for the entire season has an average pinfall of 193.9, also bowled a season-high 231 at the Mid-Winter Invitational. She finished her rookie season with 359 strikes and 339 spares.
Neuer recorded a 197.7 average in 46 games during her first season with the Lady Hornets. She notched a total pinfall of 9,093, including four tournaments with over 1,000 total pinfall. Neuer recently qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championship after posting a total pinfall of 1,262 at the USBC Sectionals. She was also named to the Monmouth Hawk Flight All-Tournament team during the regular season.
In her fourth season as head coach, Bandy led the Hawks to a 19-5 MEAC record and 78-35 regular-season mark. Maryland Eastern Shore is currently ranked eighth in overall RPI, according to NCAA.com. Under Bandy, the Hawks recently qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in April. This is Bandy’s second consecutive Coach of the Year honor.
Joining Seraus on the All-MEAC First Team are North Carolina A&T State’s Kristin Shinn and MacKenzie Robinson, Norfolk State’s Alexa Rodriguez and Delaware State’s Elizabeth Burkholder.
The 2017 MEAC Bowling Championship begins Friday, March 24 at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Va. at 8:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony. Teams will compete in five traditional games to determine the seeding for day two action.
The championship concludes on Sunday, March 26 with the championship final at 12 p.m.
2016-17 All-MEAC Bowling Teams
As voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors
Bowler of the Year: Thashaina Seraus, Maryland Eastern Shore
Co-Rookies of the Year: Cayla Hicks, Maryland Eastern Shore & Alexis Neuer, Delaware State
Coach of the Year: Kayla Bandy, Maryland Eastern Shore
First Team
Name Ht. Class School Hometown
Thashaina Seraus 5-3 Gr. Maryland Eastern Shore Oranjestad, Aruba
Kristin Shinn 5-5 Sr. North Carolina A&T State West Columbia, S.C.
MacKenzie Robinson 5-7 Sr. North Carolina A&T State Detroit, Mich.
Alexa Rodriguez 5-2 r-So. Norfolk State Carolina, Puerto Rico
Elizabeth Burkholder 5-5 Jr. Delaware State Lancaster, Pa.
Second Team
Name Ht. Class School Hometown
Krysta Coleman 5-5 Sr. Bethune-Cookman Trotwood, Ohio
Jacqueline Rhoda 5-6 So. Maryland Eastern Shore Portage, Ind.
Briana Gardner 5-9 Jr. Norfolk State Stone Mountain, Ga.
Trinity Yates 5-7 Sr. Howard Martinsburg, W.Va.
Ivory Miles 5-4 Sr. Bethune-Cookman Bolingbrook, Ill.
Third Team
Name Ht. Class School Hometown
Justice Davis 5-3 Jr. Howard Accokeek, Md.
Chelsey Merklinger 4-11 Jr. Delaware State Kinzers, Pa.
Aubrey Conrad 5-10 Fr. Norfolk State Virginia Beach, Va.
Kristyn Mitchell 5-3 Jr. Howard New Castle, Del.
Melanie Copey 5-8 Jr. Maryland Eastern Shore Ontario, N.Y.