HAMMER NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE WINS BIG WITH HAMMER

There aren’t many teams that can say they’ve won multiple national titles in the same season. College basketball has the City College of New York, which was the only team to win both the National Invitation Tournament and NCAA championships in the same year.

And now bowling has the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Their women’s bowling team used Hammer Bowling equipment to pull off the first double championship in collegiate bowling history. The Lady Hawks won both the 2011 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship and the 2011 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championship to stake their claim as the undisputed No. 1 team in collegiate bowling.

“I’m not really sure if this is real,” said UMES head coach Sharon Brummell. “But there’s no doubt that were the best team in the nation.”

UMES began their historic double by winning the NCAA Championship at Skore Lanes in Taylor, Mich. April 16th. In a match televised live on ESPN, UMES won the first game, 215-192, but Vanderbilt answered back with a 193-164 victory in Game 2. The Commodores continued to strike, winning a 248-201 rout in Game 3.

But that was the last game win for Vanderbilt, as Maryland Eastern Shore posted three straight match wins—234-204, 235-166 and 192-181. It was the second NCAA title for the Lady Hawks, who won the 2008 title over Arkansas State, 4-2.

After pulling out a gritty performance in Detroit, Maryland Eastern Shore was facing another daunting task, as they traveled to AMF Peach Lanes in Columbus, Ga. for the ITCs. UMES survived the preliminaries to advance to the championship match and face Lindenwood University.

In the opening game, UMES fell to Lindenwood, 182-156. But just like they did in the NCAA tournament, the Lady Hawks rallied to win the best-of-three contest, 189-183 and 164-158 to win their first ITC crown.

“Neither team bowled very well on the television lanes,” Brummell told Bowl.com. “But we persevered. It has been an exhausting season, but one well worth everything these young ladies put in.”

After the match Brummell reflected on her team’s accomplishment. “This will probably never happen again in college bowling, it is such a rare feat and something our team and University can be very proud of.”

PHOTO:Tim Fuller/UMES Media Relations

— Hammer Bowling Balls & Bowling Equipment -Based in Hopkinsville, Kent., Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that currently services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets both domestically and internationally. In addition to Hammer, the company’s consumer product brands include Track, Robby’s, Columbia 300, Ebonite and Powerhouse™; its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct.

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• 05/04/2011
  UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE WINS BIG WITH HAMMER

  There aren’t many teams that can say they’ve won multiple national titles in the same season.