NORFOLK, Va. – After a strong regular season of competition, the Norfolk State women's bowling team will participate this weekend in the 2008 MEAC Championship at the Sparetimes Bowling Lanes in Hampton.

The action begins at 9 a.m. Friday with qualifying rounds, which will determine seeding for Saturday's games. Admission is free and open to the public.

This will be the first time the Spartans (38-48) have qualified for the MEAC Bowling Championship under the current eight-team format. NSU finished third out of five teams in the MEAC Southern Division with a conference record of 14-10, just behind Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman, who both finished 15-9.

Delaware State, Hampton, Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State qualified from the MEAC Northern Division. NSU, FAMU, B-CU and North Carolina A&T qualified from the MEAC Southern Division.

The Spartans have been led this season by the trio of Cathryn Myrick (Virginia Beach, Va.), Tiffany Hunt (Norfolk, Va.) and Lacey Smith (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Myrick averages a 178.6 and ranks 12th among MEAC bowlers in conference competition. Myrick also has the high game for a Spartan bowler this season with her 257 at the Bowie State Classic on Jan. 27. That is tied for the sixth-best game for a MEAC bowler this season.

Hunt averages 165.8 and Smith comes in at 164.3.