BOWIE, Md. – Led by the hot hand of sophomore Sheila-Marie Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.), the Norfolk State women's bowling team finished 6-3 at last weekend's Bowie State Lady Bulldog Classica and placed seventh out of the 19 teams in total pinfall.

Smith knocked down 1,020 pins over Saturday's five team games (204 average), the highest five-game series for Smith or any Spartan this season. She had four games where she knocked down at least 200 pins, including a 231 game in the win over St. Paul's. The Spartans won their first four teams games, beating SPC, Bowie State, Morgan State and Winston-Salem State before losing a close one (929-880) to St. Francis.

NSU (43-27) also got a huge lift in the team games from junior Antoinette Drakeford (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and sophomore Chelsea Krall (Virginia Beach, Va.). Drakeford averaged a career-best 188.3 pins in her three games, including a college-high game of 208 against Bowie State. Krall averaged 186 in her five games, including a 222 against BSU.

The Spartans split their four baker games on Sunday, defeating Penn State-Altoona and North Carolina A&T but losing to Hampton and Howard.

The Spartans tallied 8,098 pins in the event, good for seventh place. UMES won the team title.

NSU participates in the Kutztown Invitational this weekend in Reading, Pa.