NORFOLK, Va. – For the third straight year, Norfolk State bowling coach Wilhelmenia Harrison garnered the MEAC Coach of the Year Award and junior Thea Aspiras earned first-team All-MEAC status as the 2013 conference bowling honors were announced on Friday morning.
Harrison, now in her eighth season with the program, won the award in 2011 and 2012 and again this year, each time leading the Spartans to the MEAC Southern Division title. NSU reached new heights in 2012, capturing its first-ever MEAC title as well. The Spartans will aim for their second straight this weekend at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake.
Aspiras earned first-team All-MEAC honors for the third straight season after tallying a 203.4 average in all 38 team games on the season. She was twice named MEAC Bowler of the Week and was also tabbed to the preseason all-conference team. The native of Chesapeake is the only Spartan bowler ever to earn first-team postseason honors.
NSU owns a 59-29 overall record this season and won the divisional title at 21-3, a year after finishing with the most wins in school history at 91-40. The Spartans enter the weekend ranked 11th in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) top-20 coaches poll.
Anggie Ramirez of UMES was named the Player of the Year, while Emily Strombeck of North Carolina A&T earned the Rookie of the Year Award. Ramirez and Aspiras were joined on the first team by Atoya Leatherbury of Morgan State, Staci Hilliard of Bethune-Cookman and T'Nia Falbo of UMES.
Strombeck, Maria Alvarado and Megan Buja of UMES, Laverne Jones of North Carolina Central and Nicole Bower of Delaware State were named to the second team.
The MEAC Championship begins Friday and runs through Sunday with the semifinal and final. The teams will compete in the qualifying rounds on Friday, followed by the bracket rounds on Saturday in Baker play.
2012-13 MEAC Bowling All-Conference Honors
First-Team
Name School Cl. Hometown
Anggie Ramirez Maryland E. Shore Sr. Bogotá, Colombia
T'nia Falbo Maryland E. Shore Sr. Greensburg, Pa.
Thea Aspiras Norfolk State Jr. Chesapeake, Va.
Staci Hilliard Bethune-Cookman Sr. Port Huron, Mich.
Atoya Leatherbury Morgan State Jr. Wilmington, Del.
Second-Team
Name School Cl. Hometown
Megan Buja Maryland E. Shore Jr. Rockford, Ill.
Laverne Jones North Carolina Central Sr. Goldsboro, N.C.
Nicole Bower Delaware State Sr. Camp Hill, Pa.
Maria Alvarado Maryland E. Shore So. Leon, Guanajuanto, Mexico
Emily Strombeck North Carolina A&T Fr. Durham, N.C.
Player of the Year: Anggie Ramirez, Maryland Eastern Shore
Rookie of the Year: Emily Strombeck, North Carolina A&T
Coach of the Year: Wilhelmenia Harrison, Norfolk State
