EGG HARBOR, N.J. – In its final competition before the MEAC Championship, the Norfolk State bowling team finished in 12^th place over the weekend at the Hawk Flight Classic hosted by Monmouth at King Pin Bowling.
 
The No. 21 Spartans posted a 6-7 overall record, which included a 3-2 mark on Saturday in traditional play. NSU finished Friday's Baker round with a 2-3 record, and the Spartans also lost two of three on Sunday in the bracket round for their final placement out of 17 teams.
 
Norfolk State came away with three wins on Saturday despite having just one bowler average at least 180. That of course was leading bowler and junior Alexa Rodriguez, who averaged 183.8 in all five games.
 
NSU suffered losses to a pair of ranked teams that day, 915-816 to No. 6 Delaware State, and 932-774 to No. 16 LIU Brooklyn. In between those two losses, the Spartans defeated Monmouth, 840-805, and Felician, 906-781. They also ended the afternoon with a triumph over Kutztown, 833-771.
 
On Friday during the opening day of the tournament, NSU defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, 921-880, as well as LIU Post, 885-745, in Baker play. The Spartans dropped a 990-829 contest to No. 10 Fairleigh Dickinson in between. Then to close out the day, they fell to Franklin Pierce, 1,046-913, and to Caldwell, 863-813.
 
Kutztown got some revenge on Sunday over NSU in the first game, winning the first three games on the way to a 4-1 victory in the best-of-7 format. The Spartans rebounded to top LIU Post in four games before taking on Felician in the 11^th-12^th place game.
 
The Spartans won the second and third games for a 2-1 lead before Felician won the next two. A game of 196 allowed NSU to stay alive, but the Golden Falcons easily won game 7 to finish things off.
 
Senior Briana Gardner was next up after Rodriguez in terms of average on Saturday, posting a 174.4 in all five games. Senior Meagan Marciano was the only other player to compete in all five traditional games. Sophomore Aubrey Conrad (four games) and sophomore Heizel Quinones and freshman McKayla Lang (three each) rounded out the Spartan lineup.
 
The MEAC Tournament will take place from March 23-25 at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake.