VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Norfolk State senior Megan Wheat rolled the highest score of any student-athlete at the first day of the MEAC Bowling Championships, posting a career-high 263 with 10 strikes. Morgan State junior Cheyenne Washington was the closest in pursuit with a 238.
 
The Spartans' 2022-23 campaign came to an end on Friday afternoon, losing a back-and-forth matchup to No. 2 seed Maryland Eastern Shore 2-0, before falling to No. 6 seed Coppin State by the same result later in the day.
 
"I'm very proud of this team," Norfolk State head coach Aundray Darden said. "We fought through a lot of injuries and had success despite those obstacles. We've improved a lot from last year and are looking forward to building on the progress from this season."
 
Norfolk State came out of the gate firing, racking up two strikes and two spares in the opening frame of traditional play. The Spartans notched three more strikes in the second frame, setting the tone early that they were prepared for battle with the higher-seeded Hawks.
 
Anchoring the rear of the lineup, Wheat excelled throughout the first game, posting a team-best score of 196. Amassing five strikes in her first six frames, the fourth-year left just two frames open the entire first game.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore answered back with impressive play one lane over as well. The Hawks racked up three strikes in the seventh frame, and converted on four spares in the eighth to earn a slim advantage.
 
Making the first postseason appearance of her collegiate career, LaShauna Burrus stepped up to the pressure, going strike-spare-strike-strike-nine in her final rolls. The effort wasn't quite enough to pull off the upset, though, as UMES used a pair of late strikes to take the first game of the series 876-842.
 
The Spartans moved to the Baker Pin Total portion of the Mega Match, looking to spark a comeback. Maryland Eastern Shore outscored NSU 176-156 in the first game, but NSU gained the momentum back with a 166-153 result in the second.
 
Norfolk State tightened the gap with a 165-160 edge in the third game, but a 24-pin advantage for the Hawks in the fourth gave them a more comfortable cushion. In the fifth and final game, Norfolk State narrowly outscored UMES 152-150, but the Hawks took the pinfall total 806-782.
 
The Spartans had a couple of hours to cool off before their next matchup against Coppin State, but Megan Wheat remained on fire regardless. She bowled strikes on her first six rolls of the afternoon, willing the Spartans to an early lead.
 
But while the Spartans continued to fight, Coppin State saved its best performance for the afternoon, coming away with a 1,018-832 victory. The Eagles were the only team to break 1,000 on Friday.
 
Coppin State won the Baker Pin Total portion of the event 869-686, moving on to the next day of competition. Norfolk State finished strong, recording four consecutive strikes in the final stretch.