The 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowling Championship takes place this weekend in Raleigh, NC at Buffaloe Lanes (Buffaloe Lanes North (5900 Oak Forest Drive, Raleigh, NC 27616). The Howard University bowling team is excited for the chance to challenge themselves among the conference's best.
 
"We've had a very successful year and are ready for the MEAC Tournament," Howard head coach Ron Davis said. "The team has expressed some things that the coach likes to hear. They are starting to understand how to read the lanes and how not to get so caught up and overthinking the situation. So, I am looking for a very impressive showing from these young ladies. This is a great group of hard-working young ladies who have and a lot of energy."
 
The Bison enter championship weekend with momentum from last weekend's annual Music City Classic in Nashville. Collectively, HU grabbed three victories over the weekend while surpassing its win total a year ago (28), which is a significant sign of progress for the Bison despite plenty of logistical challenges.
"It's been an up-and-down season," Davis said. "This is how things are going because training off-campus, it's been really hard to manage especially when all the bowling centers in the area have pretty much shut down or have turned into entertainment centers. I am thankful for the few centers that still have leagues going on.
 
"It still makes it kind of hard for us because we can't practice later in the day due to the leagues. So, we squeeze all the time in that we can get. Having a team full of nursing students with labs and scheduling a correct time when we all can get together and have a successful workout is difficult."
 
Through it all, the Bison have turned in solid performances throughout the season. Last weekend in Nashville, the triumvirate of All-MEAC selection sophomore Cameren Sullivan, senior Aleyana DeBrest, and second-year Bison Sydney Allison led the way with steady efforts.
Sullivan had a 179.8 average in five matches last weekend. DeBrest averaged 178.2 and Allison averaged 173.0.
 
They will be joined by freshmen Simone Ashford and Kayla Mitchell this weekend at the MEAC championships.
 
For the season, Sullivan, DeBrest, and Allison have been the leaders on the lanes for Howard. Sullivan has a team-best 178.7 average. She's rolled at least one 200-game in each of her last four tournaments. Allison, who bowled a career-best 247 in a victory over Bryant, averages
167.0. DeBrest averages 164.2 for Howard.
 
The Bison have battled this year and compete in an elite bowling conference, which will make Howard stronger. The MEAC currently has three nationally-ranked programs, per the National Tenpin Coaches Association's (NTCA) most recent Top 25 poll. North Carolina A&T State is