The UAB Bowling team (42-40, 9-8) traveled to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship Games in Virginia Beach with aspirations of winning a conference championship and advancing deeper into postseason play. Instead, the team fell on the second day of the tournament to Monmouth and saw their season come to a screeching halt.
Despite the loss, the Blazers rewrote the record books by becoming the first team in UAB history to advance to the second day of the conference tournament.
Katie Hurley, a senior at UAB who earned Third Team All-MEAC honors, says that while the record may not show it, this team was one of the best she has ever played on.
“This season didn’t turn out quite like I wanted to … but it definitely was still a good season from a team aspect. I’ve never felt closer to a team,” said Hurley.
For the first time in program history, UAB failed to qualify for sectionals and have a chance at competing for a national title. While the Blazers may have fallen short of their goals on the lane, they still achieved success in the classroom.
“Our team is determined to be the best that we can be at all times; we put in the work,” said Hurley. “We all really try to keep our grades up and do what we’re supposed to do on and off the lane.”
Hurley is one of the five Blazers who earned MEAC All-Academic honors. The other four honorees are sophomores Jillian Hulsey and Shauna Rodgers, senior Jamie Krasnigor, and graduate student Elise London.
Hurley had some award-winning individual performances and was named MVP of the Flyer Classic back in February after she won the individual championship.
“I set big goals for myself, and I did accomplish those goals. One of those was to be an MVP or be named to an all-tournament team, and I achieved that,” said Hurley.
Although this was the last time Hurley would compete in a Blazer uniform, she believes that the comradery the team has built is special and will prepare them for success in the future.
“No matter what happens, we’re just so proud of each other and the hard work that we’ve put in this year,” said Hurley.
Hurley will not be the only Blazer leaving the team. This tournament also marked an end to the Blazer careers of Krasnigor and London.
The team may be losing prominent athletes and leaders, but the foundation laid by Coach Crews and bowlers like Hurley gives Blazer fans reason for hope heading into next season.
Fans of the Green and Gold will have to wait until fall for the release of next season’s bowling schedule, which typically drops in early October. The bowling season then usually begins later that month.
