Oct. 27, 2008

HACKENSACK, NJ - The Sacred Heart women's bowling team has been ranked sixth in the first National Tenpins Coaches Association national poll of the season. This is the first of five polls that the NTCA will conduct during the 2008-09 NCAA bowling season. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore of Princess Anne, MD, winner of the 2008 NCAA National Championship after defeating Arkansas State University in the title match last April, was ranked as the No. 1 team.

The second division of the Top-10 started with the sixth-ranked Pioneers. The Pioneers have been national tournament qualifiers four of the five past seasons. Fairleigh Dickinson University of Teaneck, NJ followed as the seventh ranked team. The Knights play host to the 12-team Fright Knight Invite this upcoming weekend in Elmwood Park, NJ.

The UMES Hawks received 10 out of a possible 20 first place votes and edged Vanderbilt University by nine points to achieve the top spot. The second ranked VU Commodores of Nashville, TN, who were the 2007 national champions and finished third in last year's national championship tournament, collected five first place votes. Both Maryland Eastern Shore and Vanderbilt will kick-off the 2008-09 campaign on October 31 through November 2, 2008 at the FDU Fright Knight Invite in Elmwood Park, NJ.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NCAA national champs in 2004 and 2005, was ranked third. The Huskers received four first place votes and will open their season at the UWW Warhawk Classic in Fort Atkins, WI on November 7-9, 2008.

Ranked fourth was the University of Central Missouri of Warrensburg, MO, qualifiers for the NCAA national championship tournament for the last five seasons. The Jennies began their season by winning team championship at the ASU Central Region Fall Jamboree in Jonesboro, AR this past weekend. UCM won nine of ten matches at the event, including a come-from-behind victory against the host school in the final and decisive match of the tournament.

Arkansas State University of Jonesboro, AR, last season's national championship runner-up, was ranked as the No. 5 team in the nation. The Red Wolves hosted the Central Region Fall Jamboree to open their season. A-State went 8-2 and took second place in the six-team, two-day event.

New Jersey City University of Jersey City, NJ was next, ranked eighth. The Gothic Knights are one of four programs to qualify to all five NCAA national championship tournaments. The ninth ranked squad was Delaware State University of Dover, DE. The Hornets' 2007-08 season was their most successful in program history and now look to be a national championship tournament qualifiers this season. SHU, NJCU, and DSU will all join FDU and get their 2008-09 competitive season started at the Fright Knight Invite.

Rounding out the top 10 was Minnesota State University-Mankato. The Mavericks, a national championship qualifier the past two seasons, will open their season in Fort Atkins, WI during the second weekend in November.

Institution, City, State   Season Record	   1st Place	 Total	      Previously Rank						  		 W  -  L  - T	     Votes	 Points           Ranked
1. Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD   0 -  0 - 0 	 10	   590		 --
2. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN			0 -  0 - 0	  5	   581		 --
3. University of Nebraska - Lincoln, NE			0 -  0 - 0	  4 	   532		 --
4. University of Central Missouri. Warrensburg, MO	9 -  1 - 0	  1	   481		 --
5. Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR		8 -  2 - 0		   424		 --
6. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT		0 -  0 - 0       	   401		 --
7. Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ		0 -  0 - 0	   	   386		 --
8. New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ		0 -  0 - 0 		   340		 --
9. Delaware State University, Dover, DE		 	0 -  0 - 0	      	   322		 --
10.Minnesota State University - Mankato, MN 		0 -  0 - 0
299		 --
11.Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL		0 -  0 - 0		   215		 --
12.Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA			19 -  3 - 0 		   193		 --
13.Adelphi University, Garden City, NY			0 -  0 - 0		   154		 --
14.Jackson State University, Jackson, MS		8 -  5 - 0 		   111		 --
15.University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, WI		0 -  0 - 0		   101		 --
16.Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA		        5 -  0 - 0 	            83		 --
17.St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ			4 -  1 - 0
79		 --
18.Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC	0 -  0 - 0 	            60		 --
19.St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, NY		2 -  3 - 0
41		 --
20.Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL			0 -  0 - 0		    34		 --
Also receiving votes:
Texas Southern, Houston, TX; Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD; St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville, VA; Bowie State University, Bowie, MD; Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL; Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA; Hampton University, Hampton, VA; Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA; Grand Canyon College, Phoenix, AZ; North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC; Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC; Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY.
Point system:
	NTCA voters rank the top 20 teams on their ballot. Each position has an assigned point value, ranging from 32 points for first place and one point for twentieth place. The sums for every team receiving votes are then sorted into descending order. The specific point values follow:
	1st place = 32 points, 2nd = 29, 3rd = 27, 4th = 25, 5th = 23, 6th = 21, 7th = 19, 8th = 17, 9th = 15, 10th = 13, 11th = 11, 12th = 9, 13th = 8, 14th = 7, 15th = 6, 16th = 5, 17th = 4, 18th = 3, 19th = 2, 20th = 1.