UMES WOMEN'S BOWLING RANKED IN TOP 12 IN LATEST USBC POLLS G. STAN BRADLEY 01/18/12 Hawks are 11th and 12th respectively in latest polls. ARLINGTON, Texas-As one of only two women's bowling programs in the nation to win both an NCAA and USBC Collegiate Championship and the only to win both in the same year, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks are ranked in several polls each season. Currently at fourth and sixth in the National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) coaches and media polls respectively, the Hawks are also ranked in the current United States Bowling Congress (USBC) coaches and bowling writers polls. The National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association recently released their first poll of the season with UMES ranked 11th with 285 points. Pikeville, Lindenwood, Wichita State and Robert Morris-Illinois were the top four teams and all received at least one first place vote. Webber International rounded out the top five. Pikeville tallied 784 points. No other NCAA team was ranked in the poll but Kutztown, Norfolk State and Wisconsin-Whitewater all received votes. In the latest Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) poll UMES was ranked 12th with 147 points. Lindenwood, who the Hawks topped in last season's national championship final, 2-1, was first with 444 points. Robert Morris (Ill.), Wichita State, McKendree and Webber International rounded out the writer's poll top five. In contrast to t he coaches poll, fellow NCAA and MEAC team Norfolk State was ranked 19th in the poll with Kutztown and Wisconsin-Whitewater also receiving votes. UMES currently stands at 44-15 and 20-0 in the conference. To be included in the coaches and writer's polls, teams must be members of the USBC and have competed in sanctioned events throughout the season. Many of the NCAA teams ranked in the NTCA polls are not members of the USBC, thus excluding them from the polls. Both the bowling coaches and writers will release two more polls this season.