The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (commonly UMES and also known as the Eastern Shore Hawks) are the fifteen sports teams representing the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Maryland in intercollegiate athletics. These include men and women's basketball, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, and tennis; women's sports include bowling, softball, and volleyball; men's sports include baseball and golf. The Hawks are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in most sports,[2] with other memberships in the Eastern College Athletic Conference[3] and Northeast Conference.[4]
The Hawks compete in the MEAC for all sports except baseball, men's golf, and women's golf, in which they compete as Northeast Conference members, and additionally in the ECAC for cross country, track and field and bowling.
Fred Batchelor, former head coach of the women's basketball team
From 1946 to 1980, Maryland Eastern Shore (Maryland State College from 1946 to 1970) fielded a successful football program. UMES football produced 20 future NFL players, most notably Art Shell of the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders. The program was discontinued in 1980.[6]
Since it was upgraded to an NCAA varsity sport in 2003–04, the Hawks have had one of the best programs in NCAA Bowling. The Hawks have won three national titles (2008, 2011, 2012) and were national runners-up in 2007. UMES has also won five MEAC titles in that span.[7]
