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Aundray Darden

Aundray Darden

Aundray Darden completed his fourth season as the head coach of the Norfolk State bowling program in 2024-25, marking his 19th season overall working with the Spartans. He spent 14 years as an assistant coach with NSU from 2005-19, where he was instrumental in the development of the Spartan bowlers and the elevation of the program.

Under Darden’s mentorship, sophomore Kiersten Michel recorded the second-highest individual tournament average in school history (239.2) at the Virginia Union Invitational, winning Tournament MVP honors to begin the 2024-25 season. Michel also recorded the ninth best season average in school history (190.8). 

Another of Darden’s pupils, Jazmin Esquibel recorded the 2025 season’s highest individual score with 253 in the Northeast Classic.

The Spartans upset No. 22 Delaware State at the Chestnut Hill Griffin Baker Classic, defeating the Hornets 900-893. The Spartans also secured wins over Holy Family (881-725) and Alvernia (924-845) in the tournament.

Norfolk State also defeated Coppin State on day two of the MEAC #2 Meet in Dover, Del. 84-82 in tiebreakers after tying 850 through five bowlers.

Under Darden’s leadership, Norfolk State achieved back-to-back 20+ win seasons, finishing the 2023-24 season with 22 victories.

The Spartans upset No. 2 seed Delaware State in the 2024 MEAC Bowling Championships twice. As the No. 7 seed, Norfolk State defeated Delaware State 2-1 on day one with wins in baker total pinfall (969-927) and baker best-of-seven games (4-2).  On day two, Norfolk State eliminated Delaware State by winning 920-879 in traditional and won 4-2 in Baker best-of-seven.

Megan Wheat became Darden’s first MEAC All-Tournament Team honoree after her incredible performance in the 2024 MEAC Bowling Championships. It marked the first time in eight years Norfolk State landed an MEAC All-Tournament Team honoree.

The Spartans finished with a 7-1 overall tournament record, going 5-0 on the first day of competition at the Lady Eagles Invitational.

The Spartans picked up five-person team total pinfall victories against Virginia State (710-529) Wagner (808-807), St. Anselm (792-742), Coppin State (845-714), and Molloy (829-777), going 5-0 on the first day of competition.

Norfolk State posted its best record under coach Darden in 2022-23 behind 25 wins.

Megan Wheat recorded a score of 263 at the 2023 MEAC Bowling Championships – the ninth highest all-time individual game in school history. Wheat’s career-high 263 went along with 10 strikes. 

Norfolk State finished fifth out of an 11-team field in the CSU Lady Eagles Invitational, going 4-0 in their Baker matches with total pinfall wins over Kutztown (850-793) and Byrant (782-763), and best -of-seven victories against Caldwell and Howard.

In 2021-22, Darden coached Crystal Brewer to one of the best seasons of her career. She made multiple marks within the Norfolk State record book in her incredible season with the Spartans.

Brewer recorded the third highest all-time individual game (279) on Oct. 31, the ninth highest individual tournament average with 216.6 in 5 games at the Virginia Union Invitational from Oct. 29-31, and the 12th best season average (187.5). She currently ranks seventh in Norfolk State history in all-time career averages (179.9).

After taking a year off, he rejoined the program for the 2020-21 season to serve as associate head coach before taking over head coaching duties full time.

In 2020-21, the Spartans posted a 4-12 record, before their season ended prematurely due to COVID-19 protocols.
 
The steady rise of the NSU bowling program coincided with the arrival of Darden and former head coach Wilhelmenia Harrison prior to the 2005-06 season. The highlight of that ascension came in 2012 when NSU captured its first-ever MEAC Championship.
 
The Spartans also won the MEAC Southern Division title four years in a row from 2011-14. During the 2012-13 season, NSU made its first-ever national championship appearance when the Spartans qualified for the United State Bowling Congress (USBC) xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championship, knocking off defending national champion Webber International along the way.
 
Norfolk State also advanced to the MEAC tournament title match in both 2015 and ’16 after winning the championship in 2012.
 
All of NSU’s accomplishments are remarkable considering the program never even posted a winning record until the 2009-10 season, Darden’s fifth year into his tenure as an assistant coach. The Spartans went on to have nine straight winning seasons from 2009-18.
 
With Darden’s expertise in coaching and recruiting the amateur ranks for budding talent, NSU continued to gain respect nationally following his hiring. The Spartans earned a No. 10 ranking in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) top-20 poll in 2011-12, the highest ranking ever for the program. The Spartans tallied a school record for wins with a 91-40 overall campaign.
 
In 2012-13, NSU reached as high as No. 11 in the polls and finished 63-34 overall, including 21-3 in the MEAC. The Spartans followed that up in 2013-14 with a 19-5 conference record, capturing their most-recent divisional title. NSU’s 2016-17 campaign saw it finish 62-44 overall, the sixth 60-win season in an eight-year span. Norfolk State was ranked in the top 25 each year during a 10-year span from 2008-18.
 
On the other side, Darden’s hard work on the recruiting trail paid off when the program landed one of the top recruits in the nation in 2010. Local product Thea Aspiras finished sixth at that summer’s USBC Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis and went on to have the finest career of any Spartan bowler.
 
She earned the MEAC Rookie of the Year award in 2011 and was named to the All-MEAC first team. Aspiras also garnered national recognition, getting named to the NTCA All-America second team that year. All three honors were a first for the Spartan program.
 
She wrapped up her career in 2014 with her fourth straight first-team All-MEAC honor. Aspiras also garnered NTCA honorable mention All-America in 2013 after finishing with a school record 201.7 average. She was joined on the all-conference team in 2012 by teammate Chelsea Krall.
 
Then in 2016, freshman Alexa Rodriguez was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year. She joined teammates Carrie Hickey and Briana Gardner on the All-MEAC second team, giving NSU three all-conference honorees for the first time ever. The Spartans repeated the feat in 2017 with Rodriguez, Gardner and Aubrey Conrad.
 
Rodriguez also joined Aspiras as the only two Norfolk State bowlers to garner first-team accolades. Gardner and Rodriguez earned all-conference nods again in 2018, joining Aspiras as NSU’s only bowlers to earn All-MEAC honors at least three times.
 
Altogether, Darden has coached 16 All-MEAC players, including most recently in 2020-21 when Crystal Brewer was named to the third team.
 
Darden’s development of NSU’s bowlers helped the Spartans finish the 2010-11 season 67-49 overall. That mark tied the then-school record for wins set during the 2009-10 season, when NSU posted a winning record for the first time ever at 67-56.
 
The 2009-10 season saw sophomore Sheila-Marie Smith earn All-MEAC second team honors for the second straight year. The Spartans cracked the top-20 of the national poll for the first time ever in 2008-09.
 
An accomplished former amateur league bowler, Darden was an adjunct bowling instructor at Norfolk State from 2003-07. He also taught for seven years as a high school science instructor in the Hampton Roads area and now works as the Assistant Principal at Indian River, employed by Chesapeake Public Schools for more than 20 years.
 
Darden holds a Level 1 instructor certification from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).
 
A Chesapeake native, Darden earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia State in 1990 and his teacher’s certification from NSU in 1995. He also received his master’s degree in urban education from NSU in 2007.