AKRON — Going into the Baker System portion of Monday’s Summit Division I high school sectional bowling tournament, Norton held a 75-pin lead on Brunswick for the final district qualifying spot.
The Panthers gave that all away in two Baker games.
“I can’t say on tape what I told them. But really I just said that Brunswick should come down and thank them for the way they bowled,” Norton head coach Mike Sayre said. “After that, they got a chip on their shoulder.”
The Panthers produced 161 and 185 Baker games the next two in the six-game block to again reach the top four and eventually earned a spot in next week’s district at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood in the 14-team field.
The district is set for 10 a.m. March 1.
Tallmadge, which rolled a 1,172 Baker block after taking over the tournament lead following the third regular game, took honors with 3,624 total pinfall, 352 pins ahead of second-place Akron Hoban.
“We just committed to better spare shooting during the Bakers,” Tallmadge head coach Scott Krainess said. “We had just one game below 190 (163 in Game 4), and they did what they had to do.”
Hoban earned the second spot with 3,272, followed by Medina Buckeye (3,083). Norton took the final spot by 81 pins over Brunswick, which had four games under 140 during the six-game Baker block.
“We needed to get that edge,” said Sayre, who has had four teams reach the state tournament in the program’s nine seasons “A lot of it is confidence. When they are bowling well they have that. But they had to find it again today.”
A pair of Hoban bowlers —senior Oliva Hawk and junior Carly Jones — led the individual performances with 564 and 562, respectively.
Tallmadge junior Makayla Legg finished third with a 556 series to lead the Blue Devils, followed by sophomore Dee Dee Elijah (507) and junior Dakota Taylor (467).
Buckeye was led by juniors Taylor Radon and Isabella Anzevino with 510 and 471, respectively.
Among the individual qualifiers, Brunswick senior Madelyn Spurio led the way with 554, fourth high overall. She will be joined by Walsh Jesuit senior Natalia Griffiths (533), Firestone freshman Soraya Brandon (501) and Barberton junior Lillian Wasch (455). Wasch edged Copley’s Hayes Shovestull by just one pin for the final spot.
Both Firestone and Akron North bowled just the team portion of the tournament with only four players available.
Both Sayre and Krainess know their teams will need more at district.
“We will get some tools out to help us hit our marks more consistently,” Sayre said. “We will also be making some equipment changes.”
“We’ve seen the scores. We know what it’s going to take. But I have confidence in my team,” Krainess said.
SUMMIT DIVISION I GIRLS SECTIONAL
(At Stonehedge Family Fun Centre, Akron)
Final team standings (top four advance to state): 1, Tallmadge 3,624; Akron Hoban 3,272; 3, Medina Buckeye 3,083; 4, Norton 3,006; 5, Brunswick 2,925; 6, Cukyjahoga Falls 2,789; 7, Walsh Jesuit 2,739; 8, Barberton 2,659; 9, Akron Ellet 2,590; 10, Copley 2,542; 11, Kenmore-Garfield 2,258; 12, Akron Buchtel 1,964; 13, Firestone 1,321; 14, Akron North 1,110.
Individual qualifiers: Madelyn Spurio (Brunswick) 554; Natalia Griffiths (Walsh Jesuit) 533; Sorata Brandon (Firestone) 501; Lillian Wasch (Barberton) 455.