AKRON — Triway girls coach Corby Anderson and several of his players watched as the Titans boys team squeaked out a trip to the OHSAA Division II state high school bowling tournament Friday despite a subpar performance.
“We (the coaches) talked about it and we talked about this house and the way the (oil) pattern plays,” Anderson said. “It was obvious for our big swingers it was touchy, and that’s our two big guns.
“I talked with the girls and told them I didn’t think it was going to affect us as much because we’re going to be straighter. We’re going to be playing on that little weird spot down the lane, not swinging the ball to it. They were pretty confident we would be OK.”
How OK even surprised Anderson, who had guided the Titans to the Division II state title a year ago.
With defending Division II individual champion Emma Yoder leading the way with a 751 series, Triway took another step toward defending its title with a rout of the Northeast Division II District girls event Saturday at Stonehedge Family Fun Center.
The Titans, who held a 380-pin lead on the field after the opening three regular games, finished with 3,841 total pinfall — 415 pins ahead of second-place Fairport Harbor Harding. Also advancing to state were third-place Struthers (3,425) and LaBrae (3,340), which earned the last spot by 57 pins over Champion. East Canton, the Tri-County sectional champion, was sixth with 3,279, 61 pins out of the cut.
The top four teams and top four individuals who were not members of advancing teams qualified for the state tournament, set for 10:30 a.m. March 3 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus.
The district format was three regular games followed by a six-game Baker System round, with total pinfall determining the outcome.
“It worked out better than I thought it was going to,” Anderson said. “Top to bottom, we really had it going and with Emma shooting 750 … that’s like getting 130 pins on everyone else right there.”
Behind Yoder, senior Lindsay Miller added 569 to finish seventh overall and also make the all-tournament team. Junior Addy Meshew shot 554, sophomore Kennedy Finley had 525 and senior Danielle Densmore 472 for the Titans.
“When we’re on like that, top to bottom, no one should beat us. Today we looked really good,” Anderson said. “We didn’t have a great regular season for us. It just felt kind of blah compared to last year.
“In tournaments, when we got into match play, is just seemed kind of blah. They all felt it and we talked about it. The season started today no matter what happened in the past. It’s all them and what’s in their minds.”
CHASING THE TITANS
Fairport Harding coach Emily Eldridge was a junior on the last Skippers girls team to reach the state tournament when they won the state title in 2018. She knew who she was chasing.
“We knew it coming in … they’re a very good team and that’s the battle we have to face,” said Eldridge, whose team never dropped below second all day. “Our three-game set was good, higher than sectionals. Our Bakers were average, but our last one (205) was really good.
“We have to work on our spares because that’s the big thing there. The other thing is our mental game … they get in their heads a lot.”
Sophomore Jillian Justinger led the Skippers with a 597 series, finishing third overall, and sophomore Beyla Sadler added 509.
A big Baker showing in Game 2 carried Struthers to its second straight state appearance after the Wildcats finished fifth overall after dropping their opening best-of-five match to Liberty Center. The Wildcats had a tourney-high 245 to leap from fifth to second.
“That was huge. We got a couple of breaks, but to make a big game like that, you have to have a break or two,” Struthers coach Bob Eisenbraun Jr. said. “It was pretty enormous for us because it got us going and kind of sustained what we were doing.”
The Wildcats advanced without sophomore starter Clare Coppola, who was out due to illness.
Senior Mary Williams led the Wildcats with a 579 series, making the all-tourney team, and senior Arlene Groves added 499.
“Last year was more of an experience thing for us. Hopefully, with more experience, it gets better,” said Eisenbraun, whose team will be making its fifth overall appearance. “Our three games were not the greatest, but they weren’t horrible either. It all worked out.”
The Wildcats turned in the high Baker series of 1,035 — the lone team to shoot over 1,000.
FOLLOWING A NEAR MISS
LaBrae’s girls had to watch the boys team fall just 26 pins short of a state berth Friday with a 114 final Baker game.
Then, the Vikings, who were third following the opening three-game set, shot just 110 in their opening Baker game Saturday.
“We had the discussion before we even started today and then with that Baker it was, ‘Oh my Lord, please don’t let us have a repeat,’” LaBrae coach Demetra Noble said. “So we reset and talked about a few things.
“The girls were very nervous because they hadn’t been in that position before. We’re a young group of juniors and sophomores with a couple of seniors. They got into it, but it was a tough haul.”
LaBrae, which remained in the fourth spot all through the Baker round, was making its third district appearance but is the first Vikings team to reach the state tournament.
Sophomore Madison Touart led the Vikings with 557 and junior Jennifer Johnson added 497.
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Yoder knew the road to state would be easier for the girls after what she witnessed Friday.
“We knew it would be a little easier for our girls to play straighter,” said Yoder, who shot 718 to win the state title a year ago. “Once we got into practice, everyone pretty much found their line right away so we were confident.”
But did the junior left-hander ever imagine a 751 series?
“No, because I haven’t been throwing the ball the best lately. I shot 600 at sectionals, but still wasn’t throwing it the best,” Yoder said. “But I really wanted to be district champ. I just kind of threw the ball and it worked.
“We found the line very early today.”
Coventry junior Amanda Morton topped the individual state qualifiers with 635, finishing second overall and 116 pins behind Yoder. Other individual qualifiers included Rootstown junior Payton Curall (588); Wellington junior Whitney Kirschner (575); and Firelands junior Mandy Dewitt (564), who earned the last spot by 10 pins over Champion’s Krysa Dickson.
MOVING ON
Columbus will be a new experience for LaBrae and Fairport Harbor Harding.
“We just have to settle down, take it in and start working on picking up some more spares,” Noble said.
Eldridge knows what the state atmosphere is like at Columbus Bowl.
“It’s a lot bigger and a lot more stressful. That’s one thing we will talk with them about,” Eldridge said. “You can’t let it bother you. Obviously, it’s important, but you have to stay calm and think about it like any other thing you bowl.”
For Struthers, it’s more of the same during the week.
“It’s back to timing drills … normal stuff we do every week, like arm swings, footwork, release drills,” Eisenbraun said.
It’s different for Triway, which no doubt has a target on its back as the defending champ. Four of the Titans — Yoder, Meshew, Densmore and Miller — also were part of the team that reached state in 2021, finishing fifth overall.
“We can’t go in too confident. It’s hard to repeat because everyone is gunning for you,” Anderson said. “But when we get down there, everyone else will be looking at us and wondering what Triway is doing in addition to what they’re doing.
“We just have to worry about us and no one else. We are confident in what we do. It’s fun and I love it.”
“We’ll practice this week,” Yoder said, “and, hopefully, be ready. We’re pretty confident.”
NOTEBOOK: The girls tourney had 13 teems and 13 individuals. … Yoder had the high tourney game in Game 3 with 258 after shooting 255 in Game 1. … Only Yoder and Morton shot over 600 in the field. … The Titans posted a 1,042 in Game 3 — and were the only team to that point to shoot a 900 (943 in Game 1). … Outside of Struthers’ 245, the Skippers had the only other 200 Baker game (205 in Game 6). … The field average hit a high of 159 in Bakers in Game 2, with the highest three-game average being 773 in Game 3. … The top eight individuals were honored on the all-tournament team, with the cutoff being 564. … Meshew was honorable mention All-Ohio a year ago to join Yoder as Triway honorees after finishing tied for 10th with 570. … Among other area players, freshman Logan McDonald led East Canton with a 494 series, senior Isabel Weber had 462 and freshman Madison Lint had 461. United junior Makayla Frederick (475), Canton Central Catholic freshman Jessica Jenkins (407) and Lake Center Christian junior Janel Zink (392) competed as individuals. … Division I takes over Stonehedge for the next two days, with a 20-team field vying for six spots in the state tournament for the boys today at 10 a.m. The girls follow with six more spots up for grabs at 10 a.m. Monday. Tickets, $8 for adults and $6 for students, are available only online at www.ohsaa.org/tickets No cash will be accepted at the door.