COLUMBUS — History was made Friday during the OHSAA Division I State Girls Bowling Tournament.
According to tournament director Greg Coulles, having spots nine trough 14 in the final standings less than 100 pins out of the cut had never been done before in the event.
And, on top of that to prove the balance of the 16-team field, none of the top four seeds survived the first-round of best-of-five Baker System match play following the cut to the top eight teams at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
The losers included Green, the tournament leader with 3,184 total pinfall, which was swept by No. 8 seed Kettering Fairmont; Tallmadge, which finished as the No. 2 seed just 38 pins behind the Bulldogs, and fell in three games to Plain City Jonathan Alder; and Perry, the No. 3 seed with 3,140, just six pins behind Tallmadge, which took state champion Nordonia to five games before falling.
The Knights, the No. 5 seed, swept Fairmont for their first state girls title.
GREEN FALLS SHORT AGAIN
Green, which was making its third straight state appearance, also was the No. 1 seed in 2022, but lost in five games in the first round to Jonathan Alder.
This time, Fairmont — and, in particular, anchor and individual state champion Danica Roseberry — sent the Federal League and Stark County Conference Federal champion Bulldogs home early.
“I think we started out really nervous,” Green assistant coach Alex Snowberger said. “We just didn’t execute and throw good shots at all. The other team was pretty lined up and threw good shots.
“It think their anchor had strikes on every ball but one against us.”
Green had opportunities in Games 1 and 3, losing 196-194 and 151-148, respectively. In each case, Roseberry, a two-handed right-hander, struck out to produce the wins. The opening victory came after Green failed to convert a 1-2-4-10 washout spare in the 10th. The Bulldogs lost Game 2 177-136 and finished fifth overall in the standings.
“That one really got me,” said Perrine, who shot 587 during qualifying to finish 17th overall. “Things changed quite a bit toward the end of qualifying, but we came through it and finished strong in individuals and did OK in Bakers.
“We should have done better. We should have moved on and beaten that team.”
Sophomore Madison Perrine led the Bulldogs with a 625 series to finish seventh overall and earn second-team All-Ohio.
“We should have raised each other up a little better. When we made some bad shots we needed to pick each other up more, say it’s OK, that we’ve got this and we’re still in it,” Madison Perrine said.
Madison said she was able to get lined pretty well early, adding the lane conditions were “so oily at the start but really dry at the end.”
“I was really left with my feet at the end .. almost off the boards,” Madison said. “I was telling myself to make a good shot every frame and if I leave something, pick it up and get the most pins I could get.”
In addition to the Perrines, freshman Brooklyn Krager shot 555 for Green.
The Bulldogs will lose Marissa Perrine and Alyssa Holt, who shot 467, to graduation. Perrine will be attending Walsh University, seeking a teaching degree.
Snowberger feels the Bulldogs have to learn to be more competitive to gain ground on the state level.
“We have to be more competitive in matches. Even though we’ve won a lot the last two years, I need them to be in it the whole season and not just know that they’re going to run away with everything,” Snowberger said. “I think that’s where we struggled. We just thought we were going to show up today and win it and we had a rude awakening.
“But we will be back.”
Marissa felt her performance could have been “10 times better … I missed stupid spares.”
“But we went to state my last three years and I think I grew each year,” she added. “I broke school records and accomplished some new things.”
What will Madison convey to her teammates as they attempt to make a fourth state trip in 2024 minus her sister and Holt?
“Just keep trying to do the best you can, try as hard as you can and just keep executing,” Madison said.
DEVILS HAVE RIGHT EXECUTION
Tallmadge girls coach Cindy Elliott found little wrong with her team’s performance after dropping three tight games to Jonathan Alder (174-172, 190-189, 178-155).
“We bowled well, but they just bowled a little better,” Elliott said. “We qualified second, which was our best ever performance. They were just on it all day.”
Senior Makayla Legg led the Blue Devils with a 568 series and junior Maria Mara added 535.
“All we can control is what we can control,” said Tallmadge head coach Scott Krainess after the team finished sixth overall. “If you would have told me we would shoot 2,604 (in regular games) today, we would take that all day.”
So what do the Devils do next?
“We going back to the hotel and swim,” Elliott said. “Then we’re coming back tomorrow to watch the boys.”
The Blue Devils also will participate in Saturday’s Division I boys championships.
TOUGH WAY TO LOSE
Perry head coach Joe Altimore III will be trying to drown out the taste of a tough loss to state champion Nordonia in the opening round.
Nordonia won Game 1 (187-141) and 3 (213-140) while the Panthers took Games 2 (193-163) and 4 (194-183) to set up the dramatic Game 5 which came down to the 10th frame. Both teams chopped spares in the 10th frame — the Knights first on a 6-10 and the Panthers on a 2-4-5-8 bucket as the former advanced with a 161-156 win.
“They were definitely hooking more after the cut. I was really hoping it wasn’t going to be that way,” Altimore said. “That’s what we build toward all season … having a better look on the fresh (oil).
“We went back to our strong stuff, but on the first ball, it just took off. So everyone was looking around to switch balls. I had nine million things going through my head. Was it nerves or what? We threw balls that we thought would find the head pin so we could get solid, and it didn’t happen.”
It forced Altimore to alter his lineup from his softer throwers who hooked the lane to players who “threw it a little harder and tried to jam it up late. I think the nerves got to them a little.”
“In Game 1 (of qualifying) they were tight and we just kept the ball around the pocket and did well shooting spares,” Altimore said. “In Game 2, I think we had the first four frames clean, and you can’t ask for more than that. It was exciting.”
The Panthers, who finished fourth a year ago for their best ever finish, were seventh this time.
Senior Taylor Stafford led the Panthers with a 572 series, with sophomore Chloe Thomas shooting 526 and senior Shayla Turner with 523.
“My two seniors only bowled varsity occasionally last season and were varsity all the way this year,” Altimore said. “Taylor bowled fantastic today. She was our horse … she’s just so strong.
“We had a freshman who bowled every Baker game and kept the ball around the pocket.
“Ami (King) came on strong and Kiele (Poling) was solid in sectionals and districts. The rest of them were just really showed up when we needed them. We didn’t have a kid in the top 15, but we were the third seed, top to bottom.
I’m pretty excited for the future again. These kids learn, they listen and they are committed.”
This marked Perry’s seventh straight state appearance.
“I just one time want to get that monkey off our back,” Altimore said. “It’s like having the front nine how many times and not getting that 300. If we can do it once, maybe we can continue doing it.”