COLUMBUS — Nordonia High School’s boys and girls, who swept Suburban League preseason titles Friday, went to HP Lanes on Saturday and swept both crowns in the 20th annual Ohio High School State Invitational “Kick-Off” Tournament.
The format was three regular games followed by two Baker System games before the 28-team boys field was cut to the top 16 and the girls from 20 to 16 for rounds of three-game match play by seed, with the cumulative total of each match determining the winners.
Only teams who reached the state tournament or finished 1 through 8 in sectional or district play or 1 through 5 in their conferences were eligible to enter.
The Knights girls, the defending Division I state champions, were the No. 5 seed and stopped No. 6 seed Celina 434-529 in the title match, winning Game 3 184-152.
Troy was the qualifying leader with 2,881, 23 pins ahead of Wapakoneta. Among area teams, Boardman finished sixth, Ashland was seventh and Perry took eighth.
Individually, Ashland’s Jada Baker led the field with a 695 series, followed by Wapakoneta’s Aubryn Schnarre with 606 and Boardman’s Marissa Funk with 593 as the top eight bowlers were on the all-tournament team.
Nordonia’s Kolbey Lewin led the Knights with 557.
In the boys division, the 10th-seeded Knights topped No. 16 seed Twinsburg 578-551 in the title match as the former rallied with a 223 its last game.
Kettering Fairmont was the qualifying leader with 3,350, 21 pins ahead of Sunbury Big Walnut (3,329), followed by Ashland (3,322). Among other area teams Ashland finished sixth, Boardman was 15th and Perry was 16th.
Individually, Big Walnut’s Nick Green topped the scoring with 680, followed by Hilliard Davidson’s Caelan Guthrie with 659 and Centerville’s Casey Lippincott with 646 as the top eight were all-tournament honorees.
The Division II version of the event is Dec. 2 also at HP Lanes in Columbus.
MAC TOURNAMENT
KENT — The Springfield boys and Norton girls came away with titles during the Metro Athletic Conference Preseason Tournament on Sunday at Spins Bowl-Kent.
In the boys division, Springfield finished with 4,022 total pinfall to finish 63 pins ahead of Norton in the eight-team field.
The format was three regular games and six Baker System games. Springfield led by just 15 pins after the two regular games, but averaged 185.5 in Bakers to claim the win.
Ryan Slusser led the Spartans with a 706 series, including a tourney-high 279 in Game 2, and Wyatt Keys had 598. Logan Calo led the Grizzlies with 698.
Individually, Slusser took the title while Coventry’s Wade Allen finished second with 698, followed by Calo.
In the girls division, Norton finished with 3,373 to finish 159 pins ahead of Springfield (3,214) to claim the win in the seven-team field.
The Panthers had 2,405 after the opening three regular games to open a 117-pin lead over the Spartants.
Madalyn Mullet led the Panthers with a 511 series and Cassidy Myers added 506 and Samantha Class 502. Springfield was led by Melaena Martin’s 561.
Martin took individual honors, followed by Mullet and Myers, with Martin turning in the high game of 253.
MCAAA TOURNAMENT
MEDINA — Wadsworth’s girls and boys took honors during the Medina County Area Athletic Association Tournament on Sunday at AMF Medina Lanes.
In the boys division, the Grizzlies finished with 3,996 to top Medina Buckeye by 161 pins (3,829) for the win in the seven team field.
The format was three regular games followed by five Baker System games.
Freshman Hayden Eagon-Mohlmaster shot a school-record 748 series, including gems of 278 and 268, to lead Wadsworth, while Nate Weyand added 614.
Individually, Highland’s Gabe Kasper finished second with 634.
In the girls division, which included just three full teams, Wadsworth finished with 3,184, 582 pins ahead of Buckeye (2,602) for the win.
Aubrey Masuda, whose family moved to Ohio from Hawaii over the summer, led the Grizzlies with a 603 series and Amelia Lutz added 557.