By BILL SNIER
CANTON — The two female bowlers who topped the field were united in one aspect of their bowling games.
Consistency was the key.
Wooster High School sophomore right-hander Mackenzie Jentes led the overall handicapped field while Perry junior right-hander Arielle Clapper posted the top scratch series during Sunday’s Stark County USBC Youth Singles Fall tournament at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
Jentes, who saw limited time with the high school team as a freshman, finished with an 885 scratch series during the four-game tournament, an average of 221, and finished with 1,102 total pinfall, including handicap, to lead the girls division.
A familiar face in recent local tourneys, North Canton Hoover sophomore right-hander Hendrick Livengood, led the boys division with 985, including handicap. He shot 822 actual (205.5 average).
Livengood also joined teammate Aiden Chetto to win a doubles event and a trio event (also with teammate Cole Hapstak) then teamed with Lewis Stansbury to take a junior-adult tourney — all Stark USBC events.
This tournament was bowled on a house oil pattern.
JENTES, CLAPPER TOP FIELD
While Jentes topped the overall 24-player field in total pinfall, Clapper did the same in actual pinfall with 914 (a 228.5 average), including games of 257 and 256.
“Basically, every time I hit my mark, I stayed very consistent today, which I’m very proud of because I usually don’t do that very often,” said Clapper, who averaged 186 a year ago for the Panthers, who made their eighth straight trip to the OHSAA Division I State Championships.
“Definitely having this as my home center was an advantage because I know the house shot pretty well.”
Clapper didn’t bowl in an organized league during the summer months, but “it was practicing here about five or six days a week.”
It was during those practice sessions that she made two big changes to her game.
“I went from a three-step to a four-step approach and I also changed my arm swing,” said Clapper, who bowled in six or seven tournaments during the summer months but admitted this was her best performance.
“I used to have a higher arm swing. But I’ve lowered it now for more control. I’ve been bowling in the Perry practice league and I’ve been working on spares and being more consistent overall.”
Jentes said consistency was her key to taking the overall win.
“I was consistent with my marks and was bowling really well. I kept consistent when I needed to,” said Jentes, who averaged 147 as a freshman but shot 236 and 234 on Sunday. “I really didn’t have to move much, just when there was a transition on the lanes.”
Jentes, who bowled “in probably 20 or 30 tournaments” following the high school season, said working on her release has been a key.
“I had a lot of problems with my hand last year because I used to be a softball pitcher,” Jentes said. “I really worked on keeping the momentum and getting my hand underneath the ball to keep consistent with my spots and marks.”
Clapper finished with 1,000 total pinfall to take second while Green’s Payton Taylor was third with 922 in the 18U girls division.
Other girls division champions were:
- Green’s Charlotte Taylor in 15U with 879; and
- Massillon’s Adelaide Russell with 934 in 12U
USING EVERYTHING IN THE BAG
Livengood had games of 222 and 234 during his four-game set. But admitted he made a wrong ball choice in Game 2, when he shot 192.
“I was throwing the (Track) Theorem a lot and just moving left and kind of just revving it out in Game 1,” said Livengood, who averaged 174 as a mostly junior varsity player a year ago for the Vikings. “But in Game 2, I decided to switch out of it to the (Storm) Summit Peak, and that was probably my biggest mistake.
“I was trying to play it straighter, and I just wasn’t carrying. So I went back to the Theorem and played that straighter and was able to finish out the game and get through Game 3. But it only worked for about the first half of Game 4, then it started cutting right through the head pin. So I moved left again and revved up my (Hammer) Hazmat. It didn’t work great (he finished with 174), but it could have been worse.”
Although he bowled just one league during the summer, Livengood has been working on some adjustments to his game.
“Mainly, it’s slowing my body down. Whenever I’m not carrying, it’s usually because I’m going too fast or worrying about the ball motion too much,” Livengood said. “I have to let the ball do its own thing and just slow down.”
Lake’s Benjamin Venus took second behind Livengood with 923, followed by Perry’s Carson Presutti with 864 in the 18U division.
Other boys winners included:
- Massillon’s Zachary Uhlman in 15U with 836; and
- Canton’s Landon Beach in 12U with 739.
NOTEBOOK: The Stark County USBC awarded scholarships to all division winners and runners-up in two division, based on entries. … The tournament drew just 24 bowlers after having 50 a year ago. … The Stark County USBC also will be holding a Halloween Youth Mixed Doubles event in October. Details will be announced later. … The girls and boys 18U divisions had the most entries with nine each. … Our thanks to Taylor Sturm, Sue Vukmanovich and Matt McCourry for their assistance in compiling this report.
