By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — North Canton Hoover High School sophomore Hendrick Livengood has made a habit out of topping divisions during Stark County USBC Youth bowling events.
This time, he had Saturday morning league teammate Payton Taylor along for the ride.
Livengood and Taylor combined to shoot 847 actual in two games, but added 776 in Baker System games to top the 18U field during Saturday’s Stark County USBC Halloween Youth Doubles at Park Centre Lanes.
Handicap was a big help as the pair added 321 pins to their total for 2,100 total pinfall, 35 pins ahead of second-place MacKenzie Jentes and Chase Kauffman of Wooster.
The 15-year-old Livengood finished with a 481 actual two-game series, including 264 in Game 2, to lead the team. Taylor, a 16-year-old Green sophomore, who started for the Bulldogs a year ago as a freshman during their run to fifth place overall at the OHSAA Division I State Championships, had 366.
“I really don’t know how it happens,” said Livengood when asked about his run of top finishes in Stark County USBC events, including doubles, singles and trios. “I have improved so quickly over the past year that my average really doesn’t represent how far I’ve come.”
Livengood, who returns for a Hoover team which lost six players to graduation and went unbeaten during the regular season, entered with a 159 average.
“Right now, I’m probably around 200,” said Livengood, as high school players begin tryouts for the 2024-25 season Monday.
Taylor, who entered with a 162 average, averaged 158 in the Stark County High School Bowling Conference a year ago, but shot 500 during district play and 428 at state.
The pair remained solid during the two-person Baker games, shooting 188, 183 and 181, but finishing with 226 that put them over the top.
“We were consistent in Bakers,” Livengood said.
Heading into tryouts, Livengood knows what faces the Vikings after losing so much of their roster.
“We only have Cole (Hapstak) back, but it looks like we have four solid players and will be rotating a fifth to start,” Livengood said. “Then we have to build the rest of the team. It’s going to take time, but it’s all we can do at this point.”
Taylor joins Madison Perrine and Brooklyn Krager as the Bulldogs’ top returnees.
“We definitely lost some great players that will hurt us a little,” said Taylor, who earned her first Stark County USBC win. “But we have some new girls coming in that have potential. I still think we have the ability to get back to states this year.”
OTHER WINNERS
The top overall team was a pair of Jackson High School freshmen — Caleb Russell and Obed Figueroa — who finished with 1,867 total pinfall en route to winning the 15U division. Russell shot 348 actual and Figueroa added 295. But the pair added 653 during Baker games plus their handicap.
Massillon’s Adelaide Russell and Kinsley Pritchett topped the 12U division with 2,228, finishing 180 pins ahead of second-place Connor Bloomquist and Evan Murphy of Canton.
NOTEBOOK: The event drew a disappointing 13 teams, with four teams being awarded USBC SMART scholarships for their placements. … The high actual doubles series belonged to Krager and Allen Wade, who finished with 906 in the 18U division, with Livengood and Taylor finishing second. … The tourney format was two regular games and four two-bowler Baker System games in the handicapped event. … We would like to thank Sue Vukmanovich and Taylor Sturm of the Stark County USBC for their assistance with this report.
