Girls Bowling

Westerville Central captures outright league championship

At a glance

Below are the recent results and coming schedules for the Central, North and South girls bowling teams:

CENTRAL

Jan. 5 — Defeated Troy 2,181-2,129

Jan. 6 — Def. Delaware 2,180-1,802 (OCC-Cardinal match)

*Jan. 10 — Def. Olentangy Liberty 1,910-1,668

*Jan. 12 — Def. North 1,922-1,475 (OCC-Cardinal match)

*Jan. 13 — Def. Hilliard Davidson 2,398-1,360

Jan. 14 — Finished first (3,757) in preliminary round of 14-team Central District Preview at HP Lanes. Gahanna finished first following bracket play.

*Jan. 20 — Def. Gahanna 2,233-1,948 (OCC-Cardinal match)

*Jan. 24 — Def. Worthington Kilbourne 2,246-1,138

*Jan. 27 — Def. Big Walnut 2,168-1,356 (OCC-Cardinal match)

*Feb. 1 — Def. South 2,193-2,150 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Feb. 4 — Finished second (3,177) in 12-team COHSBC Roll-Off at Holiday Lanes behind champion Whitehall (3,287)

Feb. 7 — Fairborn at Palace Lanes

Of note: The Warhawks were 12-0 overall before Feb. 7 and finished 10-0 in the COHSBC-North and 5-0 in the OCC-Cardinal.

NORTH

*Jan. 2 — Def. Hilliard Davidson 1,457-1,248

*Jan. 10 — Def. Olentangy Orange 1,558-1,483

*Jan. 12 — Lost to Central 1,922-1,475 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Jan. 13 — Lost to Delaware 1,939-1,387 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Jan. 18 — Def. Columbus Academy 1,566-1,543

*Jan. 23 — Def. Jonathan Alder by forfeit after Jonathan Alder was ruled to have used an illegal player

*Jan. 25 — Lost to Hilliard Darby 1,493-1,385

*Jan. 27 — Def. Worthington Kilbourne 1,384-948

Jan. 30 — Def. Walnut Ridge 1,369-1,331

*Feb. 3 — Def. Big Walnut 1,463-1,215 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Feb. 10 — Hilliard Bradley at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl

Of note: The Warriors are 7-10 overall and finished 5-5 in the COHSBC-North and 1-4 in the OCC-Cardinal.

SOUTH

*Jan. 9 — Lost to Gahanna 1,877-1,740 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Jan. 14 — Finished sixth (3,234) in preliminary round of 14-team Central District Preview at HP Lanes. Gahanna finished first following bracket play.

*Jan. 18 — Def. Big Walnut 1,796-1,332 (OCC-Cardinal match)

*Jan. 19 — Def. Olentangy Liberty 1,860-1,769

*Jan. 23 — Def. Hilliard Davidson 1,865-1,290

*Jan. 31 — Def. Hilliard Darby 1,870-1,521

*Feb. 1 — Lost to Central 2,193-2,150 (OCC-Cardinal match)

Feb. 4 — Finished fourth (2,965) in 12-team COHSBC Roll-Off at Holiday Lanes behind champion Whitehall (3,287)

Of note: The Wildcats finished 10-2 overall, 8-2 in the COHSBC-North and 3-2 in the OCC-Cardinal.

*League match

Enlarge Image
Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Senior Mary Wells and the Westerville Central girls bowling team won the Central Ohio High School Bowling Conference-North Division title. Wells was conference Player of the Year. Buy This Photo

By FRANK DiRENNA

ThisWeek Community News Wednesday February 8, 2012 2:11 PM

With the Central Ohio High School Bowling Conference-North Division title on the line, the Westerville Central girls team was put in an unfamiliar position Feb. 1 at Columbus Square Bowling Palace.

The Warhawks trailed for the first time this season entering the Baker games, as Westerville South led 1,794-1,789.

However, led by senior Mary Wells, Central rallied to beat South 2,193-2,150 to clinch the conference title outright at 10-0, ahead of Gahanna (8-1) and South (8-2).

“It always helps to first beat South. That’s always a good thing, and then to have that kind of pressure is a good practice for the postseason because if they think this is pressure, wait until they have 500 parents watching them,” said coach Julie Wells, the mother of Mary Wells.

Mary Wells finished with a two-game series of 452. Before competing in the COHSBC Roll-Off on Feb. 4, she had the top average in the area at 225.3.

Wells was named the conference’s Player of the Year.

Savannah Stark had a 378 series for the Warhawks against South, followed by Simona Firestone (358) and Brittney Grega (304).

Jessica Shambaugh led South with a season-high 482 for a two-game series. Kate Reid had a 379 followed by Maranda Reed at 347.

“We’ve been waiting for this day all year,” South coach Jamie West said of facing Central. “We know they’re probably the top team in the district. We actually had them down going into the Bakers. I don’t know if they’ve been in that situation too many times this year. That’s a good steppingstone for us. We’re good, but we need to get a little bit better.”

Before Feb. 4, Shambaugh led the Wildcats with a 173.8 per game average.

“We’ve improved a lot from last year to this year in tournament play,” Shambaugh said.

Last season, Central (10-0) won the league title ahead of second-place South (9-1).

The teams now will prepare for the postseason, beginning with a sectional tournament Feb. 18.

Central will compete at Eastland Lanes and South will compete at Columbus Western Bowl.

The top nine teams and top nine individuals not on a qualifying team from each sectional will advance to the district tournament Feb. 24 at HP Lanes.

Central, which won the OCC-Cardinal Division at 5-0, was 12-0 overall before competing against Fairborn on Feb. 7.

“I’m looking forward to the postseason,” said Mary Wells, who finished third (630) in the state tournament last season. “We’re as ready as we’re going to be. We have a pretty good team this year. The postseason is what I look forward to all season.”

South finished the regular season 10-2 overall and 3-2 in the OCC-Cardinal.

“We’re starting to bowl well at the right time of the year,” West said. “We’ve progressed through the season. We’re getting to the point of the season where they’re starting to build a little bit of confidence and hopefully it will carry over to tournament time.”

Central finished second (3,177) in the 12-team COHSBC Roll-Off at Holiday Lanes behind champion Whitehall (3,287). South was fourth (2,965).

Wells and Reid were named to the all-tournament team.

•The North girls will close the regular season with a match against Hilliard Bradley on Friday, Feb. 10, at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.

The Warriors, who are 7-10 overall, finished 5-5 in the COHSBC-North and 1-4 in the OCC-Cardinal.

North, which began the season with seven consecutive losses, has won five of its last six matches.

The Warriors defeated Big Walnut 1,463-1,215 on Feb. 3 at Capri Lanes, as junior Michaela Giese led with a 356 series.

Junior Megan Patterson leads the Warriors with a 164.3 average, followed by Giese at 140.6.

“I like everything that I’ve seen so far,” coach Dean Dabe said. “We have some freshmen on the team. They’ve all done exceptionally well. When you get kids coming in who are averaging 50, 60 pins a game and now they’re averaging 100, 110, that’s a huge increase. They’re listening, they’re paying attention. All in all, they’re actually doing exceptionally well, better than what I really anticipated.”

North will compete in the Columbus Western Bowl sectional.