The Wilmington High School bowling team, headed to Columbus for the state tournament Saturday at HP Lanes, from left to right, front row, Izzy Rhoads, Kylie Fisher, Kiley Comberger; back row, coach Joe Gigandet, Laina Jay Howell, Emily Gerard, Abi Hubbard, Mackenzie Pyle, Reagen Reese, coach Austin Smith.
The past two seasons, Kylie Fisher has qualified for the state bowling tournament.
Both years she remained steadfast in the idea she would have been happier to have her teammates bowling with her, instead of competing alone.
This year, at the OSHAA Division I Girls State Bowling Championship at HP Lanes in Columbus Saturday morning, Fisher gets her wish.
“I want to do good. We never discussed (goals). I know in our heads, we all knew this was the year (to qualify),” said Fisher, a junior who was ninth in the state as a freshman and fifth in the state as a sophomore. “We do have a younger team, so anything can happen.”
Wilmington was third at last week’s Division I Southwest District Girls Bowling Championship at Beaver-Vu Lanes. In addition to freshman Mackenzie Pyle’s dynamic performance, a robust baker round propelled WHS to the state tournament.
“Bakers are kind of a crap shoot anyway,” said WHS head coach Joe Gigandet. “Part of it is we were just extremely focused at districts. We got a few breaks, too. We were throwing good shots but we also caught some pin action.”
Baker games have been an up and down venture for the Hurricane this season, as Gigandet noted. The first match of the season was against Batavia and WHS averaged 156.8 for four baker games. They followed that with a 190 average for 13 baker games in the Ironclad Baker Tournament on Dec. 9. They averaged 167.5 for 12 baker games in the Back To School Bash in early January.
But in the SBAAC Bowling Championship tournament at their home house, Royal Z Lanes, Wilmington hit a low point with a 148 baker average.
The very next day things changed.
“We bowled at that baker tournament in Columbus,” Fisher said of the Gahanna Lincoln Lions Baker Challenge. “I knew it would help us. It pulled us together as a team. It really helped us. No one bowler was going to do it by themselves. It helped us to grow together.”
The 148 average at league was particularly distressing, given its proximity to the sectional tournament. The Gahanna Lincoln Lions Baker Challenge was a 20-game baker marathon and the Hurricane came through big time, finishing with a 173.4 average.
At the sectional tournament, Wilmington had a 177 baker average and then improved to a 185 average in the baker games at the district tournament.
The 185 average during the district tournament came under the most duress. Wilmington was above the state cutline after three team games but with six bakers ahead anything was possible. As coach Gigandet said last week, WHS could have finished anywhere from second to seventh. The top five teams advanced to the state.
“It was really exciting,” said freshman Izzy Rhoads. “I knew we really needed to focus, make spares. Just because we miss, we can’t lose our concentration or focus.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking, especially knowing if you don’t make it (to state) you’re season is over.”
Pyle was going to the state tournament regardless of what happened to the team in the bakers. But she wanted to be part of something bigger.
“I wanted to find the mindset I was in the previous three games and keep that same mindset in the bakers and I think I did that,” said Pyle, also a freshman. “Bakers is what makes it. We finally came together as the season got more serious and we started progressing in difficulty of matches. I think we just started working on each other’s strengths in bakers.”
That teamwork mentality has been prevalent the entire season which has allowed this squad to grow in both closeness and scoring.
“We all get along,” said Reagen Reese, a senior. “We’re more of a team. We were all very nervous. We knew it was going to be close the whole time.”
Said Kiley Comberger, “You just have to stay up. If you miss a spare, the next ball could be a strike. We’ve learned that.”
And the payoff was three of the six baker games were better than 200 and WHS had its first girls team advancing to the state bowling tournament.
“We’re going to bowl as well as we can,” said Abi Hubbard of what she expects Saturday morning.
Emily Gerard, a senior, said the pressure has lessened now that WHS has made the tournament.
“It’s more of a fun thing now,” she said.
Laina Jay Howell agreed.
“At this point just go out and do our best,” she said.
