2022-23 Marion-area girls bowling overview capsules

Rob McCurdy, Marion Star
·5 min read

Cardington Pirates

  • Conference: Knox Morrow Athletic.

  • Home House: Morrow Lanes.

  • Notes: No information was provided by Cardington.

Elgin's Bethany Strong shot a 299 game last season at Cooper's Bowl. She is back as a junior for the Comets.
Elgin's Bethany Strong shot a 299 game last season at Cooper's Bowl. She is back as a junior for the Comets.

Elgin Comets

  • Coach: Michael Williams II (second season, 17-3).

  • Assistant: Quincy Walker.

  • Home House: BlueFusion.

  • Last Year: 17-3.

  • Roster: Trinitie White (Sr., letter), Bethany Strong (Jr., 299 game, letter), Ava Brown (Jr.), Rylan Rudd (So.), Lexy Davenport (So. letter), Bree Fox (So. letter).

Highland Scots

  • Conference: Mid Ohio Athletic Conference.

  • Coach: Ty Hicks (fifth season).

  • Assistant: Dawn Hicks.

  • Home House: Colonial City Lanes.

  • Roster: Joleigh Burson (Sr., right-handed, fourth year), Ryleigh Dewart (Jr., RH, third season), Page Elswick (Jr., RH, third season), Elyssa Reigles (Jr., RH, third season), Grace Harley (Jr., RH, first season), Shelby Michels (Fr., RH).

  • Comment: "The girls have to avoid injury/illness with our depth at a minimum," Hicks said.

Marion Harding's Hannah Mullennix delivers a shot during a match with Galion last season at Cooper's Bowl.
Marion Harding's Hannah Mullennix delivers a shot during a match with Galion last season at Cooper's Bowl.

Marion Harding Presidents

  • Conference: MOAC.

  • Coach: Corey Chatman (third season, 17-16)

  • Assistants: Scott McCrery, Brian Vaught.

  • Home House: Cooper's Bowl.

  • Last Year: 9-8, 6-4, MOAC runners-up.

  • Roster: Kenzi Vaught (Sr., RH, letter, MOAC Bowler of the Year), Hannah Mullennix (Jr., RH, letter, All-MOAC), Abbey Knight (Jr., RH), Peyton Apthorp (So., RH), Megan Adamson (Jr., RH), Trinity Ficklin (Jr., RH), Jhmia Windham (So., RH), Winter Marquis (Jr., RH), Miyemah Dixon-Melton (Fr., RH).

  • Notes: The Presidents lost Hannah Price and Kaitlyn Daum to graduation and two others who decided not to bowl ... The girls are willing to listen and learn ... Vaught lends senior leadership ... They are a young squad ... Although they have bowling experience throughout the lineup, varsity bowling experience is lacking overall ... They have a good attitude and keep their spirits up when things don't go their way.

  • Comment: "I truly believe that the MOAC top to bottom will be very competitive this year. I know that we are so young, but we are getting better every day we are out there on the lanes," Chatman said.

Mount Gilead Indians

  • Conference: KMAC.

  • Coach: Shawn Boller (third season, 8-32).

  • Assistant: Chris Kneipp.

  • Home House: Morrow Lanes.

  • Last Year: 3-11.

  • Roster: Ashleah Levings (Sr., RH, letter), Sam Sellers (Sr., RH, letter), Kyndra Irwin (Sr., RH, letter), Audrey Ramsey (Jr., RH, letter), Jacey Snelling (So., RH, letter), Shalynn Irwin (Fr., RH).

  • Notes: The Indians are gaining skill and experience ... They still need to be more consistent in their games ... They hope to be more competitive as a team and as individuals ... Mikayla Meyer and Tiernan Santos graduated.

  • Comment: "Our team is looking to be more competitive in match play this year," Boller said.

Northmor Golden Knights

  • Conference: KMAC.

  • Coach: Russ Montgomery (11th season).

  • Home House: Victory Lanes.

  • Last Year: 17-1.

  • Returnees: Kourtney Rinehart (Sr., KMAC Bowler of the Year, All-Ohio), Taylor Cantrell (Sr., all-league), Emma Rinehart (Jr.), Emily Ball (So.).

  • Notes: The Golden Knights made a third straight trip to the Division II girls bowling state tournament last year ... They lost Kahlan Ball to graduation ... Rinehart and Cantreel have assumed leadership of the group ... They've won the last three KMAC championships and won a sectional title and a district runner-up trophy.

  • Comment: "We have to have tremendous focus," Montgomery said.

North Union Wildcats

  • Conference: Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division.

  • Coach: Matt Donohue (fourth season, 15-56).

  • Assistant: Abbie Maes.

  • Home House: Dragon Lanes.

  • Last Year: 3-13.

  • Roster: Rachel Anderson (Sr., letter, 171 high game), Ambriona Miller (Sr.), Grace Landon (Jr.), Ryleigh Rasey (Jr.), Lexi Bahan (So., letter 156), Montana Donohue (So., letter, 188), Olyvia Frisco (So., letter, 138), Alyssa Frisco (So., letter, 138), Emma McCaul (So., letter, 188), Maggie Hillyard (So.).

Pleasant competes against River Valley at BlueFusion last season in girls bowling.
Pleasant competes against River Valley at BlueFusion last season in girls bowling.

Pleasant Spartans

  • Conference: MOAC.

  • Coach: Bill Ludwig (second season).

  • Assistant: Don Bentley.

  • Home House: Cooper's Bowl.

  • Last Year: 6-4 in MOAC.

  • Roster: Emily Seckel (Sr., RH, letter, 163 average), Ashlyn Peters (Jr., RH, letter, 159), Isabel Romero (Jr., RH, letter, 119), Lindsay Holliday (Sr., RH), Kenzie Childers (Fr., RH), Breahna Howard (Fr., RH).

  • Notes: The returnees are consistent bowlers and strong examples for the new girls ... They work together as a team ... They need to develop a consistent approach to the game and attract younger bowlers to build the program ... Markley Watters and Bailey Howard graduated ... They lack depth.

  • Comment: "We are looking for consistency and steady improvement," Ludwig said.

Ridgedale Rockets

  • Conference: KMAC for bowling only.

  • Coach: Amanda Crease (third season).

  • Assistant: Judy Callahan.

  • Home House: Cooper's Bowl.

  • Roster: Aubrie Smith (Jr., co-captain, RH, letter, first-team KMAC, sixth in KMAC in average), Faith Brenzo (Sr., co-captain), BriAnna Ramey (Sr.), Jaycee Summers (Sr.), Sofia Daugherty (So., letter, HM KMAC).

  • Notes: The Rockets are great teammates to one another ... Consistency in the Baker games needs to improve ... Gracian Daugherty graduated ... They want to finish in the top three in the KMAC.

River Valley's girls bowling team competes against Pleasant during a match last season at BlueFusion.
River Valley's girls bowling team competes against Pleasant during a match last season at BlueFusion.

River Valley Vikings

  • Conference: MOAC.

  • Coach: Cheryl Manning (seventh season, 47-40).

  • Assistant: Rob Manning.

  • Home House: BlueFusion.

  • Roster: Alexis Manning (Jr., RH, third season, 190 average, 225 high game, 417 high series, first-team MOAC), Madisyn Schwartz (Sr., RH, third season, 153/217/376), Kylie Pierce (Sr., RH, third season, 125, 179, 337), Emma Crease (Jr., RH, third season, 114/147/219), Laurie Ann Cox (So., RH, second season, 159/190/353), Cassandra Mason (Sr., RH, third season, 109/134/250), Amyah Lavauve (So., RH, second season, 95/120/228), Kylie Craycraft (So., RH, second season, 86/134/204), Chloe Aiken (So., RH, second season, 65/96/152), Carmen Lanum (So., LH), Gabrielle Peak (Jr., 2-handed), Mackenzie Schwartz (Fr., RH), Olivia Thorpe (Jr., RH), Madalaine Tucker (So.).

  • Notes: The Vikings did not lose anyone to graduation and return their full team ... They also have a full junior varsity squad ... They are improving their skills so they can be competitive in the MOAC ... They expect to improve their averages by 40 pins per bowler, and they want to win the league and go to the state tournament.

  • Comment: "We believe that our girls team is going to be right at the top in our conference again," Manning said.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: 2022-23 Marion-area girls bowling overview capsules