Lexington girls bowling team wins Muskingum University Invitational

James Simpson II, Mansfield News Journal
·2 min read
Lexington Girls Bowling Team, left to right, Senior Rachel Baughman, Senior Kerslyn Allen, Senior Lily Wolfe, Junior Addyson Whitesel, Senior Kylie Ruiz, and Coach Jason Whitesel.
Lexington Girls Bowling Team, left to right, Senior Rachel Baughman, Senior Kerslyn Allen, Senior Lily Wolfe, Junior Addyson Whitesel, Senior Kylie Ruiz, and Coach Jason Whitesel.

LEXINGTON − It was a banner weekend for Lexington bowling as the Lexington girls bowling team traveled to Heath and toppled a field of 14 teams to win the Muskingum University Invitational. After being eliminated in the semifinals in their previous two tournaments, Lady Lex jumped out of the gate early and never looked back.

After a qualifying round that consisted of three regular games and three baker games, Lady Lex emerged as the No. 1 seed with regular games of 785, 756, and 874 along with a baker total of 470 for a total qualifying of 2,885.

After cutting the field to eight, Lady Lex went on to knock off Westerville Central, Massillon Perry, and Newark in the playoffs to capture the title. With games of 189, 159, and 194, Addyson Whitesel led Lady Lex and made the All-Tournament Team with a third place finish out of the 70 girl starters. Kierslyn Allen just missed the All-Tournament Team with a seventh place finish on games of 141, 181,189. Rounding out the championship team was Lily Wolfe, Kylie Ruiz, and Rachel Baughman, who all performed well on the day.

Coach Jason Whitesel was impressed with how the entire team worked together and stayed positive throughout the day.

“I told each one of them before we even got on the bus that we had a chance to make a run. We always bowl better when we stay positive, pick each other up, and keep it fun. Bowling gets a lot harder when you let the tension creep in. I’m proud of how each one of them carried themselves today and represented Lexington in a very positive way.”

The Lexington girls bowling team currently stands at 9-4 overall on the season (7-4 in the OCC) and are building valuable experience and momentum as they prepare for the OCC Championships on Saturday, February 4th, at Luray Lanes.

Coach Whitesel knows the road through the OCC Championships and the subsequent postseason won’t be easy, but he’s encouraged by what he sees out of his team. “We have some of the best teams in the state in our Conference and our District, so it’s always tough competition, but we’re getting some amazing experience. We have a team of incredible leaders that helps us to be resilient and stay positive no matter the challenge.”

jsimpson@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington girls bowling team wins Muskingum University Invitational