Advertisement

NJSIAA bowling: What to know about the state qualifiers from North Jersey

greg tartaglia, northjersey.com
·5 min read
The Holy Angels girls bowling team earned its 11th sectional title in 15 seasons at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The Angels won Group 2 with a house-leading 2,698.
The Holy Angels girls bowling team earned its 11th sectional title in 15 seasons at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The Angels won Group 2 with a house-leading 2,698.

The NJSIAA bowling finals are bigger than before, with 44 teams qualifying from across four sections for both the boys and girls – including three wild cards per section, up from one last year.

The state individual tournament will also include 100 individuals on both the boys and girls sides – 25 per section – keeping the same number for boys as last season and increasing the amount of girls qualifiers by 20.

Here is a breakdown of the finals and the North Jersey bowlers who earned their way there.

Boys team tournament

Monday, Feb. 20, at Bowlero North Brunswick

Fans flocking to Carolier Lane can only hope that the competition is as close as it was in Group 2 at the Feb. 11 North 1 tournament.

Glen Rock rallied from behind in the final frame to win the sectional title by two pins. No. 4 bowler Tim Ryan struck out for a 233, and anchor Andrew Lee converted a 3-10 baby split and struck on his fill ball, allowing the Panthers to nose past Jefferson Township, 2,844-2,842.

“I knew I needed that,” Lee said. “I had my line, but I was so nervous. So I was taking deep breaths, kind of said a little prayer and just hit my mark perfectly.”

The Glen Rock boys bowling team won its first sectional championship since 2013 at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Panthers edged Jefferson Township by two pins for the Group 2 title.
The Glen Rock boys bowling team won its first sectional championship since 2013 at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Panthers edged Jefferson Township by two pins for the Group 2 title.

Although Indian Hills finished 10 points behind Jefferson, the Braves earned a wild card to secure their fourth straight trip to the NJSIAA finals and 10th in the last 11 state tournaments contested.

► Bergen Catholic was a regular at the state finals in the 1990s and early 2000s. A year after advancing as a wild card, the Oradell squad got there by winning its first sectional title in 13 years, overtaking Bergen Tech to win Group 4, 2,942-2,915.

Andy Lee (216) and Liam Chin (213) were two of the four Crusaders to mark twice (strike or spare) in the last frame.

► The other North 1 champs continued strong runs: Wallkill Valley (Group 1) garnered its third title since 2019, and Montville (Group 3) won its third in a row following two years in the now-defunct North 1B section.

► Group 3 runner-up River Dell, the Bergen County champ, booked its first trip to the state finals since 1995, while in Group 1, Eastern Christian qualified for the first time ever.

► The only Bergen County team headed to North Brunswick from the North 2 sectional is Wallington, which also completed a three-peat.

The Bergen Catholic bowling team won its first sectional championship since 2010 at the North 1 boys tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Crusaders defeated Bergen Tech in Group 4, 2,942-2,915.
The Bergen Catholic bowling team won its first sectional championship since 2010 at the North 1 boys tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Crusaders defeated Bergen Tech in Group 4, 2,942-2,915.

Girls team tournament

Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Bowlero North Brunswick

Schools from the North section of the state have won seven group titles at the NJSIAA finals since 2015 – after not winning any since 1979. Among this year’s contenders are North Jersey’s premier dynasty and a first-time sectional champ.

Holy Angels earned its 15th consecutive bid to the state finals by winning Group 2 at the Feb. 18 North 1 tournament, 2,698-2,396, over Fort Lee. The Angels have 11 section titles during that span, and the winning score was their best since 2017 – when they went on to win the NJSIAA Group 2 crown.

“I feel like our team has developed a great deal over the past few years,” Holy Angels anchor Breanna Hetzer said.

“When I first came in as a freshman, I looked up to Amelia Brunda,” Hetzer added, referring to the 2020 grad who started for the 2017 state titlist. “As we’ve gone on, I’ve tried to incorporate what she did for the program for us.”

A month after winning its first Bergen County crown, Fort Lee will make its inaugural trip to the finals.

The Indian Hills girls bowling team won its first sectional championship at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The Braves defeated Mahwah for the Group 1 title, 2,455-2,428.
The Indian Hills girls bowling team won its first sectional championship at the North 1 tournament in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The Braves defeated Mahwah for the Group 1 title, 2,455-2,428.

► Indian Hills ventured to North Brunswick as a wild card last season and got big final frames from Allison Babino (three strikes) and Natalie Christopher (two strikes, 7) at the North 1 tournament to claim its first Group 1 title, 2,455-2,428, over Mahwah.

“We’ve been down there quite a few times with the girls, but to go down there as the champion is just everything to us,” Braves coach Mike Michels said.

► North 1, Group 4 champ Bergen Tech goes to states for the eighth straight time after securing a three-peat, while Wayne Hills won its second Group 3 sectional trophy since 2020.

Individual finals

Friday, Feb. 24, at Bowlero North Brunswick

Scott Sanczyk became the first Kinnelon bowler to win the North 1 sectional title when he shot a 707 series at Bowler City in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.
Scott Sanczyk became the first Kinnelon bowler to win the North 1 sectional title when he shot a 707 series at Bowler City in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

The boys and girls sectional champions from North 1 both scored breakthrough victories for their respective Morris County schools.

► Junior Scott Sanczyk fired a 707 series bring home a trophy for the Kinnelon boys program, which is in its second season after having been dormant since the 1970s.

“We have banners in the gym from back then,” said Sanczyk, whose victory came just five days after he rolled a perfect game in league play. “It feels really cool to be a part of the team that brought [bowling] back.”

► Senior Amanda Granata is the first girl from co-ed Morris Tech to claim a sectional crown, and she did so with a remarkably consistent 733 series at the North 1 tournament (243-245-245). The Florham Park resident placed fourth in the NJSIAA stepladder finals last winter.

“There are a lot of good seniors this year, and I know we’re all going for that No. 1 place,” Granata said. “As long as I can stay cool and just do what I do, I’ll be OK.”

Morris Tech senior Amanda Granata won the North 1 sectional girls bowling title with a 733 series at Bowler City in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.
Morris Tech senior Amanda Granata won the North 1 sectional girls bowling title with a 733 series at Bowler City in Hackensack on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

► Hackensack and Wallington each had two bowlers advance out of the North 2 sectional: Joey Parrilli (7th, 664) and Matt Lugo (10th, 638) for the Comets and Tyler Kruk (3rd, 703) and Daniel Jeetan (17th, 625) for the Panthers.

► Fort Lee senior Michelle Kim followed up her 2022 North 1 individual title by placing fourth in the same section this season.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ bowling: These North Jersey bowlers are headed to 2023 state finals