A perfect game, back-to-back title: Section V's dominant performances at state bowling

After Newark's girls bowling team won its second straight state championship, the Reds celebrated with dinner at a local restaurant.

Coach Mark Rowe's dream came true. He wanted Natalie Kent and Becca Spry to graduate as two-time New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II Champions. After all, the seniors helped the Reds qualify for states with Section V titles in six straight seasons.

Newark's 2022 and 2023 NYSPHSAA Division II titles were supreme performances. The Reds won both by more than 300 pins. Newark placed third in 2018 and was the 2019 runner-up before COVID-19 canceled the 2020 and 2021 NYSPHSAA tournaments.

"I really wanted Natalie and Becca to end their high school careers at state champions," Rowe said. "In some ways, it was more pressure to win states this year than the first time."

What it means

Of the six teams representing Section V in the NYSPHSAA tournament at Strike N' Spares Lanes in Syracuse last weekend, four reached the podium.

Newark's 5,572 pins were 320 more than runner-up Schalmont of Section II. Kent, Spry and Sienna Hasseler are Rowe's holdovers from the 2022 state title team. The Section V boys composite team struck gold again too with 6,576 pins, just 72 better than Section VI. Hilton's boys team was the Division I runner-up by 51 pins, and the Marcus Whitman boys placed third in Division II.

Oh, and there's was a perfect game thrown from a Hilton bowler.

Mark Foeder, the Section V coordinator who coaches Victor and the boys composite team, thanked Fairport co-coaches Jamie Masclee and Rob Rice for allowing the local state-bound team to all practice at Fairview Lanes. The bowlers spent two weeks bonding and practicing on the state tournament's oil pattern. The highlight was a team dinner the night before states.

"That was a big plus for us as a section to join forces and represent with a common goal," Foeder said. "The kids got real good instruction from coaches they don't know. Over the two weeks they got to know each other pretty well."

Best bowlers

Girls

Becca Spry and Natalie Kent didn't shoot to their standards, but still managed to bowl two of the tournament's top-3 pin totals. Spry shot a 223 high-game, but her 1,201 series led Newark and was Division II's second best high-series score. She'll bowl at Roberts Wesleyan next year. Kent was third overall with 216-1,197. At last year's state tourney, Kent scored the tournament's highest series with 1,306 pins. Kent is headed to Vanderbilt University, a prestigious Division I bowling program that won the 2018 NCAA championship.

"In a way they struggled, but they kept grinding and filling the frames," Rowe said.

Boys

Hilton's Brendan Stephenson shot a perfect game at states, shooting a 300 in the weekend's opening frame. Stephenson's 1,343 high-series was the tournament's third-best score. He followed his 300 with more good shooting: 221-215-215-201-191.

"I'll tell you what, that was a good way to start the state tournament," Foeder said.

For the state champion Section V boys composite team, Genesee Valley's Kory Nurse led the way when he shot 254-1,340, the sixth-highest score of the local boys.

Game balls

Girls

Newark sophomore Sierra George saved her career-best performance for states. Her 235 high-game was Division II's third-best score. A first-year bowler, George shot 110 during tryouts but gradually got better. She began Game 3 with four straight strikes, sparking a 1,014-pin round — the best of any team — as Newark ran away with the title.

"She's really put her training together the last month or so and really executed Sunday," Rowe said.

Greece Athena senior Haley Grabowski's 246-1,251 series was the best score on Section V's girls composite team.

Fairport's Rainah Roos led the Red Raiders to fifth place after shooting 211-1,110. Her teammate, Mackenzie Smolnik, rolled a 247 for the tournament's high-game.

Boys

Fairport's Aaron Mirrione helped Section V's composite team win the state title with his 259-1,312 — the seventh-best series of the tourney. Mirrione and Brandon Masclee were both on the 2022 gold medal composite team.

Ely Mangiarelli's 268-1,288 led Marcus Whitman to a third-place finish in the Division II boys tourney. His 268 high-game tied for third.

Key moments

The Section V boys composite team was in third place at the afternoon break. They rolled into "high gear" upon their return and shot 1,140 in Game 4, 1,094 in Game 5 and 1,072 to close the tournament.

"They were pretty fired up," Foeder said. Sometimes it's not good to be in first going into the afternoon because you're always looking over your shoulder.

Rush-Henrietta senior Keaton Ostrowski, the 2022 All-Greater Rochester Bowler of the Year Nurse, held the best average in the state but struggled with his shot. That's when the others picked it up. Nurse, Mirrione and Masclee (259-1,296) ranked 6-7-8 in tournament pins. Victor's Tim Doan (237-1,289) and Adam Wakelee (244-1,278) also had top-15 series.

"They definitely showed what each of them brought to the table. It was pretty cool to watch," Foeder said.

Hilton's boys team led for 59 frames before Section IV's Elmira shot 1,036 in Game 6, beating the Cadets by 100 pins in the frame and winning the tournament by 51.

"Hilton definitely was the right team to represent us for sure. They dominated sectionals," Foeder said.

Section V champions

Girls: Fairport (Class A), Greece Athena (B), Newark (C), Marcus Whitman (D).

Boys: Hilton (Class A), Gates Chili (B), Newark (C), Marcus Whitman (D).

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY state bowling results: Section V has dominant performance