After starting the season in the middle of the pack, the SSU bowling teams looked to rebound at Ohio Bowling Conference (OBC) Match No. 2 on Oct. 19 — and that’s exactly what they did.
In their second OBC tournament, the men’s varsity team finished fifth out of 17 teams. In addition to the top-five team finish, individuals Sam Clay and Blake Landers placed in the top 15. Clay totaled 865 pins with a 216 average, while Landers recorded 861 pins with a 215 average. Both bowlers finished with a positive plus/minus, meaning they scored more than 800 pins or averaged over 200 per game across four games. Their performances put them among the top half of bowlers who played all four games and in the top quarter of all male competitors.
The men’s junior varsity team also had a solid weekend, finishing sixth out of 14 teams. Among the highlights for the men’s junior varsity performance, sophomore Andy Schoener shot an 853 total pinfall, placing him sixth of all men’s junior varsity bowlers, only five pins out of the top five.
On the women’s side, the varsity squad took home a 10th-place finish. While perhaps not the result they were hoping for, it was still a productive weekend. The team came home with a top-10 finish with bowlers Hannah Rearick and Olyvia Bittner tying for 26th on the individual side of things with averages of 176.
The women’s junior varsity team earned the highest finish of any SSU team this season, placing second out of seven teams. In addition to the runner-up finish, Brooklyn Foose placed third among individuals with a 693 series. Jackie Aubry and Kylie Fowler tied for eighth with 647 averages.
“It was a good weekend for SSU Bowling at OBC II,” head coach Brian Sturgill said after the tournament. “The men’s varsity team earned its first top-five finish of the year and bowled great all day. JV men’s had another solid showing. The varsity women struggled early but battled to secure a top-10 finish, and the JV women finished as runners-up. Brooklyn Foose earned all-tournament honors, which was a highlight. I’m proud of everyone’s effort. We still have things to work on, but the effort is there. Now we just need to put it all together from start to finish.”
SSU’s bowling teams return to action on Nov. 2 in Sandusky, Ohio.
