Cougar girls to district bowling tournament

VW independent sports

MINSTER — Van Wert had three bowlers in the top 10 and the Cougars finished second as a team at Division I sectionals at Community Lanes in Minster on Thursday.

With a 255-152-193-600 series, Van Wert’s Aydreigh Hanicq finished as the runner-up to Celina’s Chloe Bruce (219-194-209-622). Cougar teammate Lindsey Say finished third overall with a 158-193-211-562 series, and Reagan Horine tied for eighth with Lima Senior’s Arianna Compton. Horine recorded a 183-157-178-518 series, while Compton tallied a 139-173-206-518 series. Maykayla Wannemacher (129-197-126-452) and Gracelynn Brown (136-147-`50-434) rounded out the scoring for Van Wert.

“We’re really proud of how the girls competed at sectionals,” head coach Brock Blackmore said. “Coming into tournament play, our mindset was to leave the regular season behind us, even though it was a very successful one, and focus strictly on the future and what we can control. Our goal at sectionals was simple: move on. The girls bought into that, stayed focused, and took care of business.”

“What stood out most was the true team effort,” Blackmore continued. “We had five girls contribute during the three regular games, and in the Baker games we brought in two additional athletes who immediately stepped up and made an impact, starting us off with a strong 245 game. That really showed the depth of this group and how ready everyone is to contribute when their number is called.”

Celina won the team title (3,738), followed by Van Wert (3656), Bowling Green (3261) and Lima Senior (3234). Each of those teams qualified for districts, along with the top four invididuals not on a qualifying team.

The district tournament will be held at Star Lanes at the Harbor in Port Clinton, starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

“This team has a tremendous amount of potential, and it’s been fun and exciting to watch their growth throughout the seasonm,” Blackmore said. “They’re just beginning to reach what they’re capable of, which makes this an especially exciting time for them. As we move into districts, our goal is clear — we want to earn our place at the state tournament. We’re excited for the opportunity ahead and can’t wait to see what this group has in store for us Tuesday in Port Clinton.”

The Cougar boys saw their season come to an end with an eighth place finish at the Division II districts at Interstate Lanes in Rossford on Thursday. Tristan Blackmore led Van Wert with a seventh place finish (182-214-252-648).

Lincolnview finished 13th at the same district tournament, with Owen Dannenfelser finishing as the top Lancer (180-182-235-597).

Coldwater won the Division II district championship (4,372) and St. Henry was the runner-up (4302).