With a rich history that includes both sectional and state championships, the East Syracuse Minoa girls bowling team wanted to add to that legacy Sunday in the latest edition of the Section III tournament.
And midway through the competition at Liverpool’s Flamingo Bowl, the Spartans led the Class B sectional race, only to give up that advantage and end up in fourth place.
Team scores of 811, 791 and 825 in the morning session left ESM at 2,427, fifth among Division I (large school) sides, but leading Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (2,401) and Camden (2,381) in a close Class B race.
All of that changed in the fourth game, when ESM shot 784 as VVS (867) and Camden (848) moved ahead and so did Fulton, who had 892 in that game.
Essentially, that’s where it stayed, the Spartans getting 4,609 as Camden won with 4,905 by 39 pins over VVS for both Class B honors and the sectional Division II crown to advance to next month’s state tournament at Strike-N-Spare Lanes.
Individually, ESM’s America Carhart finished 12th overall, peaking at the end of each session with a 203 in the third game and 200 in the sixth and final game to post 1,060. VVS’s Mackenzie O’Herien won with 1,320 and had the best individual game of 253.
Samantha Robinson was 29th for the Spartans with a six-game total of 971, while Rachel Deyett finished 32nd at 962. Emily Petrowski had an 853.
Up in Class A, Fayetteville-Manlius was seventh with 4,202, well back of the winning 5,213 from Rome Free Academy, as Rachel Hance finished 30th among individuals for the Hornets with a six-game score of 964 that included a high game of 189. Hannah Smith had an 836 series, just ahead of Kendra Elliott (824) and Lydia Chase (811).
In Class C/D team competition, Bishop Grimes finished fifth with 3,677 as Sherburne-Earlville won with 4,351. Makenna Gadway had a six-game total of 852 for the Cobras as Katie Knittel shot 766 and Gianna Robinson had a 719.
Boys bowlers have their sectional championships this Sunday, taking place at Utica’s Pin-O-Rama.
