CENTRAL NEW YORK – One year ago at Strike-N-Spare Lanes, Liverpool girls bowler Ashley Hardy, boosted by a 300 game, prevailed by a single pin over Christian Brothers Academy’s Eliana Occhino to earn the individual victory in the composite division of theNew York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.
Now it’s two different bowlers, Kenzie Gill and Kenzi Ormsby, that will represent the Warriors in that same tournament, with Occhino as a possible rival.
It was Gill who put together the best average in the Salt City Athletic Conference this winter, 200.37, leading to an automatic state tournament berth.
Still, both Gill and Ormsby were major contenders during the Feb. 12 Section III team tournament, contested at the Warrors’ home lanes at Flamingo Bowl.
Shooting 202, 248 and 212 in the morning, Ormsby took a 662 aggregate to the afternoon session, where with a 202 and 204 she stayed in contention before a closing 153.
Finishing at 1,221, Ormsby only trailed Occhino’s winning 1,331 and the 1,309 from Baldwinsville’s Julia Speich, who opened with a tournament-best 279 and had a 742 morning series, only to have Occhino overtake her late.
Gill was steady throughout the day, putting up morning games of 192, 190 and 187. After a 173 to open the afternoon, Gill peaked with a 230 and added a 185 to finish at 1,157, alone in sixth place.
Sara Conover shot games of 182, 201, 189, 182, 128 and 180 in her 1,062 series as the Warriors were fourth in Class A and fifth among large schools, far from Baldwinsville, who in 5,884 beat runner-up Fulton by 531 pins.
Even with this result, Ormsby had a second chance to reach the state tournament – and didn’t waste it, finishing second at last Thursday’s individual Section III Shoot-Out at Utica’s Pin-O-Rama.
And it came despite a 147 in the opening game, which Ormsby recovered from with four consecutive 200-plus games, including a 246 which was the best for any individual on tough lane conditions.
Finishing at 1,243, Ormsby was only topped by the 1,274 from Fulton’s Addison Nichols, and the two will join Occhino and three others on the All-Star team in the March 10-12 state tournament.
