Area individuals have been to bowling district before
Three area high school bowlers competing in today’s Division II district tournament at Canton’s Hall of Fame Lanes can take the “been there before” approach.
Chalker’s Susan Decker, Maplewood’s Larry Sudano Jr. and Champion’s Zach Johnson are among a number of area bowlers who will compete as individuals and will vie for a shot at a state tournament bid in Columbus.
Decker, a senior who’s making her third straight district appearance, has had one of the more unusual careers you’ll find in high school bowling. The Wildcats don’t have a team, so Decker hasn’t had the luxury of competing against other high school bowlers throughout the regular season, but rather, only in postseason tournaments.
For Decker, that has certainly been a challenge, but she gives credit to her personal coach, Steve Force, who coaches her in area junior leagues. The senior, who’s improved her game average from 176 last year, to 192 this year, is eyeing a second straight bid to state.
A year ago, she placed in 33rd, but this year, her expectations are much loftier.
“My goal all year is to make it back to state and at least finish as an honorable mention,” Decker said. “Last year at state was rough for me, and I think it was because of the nerves, being my first time there.
“I just have to stay positive (at district), see who my competition is, and hit my marks everytime. I’m confident that I’ll do better (at state if I may it back there) this time around.”
Johnson, a senior who is the Flashes’ top bowler, has seen his own team have success at the state level first-hand. His Flashes won the state title when he was a freshman alternate for them in 2014, and last year, the team qualified for state once again.
His coach, Dale Johnson, said that Zach would have actually qualified for district last year, had the team not qualified. This year, however, Champion came up just short in the sectional, while Zach shined as the runner-up among Division II individuals, finishing with a 579 series, including a 233 opening game.
“I’m not really worried about it,” Zach said of the pressures of bowling in the district tournament. “I wasn’t sure if it was possible for me to make it there, but I just kind of showed up (at sectional) and had fun. It’s all about spares, (because) you can bowl a 200 game with just spares and a couple of strikes.”
Sudano Jr., a senior for the Rockets and also their best bowler, beat out Johnson at the sectional, as he finished with a 591 series and rolled at least 192 in each of his three games.
His coach, Tim Pappagallo, said that Sudano is averaging a 203 for the year and has been very consistent of late, as he’s recently recorded scores of 257 and 278. Pappagallo went on to say that Sudano has had many near misses when it’s come to 300 games this year, and that his goal all year is to qualify for the state tournament.
For Sudano, he says that the idea of going to state just recently crossed his mind after the sectional.
“I got first place in the sectional, and my friends are like, ‘Dude, that would be awesome if you could make it to state,’ “ Sudano said, laughing. “Last year, I made it to districts and fell 30 pins short (of qualifying for state). When I go there Saturday (today), that will be on my mind, because I’m a senior and this is my last chance.”
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