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Champion makes history

Hubbard, Girard teams join Golden Flashes at district

CHAMPION — The Champion girls bowling team has made history, becoming the first girls team at the school to advance to district competition.

The Golden Flashes made an incredible turnaround, going from 2-11 last season to winning the Division II Trumbull-Lake Sectional title last Sunday at Freeway Lanes. The Golden Flashes outscored second-place Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin by 47 points and will compete in the district tournament Sunday beginning at noon at Buckeye Lanes in North Olmsted.

“We are the first girls team from Champion to move on past sectionals,” Golden Flashes coach Lindsay Willforth said. “It feels absolutely amazing to be moving on, making history, and to have won the sectional. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these girls.”

Also competing in the Division II girls district are teams from Girard and Hubbard, plus six area individuals. The boys district, which is scheduled Monday — also at Buckeye Lanes — includes area teams Lakeview, Champion, LaBrae, Girard and Hubbard, plus four area individuals.

The Champion girls were winless in conference play last season, but this season’s turnaround included a 7-3 record in All-American Conference Blue Tier play. The Golden Flashes also came close to winning the Blue Tier tournament title.

“Last year we did finish 2-11, 0-8 in the Blue Tier, this year we finished 10-6, 7-3 in the Blue Tier,” Willforth said. “We tied with Brookfield as AAC Blue Tier conference champs. We placed second at the AAC tournament, only 18 pins behind Brookfield.”

Included in the Golden Flashes’ turnaround has been an increase in the roster as well. This is the first year Champion has fielded a JV team in Willforth’s tenure and she has cited that roster growth as a big plus for the program.

“Since I started coaching bowling, our roster has increased each year,” Willforth said. “This is the first year that we have had enough girls for both varsity and JV. We started this season with a roster of 13 after finishing last season with only eight bowlers, and that has made a big difference.

“We have five returning letter winners, as well as three new freshmen that have made positive impacts on the team this year.”

One of those freshmen is Ashley Nicholas. Nicholas finished as the top performer for the Golden Flashes in the sectional tournament, finishing with a total of 498. Her finish was good enough for fifth out of all competitors in the tournament.

“Ashley is a fantastic bowler and an absolute asset to our team,” Willforth said. “A week after the AAC tournament Ashley broke two school records. She bowled an individual game of 257 and an individual series of 447. Ashley’s teammates often refer to her as ‘The Legend’ now.

“When Ashley comes off the lanes after bowling her third strike in a row, I say, ‘gobble gobble, Ashley’, and she always responds, ‘I’m not done yet coach,’ and she will go up and bowl strike after strike. That positive attitude is one of her greatest strengths.”

It’s not just Nicholas that performed well for the Golden Flashes. Three others finished in the top 15 performers at the sectional. Megan Crevier finished in 10th bowling a 437, Hailee Wilson was 12th with a 419, and Mikayla Bloom finished in 13th, bowling a 412.

“I have a lot of talented athletes that work hard for me, but we also have a lot of fun — and I think that’s very important,” Willforth said. “I also find that food is a good motivator for these girls, so I am bringing a Dairy Queen cake to practice tonight to celebrate our victory at sectional.

“If we move on to state, I promised the team dinner at Olive Garden. I’m not sure which they enjoy more, the food or the bragging rights.”

With a successful season thus far, the Golden Flashes are still looking for more.

“It would be an honor to place at district and move on to the state championship, and I have faith that this team can succeed,” Willforth said. “It’s hard to put into words how proud I am of these girls and everything that they have accomplished so far this year.

“One of the most important things about this team is that they are coachable. They ask for help when they need it, they listen to advice from their coaches, and they strive to get better each day. Hard work and dedication have put us where we are today, and I expect more great things in the future for Champion girls bowling.”

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