THAT’S THE WAY I SAW IT
Bowling is becoming an established high school sports program in the Fort Wayne area and from the size of the spectators it is becoming popular with adults.
During a match Thursday, January 31st at Hillcrest Bowling Lanes, 36 lanes were being occupied with the Boys varsity taking up 12 lanes, Girls varsity 12 lanes, and JV’s 12 lanes.
The Fort Wayne High School Bowling Conference has two divisions. The North Division comprising Bishop Dwenger, Snider, Northrup, Concordia, Northside, and Woodlan, and the South Division with Carrol, Elmhurst, Homestead, Bishop Luers, Wayne, and Canterbury. There are three sections for each division: Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity, and JV’s.
This conference has ten full time bowlers with 200 averages. Elmhurst has three: Brian Byanski (200), Steve Crogan (203), and Ryne Hamblin (201). This roster also shows Andy Harper with 198. Justin Flaugh from Northrup has the highest average with 215, while Carla Farren also of Northrup has the highest girls average at 170. The Northrup JV team is loaded with five boys 170 and over.
These boys and girls have rolled some amazing scores: the Girls high game 246 Tahnea Cayce (Northrup), 243 Sassondra Desmonds (Northside), and 233 Sara Rodemaker (Homestead). The Boys high game 280 Justin Sharpe (Canterbury), 279 Joshua West (Carrol), and 279 Tim Vanmeter (Northrup).
Most of the boys and girls have the same bowling experience. They started at 3 or 4 years old when mother or father or grandfather took them to bumper bowling on Saturday morning at one of Fort Wayne’s bowling establishments. Justin Sharpe’s mother and father once owned Oak Lanes in Huntington. Collin D. Kerschner no doubt gets good instructions from his dad, Carrol coach Dave Kerschner, owner of Georgetown and Village Bowl in Waynedale.
Many of the coaches in this conference has had a lot of Fort Wayne bowling experience such as: Rob Schmitt (Bishop Luers coach and owner of Little Turtle’s Hillcrest Bowl and Roanoke Lanes), Nancy Trabel (Northrup Girls), Dave Kerschner (Carrol Boys), Jerry Rippe and Paul Dove (Wayne), and Jeff Dreyfus (Elmhurst).
All 12 teams will bowl at the Sectionals on Saturday, February 23rd; North Division bowls at Key Lanes and South Division bowls at Pro-Bowl West. Then two teams will go on to the Regionals at Logansport. State finals will be televised this year on March 16th from Indianapolis.
MY PREDICTIONS: Watch out for Elmhurst and Northrup in the boys division and Northrup in the girls division during the sectionals.
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