In Position: WC bowling teams are hoping to qualify for the state tournament.
Although it is nearly three months away, Worthington Christian’s boys’ and girls’ bowling coach, Matt Hamilton, hopes to have a very busy weekend to start the month of March.
Hamilton believes his boys and girls teams have all the right ingredients to make a run to the state tournament.
“The teams are positioned pretty well,” Hamilton said. “Both teams should have five solid bowlers coming back, and we could make a run to state.”
The boys’ team lost only one bowler with the graduation of Michael Goulet. Goulet was an honorable mention to the All-Central Buckeye League team and finished 37th in the Division II Central District tournament with 502 points.
However, Hamilton is excited about what he has returning. Last year, Worthington Christian had four bowlers who were new to the sport.
“They did a great job picking things up,” Hamilton said. “Each bowler stepped it up and improved.
“This year, we hope to sprinkle in a bunch of new kids. If they all come out and be solid, it could be a good year.”
Juniors Edmund Bunner and Nehemiah Smith lead the list of Warriors returnees. Bunner, who finished 13th with 586 points at the district tournament, and Smith, who placed 17th (566), were both first-team all-CBL last season.
“Nehemiah and Edmund both took a step to where they were very solid bowlers by the end of the year,” Hamilton said.
Worthington Christian returns senior Atherton Bunner and sophomores Jacob Sanders and Zeke Blankenship. Sanders was an honorable mention all-conference last year.
The returnees want to build on last season’s accomplishments. In the Central Buckeye League, the Warriors finished third with 2,787 points behind Whitehall (3,342) and Buckeye Valley (2,905).
At the district championship, Worthington Christian took fifth place with 3,491 points, finishing behind eventual state champion Marion Pleasant (4,469), East Knox (4,023), Mechanicsburg (3,961) and Heath (3,642). Only the top two teams advanced to the state tournament. The Warriors advanced to the district by placing fifth (3,540) at the sectional tournament.
Last year, senior Anja Muskopf missed the state tournament by 13 points. Hamilton said he’s not only anticipating Muskopf will make the journey but also that she will bring her teammates along with her.
“The big thing I remember about last year was Anja,” Hamilton said. “She was so close. I think she has a real shot at making it this year.”
Muskopf, the Warriors’ lone district qualifier, tied Elgin’s Bethany Strong for seventh with 559 points. River Valley’s Alexis Manning (first, 610) and East Knox’s Olivia Nastasi (third, 572) were the district’s two individual qualifiers for the state tournament. Five of the top six bowlers who finished above Muskopf graduated last spring.
Worthington Christian just missed making it to the district as a team. The Warriors placed 14th overall at the sectional tournament with 2,561 points. Only the top 12 teams from the sectional tournament advanced to the district. Worthington Christian was just 112 points behind the last district qualifier, Heath (12th, 2673).
Worthington Christian graduated three members from last season’s squad: Dorothy Fullerton, Kailey Luckett, and Grace Vinson. Hamilton hopes the anticipated return of juniors Brenna Sweigard and sophomore Annelise Gifford could strengthen a team that captured first in the Central Buckeye League.
The Warriors scored 2,589 points to clinch the CBL championship, finishing ahead of Bexley (2,382) and Buckeye Valley (2,179). Muskopf, Luckett, and Fullerton were first-team all-league last season, and Sweigard and Gifford earned second-team honors. Senior Alissa O’Farrell and sophomore Addie Johnson are also anticipated to return this season.
“Brenna and Annelise did a lot of work on their game over the summer and should be much improved,” Hamilton said. “The whole team worked on their game, and we should be much improved this year.”