Sunday, March 23, 2008
Students, don’t laugh when you’ve got to sign up for geography class.
Underestimating its importance may mean the difference between making a bowling tournament or missing it.
That lesson was driven home recently when the Youngstown State University bowling club team had to shift gears and travel south instead of east for sectionals.
Expecting a trip to Allentown, Pa., the team was sent to Chattanooga, Tenn., instead.
“I don’t understand how we were sent [to Chattanooga] because we always went to Allentown [a 6-hour drive],” bowling club president Jackie Zook said. “Maybe it’s because we finished so high [22nd in the nation].”
It was out of the ordinary, as was Pikesville’s assignment when the Kentucky school drew Allentown.
Zook discovered the change about three weeks before the sectionals, March 14-16.
“When the seedings were announced, I checked the list and saw that we were due in Chattanooga. That was a surprise.”
Both the men’s and women’s teams took a chartered bus through J W Crown Limo.
En route, they stopped for a bite to eat and bumped into YSU athletic director Ron Strollo and Robb Schmidt, assistant A.D. for marketing/promotions, at a Wendy’s in Columbus.
“We got out of our bus and saw a YSU parking pass in a car and thought ‘how weird,’ ” Zook said.
Strollo and Schmidt were returning from Dayton, where the YSU women’s basketball team played its Horizon League tournament game against Wright State.
In Chattanooga, YSU bowled six games in singles competition on the first of the three-day event.
The women’s cut to make it to nationals was 1180, but YSU didn’t advance any bowlers.
Zook finished 11th with 1136 — 44 pins behind the fourth and final qualifier.
Grace Sciarra was 18th (1078), Dana Bachinger 29th (1041), Julia Oslick 42nd (983) and Melissa Matthews 52nd (940).
With a cut of 1319, no YSU male advanced individually, either.
Marc Chiarello placed 39th (1149), Robert Harvischak 53rd (1104), Kevin Zook 83rd (1026), Matt Clipse 93rd (984) and Matt Mikula 105th (848).
Those men advancing also needed a top-four finish.
During team competition on Saturday and Sunday, 32 Baker games were bowled each day.
Again, only the top four men’s teams and top four women’s teams qualified for nationals.
The women’s bid to qualify for nationals came up short by 323 pins. The low qualifying score was 11,406; the 22nd-ranked Penguin women finished eighth with 11,083. In addition to Zook, Sciarra, Oslick and Bachinger, members were Liz Weymer, Bonnie Bresze and Janna Wheeler.
The men’s cutoff to make it to nationals was 12,798, but YSU placed 16th with 11,384. Male bowlers were Kevin Zook, Mikula, Clipse, John Dohar, Harvischak and Ryan Firm.
Nine women’s teams and 17 men’s teams were in Chattanooga. Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) and Central Florida were men’s and women’s champions, respectively.
During a break at sectionals, academic awards were announced. YSU bowlers with a 3.50 GPA were: Firm, Janna Wheeler, Jim Jarvis and Tony Angnardo.
The end of tournament brought to a close the collegiate careers of four-year members Mikula and Bachinger.
To advance to sectionals, YSU’s women finished runnerup at the American Heartland Intercollegiate Conference championships at Wedgewood Lanes in February, when Ohio State won.
Sciarra was chosen Heartland tournament MVP.
Jackie Zook was accorded first-team all-conference honors, while Bachinger received honorable mention status.
“We accomplished a lot,” Jackie Zook said. “We cashed in a tournament for the first time — let alone a Tier I event,” she said of the women’s team’s finish in Las Vegas in January.
Upon the 2007-08 season’s conclusion, Bob and Su Bachinger stepped down as coaches of the YSU teams.
Marty and Sarah Letscher, proprietors of Niles’ McKinley Lanes, will now coach the Penguins and use their establishment for practices and tournaments.
Todd Eyer will assist Marty Letscher with the men, while Teri Haefke will coach the women’s team.
Club team faculty advisor Joe Nuzzo will help coach as well.
Brian Adams and Donald Ford had 300s in Sanko Studio/ITAM Catering at Holiday on March 10.
Adams finished with the night’s high of 760.
Angelo Bianco’s Boardman Businessmen session on March 4 was fruitful as he bowled 300-793. Also at Boardman Lanes, Rich Segra II registered a 300 in Window World Wednesday Nite Men.
Josh Hettrick’s 300-773 led Spiech Classic at Bell-Wick on St. Patrick’s Day.
Ron Taffaria Sr.’s 299 was high single in Sure Shot Communications at Camelot the night of March 12.
Jen Gossett’s 278-759 and Marla Chicase’s 269-737 paced Thursday Night Matchplay at Amron on March 6.
Andrew Watterson’s 266-720 topped Boardman Majors at Boardman Lanes.
City Concrete of Jack King, Jim Mondora, Bill Staaf, Jim Protain and John Pitlik won Fuzzy Toman Memorial’s third quarter at Holiday.