Boardman bowlers win state title

Photo

Neighbors | Submitted.The Boardman High girls bowling team won a state championship last weekend in Chillicothe, Ohio. Team members are, from left, (front) Amanda Van Fossan, Rachel Dugan, Ciarra Moran, Angela Kaczowka; (back) head coach Al Dohar, Tiffany Terlecki, Becca Babnic, Tiffany Dugan, Tiffany Heffron. coach Mike Dohar and coach Johnny Dohar.

For the first time in school history, the Boardman Lady Spartans captured an OHSAA state bowling title.

Boardman claimed the championship Saturday at Shawnee Lanes in Chillicothe, Ohio.

In the process, the Lady Spartans set another state record, tossing an 1,102 single-team game, easily shattering the previous mark of 1,039 set by Centerville High School in 2007.

The Spartans rolled a 954 and 922 to qualify as the No. 2 seed behind leader Westerville Central of Columbus. By qualifying second, the Spartans advanced to the Elite Eight where a best-of-five Baker format was used to determine the 2010 state champions.

Boardman dominated Baker play, defeating No. 7 seed Coldwater in three straight games, 217-169; 192-177 and 233-189. In the semifinals, the Lady Spartans beat No. 3 seed Hubbard, 179-166; 236-184 and 180-174 to earn their first-ever trip into the state finals.

The state title match, televised by Sports Time Ohio, featured Boardman against Westerville Central, whose 3,144 three-game qualifying series was also a new state record.

In the best-of-five Baker-style championships, the Spartans jumped out to an early two games to none lead, defeating Westerville 207-199 and 189-163.

But Westerville bounced back in game three to hand Boardman a 201-156 loss.

In Game 4, Boardman sealed the deal with a 195-185 win to capture the state title.

Individually, the Spartans placed three players in the top 15 among the 138 state participants. Junior Tiffany Terlecki was fifth with 216-642. Senior Ciarra Moran placed eighth with 265-639 and fellow senior Amanda Van Fossan added 223-615 for a solid 13th-place finish.

Other top scores included Tiffany Dugan with a-217, Angela Kaczowka with a 198 and Rachel Dugan with a 185. Tiffany Heffron and Becca Babnic round out the Spartans’ 2010 state championship squad.

“It was an amazing season for the girls,” said Boardman coach Al Dohar. “They are a special group of female athletes who simply never gave in to the pressures of the moment.

“When one of them was struggling, someone else would step in and rise to the top. They were dedicated to winning it all, and that’s exactly what they did. Myself, my entire coaching staff and the Boardman High School athletic department salute their championship season.”

The Lady Spartans finished the regular season 15-0 overall while winning the Federal League title outright and undefeated for the second consecutive season. They also placed first in sectionals and second in districts to gain the state tournament bid.