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Liberty’s Simon expects stronger finish at state
Liberty High’s Marissa Simon is confident she’ll finish much better at state this time than last year, when, as a sophomore and first-time qualifier, she finished 49th at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
“I wasn’t used to the shot, but now that I’ve had a taste of it, I know what to expect,” Simon said as she embarks on another trip to the same place as an individual qualifier this weekend.
Last year, Simon qualified third overall at the Lorain district with a 671. Last weekend at the Kent district, she was runner-up with 650.
The junior had an electrifying 269 in her first game at Twin Star Lanes last week before her scores dropped. She finished four pins behind individual champion Emily Jacikus of Walsh Jesuit.
“She was able to get to the pocket, but just couldn’t carry,” Frank Simon, Marissa’s coach, said of the drop-off. “She left like a dozen 10 pins. She threw a good ball, but she just wasn’t able to carry the strike.”
Marissa Simon had an opportunity to go to state as a freshman, but she had an appendectomy the week before sectionals and wasn’t able to qualify.
Now, Simon has been working on her mechanics, getting more flip on the ball and working on her angle to the pocket so the ball will carry.
“You have to have the proper angle and come in hard to the pocket to carry,” said Frank Simon. “Rolling out or driving the pocket determines whether you carry. You can get to the pocket, but that doesn’t always mean you’re going to strike.”
Simon has been fortunate that Bell-Wick Bowl allowed her to practice on state-like lane conditions.
“You can somewhat prepare [for the oil pattern to be seen at Columbus Bowl], so we can pretty much figure out which ball we’re going to use,” Marissa’s father said. “Still, once you get there, you still have to maintain proper mechanics in the delivery and get the ball through [or over] your mark to give yourself a chance to get to the pocket. You don’t have a lot of room for error at places like state. Also, the spare game is most important.”
Marissa said she’s been working on her mechanics for the past month.
“I’m getting down [bending a little bit more to get the ball out on the lanes] on my fourth step before the last step [which is the fifth step],” she said of getting the ball out about a foot past the foul line.
“So my approach has changed a little. I’m also keeping my elbow in toward my side so I can stay under the ball coming through.”
Marissa will be on the same pair of lanes as Jacikus.
En route to Hubbard’s qualifying first at district, one of the Eagles made a nice gesture to Simon by inviting her to sit near the team during the final games at Twin Star Lanes.
“They asked me to come sit with them,” Simon said of Brittany Ferrara.
“We, basically, grew up bowling together, so they’re like my other team,” said Simon, who plans to take six balls, including her spare ball, to state.