Fitch, Hubbard bowlers win MLK event

January 19, 2016 at 12:09a.m.

Canfield’s Letscher was tops with 501

NILES

The Fitch High School boys bowling team was hoping Monday’s 13th annual Martin Luther King Bowling Invitational would be good preparation for sectional play.

It was. The Falcons excelled, easily outdistancing Canfield on Monday by 256 pins (2,047-1,792).

In girls competition, Hubbard was in fourth place after the qualifying round then rallied for a 1,739-1,663 victory over Fitch at McKinley Lanes.

The 20-team event included teams from Trumbull and Mahoning counties as well as boys and girls teams from Cleveland Heights High School.

Canfield’s all-state performer Andrew Letscher, who is headed to Pikesville College in the fall, rolled a 501 for boys top honors. Howland’s Jessica Guesman, a sophomore, was tops for the girls with a 415, two-game roll.

“We have a very young team so finishing second today was big for us,” Letscher said who was proud of his team’s effort. “It’s a nice way to head to sectional play.

“The lanes were both easy and tough, becoming tougher when the oil became drier.”

Guesman, whose Tigers were first after the qualifying round but finished fourth, was happy to be able to shoot above average.

“I was over average by 30 pins both games so that was encouraging,” Guesman said. “The lanes were oily at first and dry at the end, but very fair.

“It was fun not worrying about the scores.”

For the boys, Hubbard (1,723) finished third with Warren Harding (1,686) placing fourth and Girard (1,541) fifth.

Falcons head coach Dino Balkan is in his fifth season with the boys after serving six seasons as girls head coach. He said it was nice to get some work in for his entire team.

“We were able to get everyone on our team some valuable work today,” Balkan said. “It’s nice to win an event like this as we head to sectional play.

“The guys really paid attention to the importance of Baker Games and really came through today,” Balkan said. “This was an excellent tuneup for us.”

Fitch’s Dakota Gorgie said his Falcons teammates came up big with everything on the line.

“This is the first tournament that we’ve actually rolled well from start to finish and with sectionals coming up, that’s a great sign,” Gorgie said. “For me, the key was keeping the line I was playing tight and that really paid off.”

Eagles coach Ken Miller said to win it all after qualifying in fourth place was big.

“During the last Baker Games, we found the line and it just carried over,” Miller said. “We bowled together and that was the key to our strong finish.”

Michalia Dudley helped key the Hubbard comeback.

“We’ve had some ups and downsthis season and as a senior, I am so glad that we won this tournament,” she said. “This gives us some much needed momentum heading to sectionals.”

Warren Harding girls were third with 1,589, followed by Howland (1,538) and Girard (1,463).

The Division I sectionals will be at McKinley Lanes on Feb. 14.