Norwin bowlers set goals high after strong start to season

By: Nathan Smith
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 9:13 AM

The Norwin boys bowling team entered the season with high expectations.

So far the Knights have met them.

A year after reaching the final four in the state tournament, Norwin is off to a strong start with a 4-0 record. An experienced, talented roster is leading the Knights. Three of the Norwin bowlers’ averages rank in the top five of the WPIBL.

“You go through years where you don’t have bowlers with those averages,” Norwin coach Ed Lundy said. “So this is a special year. We felt we left a little bit on the table at states. We want to get back there and finish the job this season.”

The Knights went through an impressive run through the postseason last year. Norwin bounced back from falling in the WPIBL tournament to win the Western Region and finish third in the state.

The team returned the core of that group. The duo of junior Ethan Dutka and senior Michael Fekete are leading the Knights. They are No. 1 and No. 2 in the WPIBL with Dutka carrying a 228 average and Fekete averaging 225.75.

“Ethan is one of the best spare shooters I have coached,” Lundy said. “When you average over 200, you have to be. Both of them put in hard work and bowl year round. They are bowlers who put in the time.”

CJ Turek was the only Knight to make it to the state individual tournament last winter, and the senior has picked up where he left off. Turek finished with an 800 series against East Allegheny on Dec. 4 — only the second time an athlete bowled an 800 series in WPIBL history.

Turek has an average of 218 this season.

“Our top four guys are all in my junior program,” Lundy said. “They’re very dedicated not just during the high school season. They start the junior season in August and bowl week to week.”

Checking in at 205.75, senior Ethan Decker is the fourth Norwin bowler with an average over 200. Senior Ty Webb is averaging 185.38.

The Knights’ focus this season is hitting a few milestones they failed to reach last season.

“They want to win a WPIBL title,” Lundy said. “They want to defend their Western title and get another shot at a state title.”

Meanwhile, the Norwin girls are off to a 3-1 start.

A pair of seniors have boosted the play of the Knights. Ashley Krivansky is leading the team with a 172.33 average, and Brenda Fern is bowling at a 168.33 clip.

Sophomore Justine Stolinski has been solid with a 159.89 average.

“They all bowl in a junior program,” Lundy said. “That really helps their competitiveness and actual bowling skills. We get some girls who are soccer or softball players and want to do something different. But the girls who bowl outside of the team score about 30 or 40 pins higher.”

The girls team is still in the hunt for a Center section title and a WPIBL playoff berth. The team has made it to the postseason tournament five times since 2013. The Knights finished in 10th place last year.

After dropping an early-season showdown with McKeesport, Norwin is chasing the Tigers and locked in a fierce battle for second with Woodland Hills.

“We want to keep pace with McKeesport and Woodland Hills,” Lundy said. “Our goal is to finish first or second place. If we can beat McKeesport, we’ll have a good shot of finishing first.”

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