Norwin bowlers prepare for WPIBL team championships

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 1, 2019 | 7:48 PM

The Norwin bowling teams are dominating the lanes this season.

The boys and girls teams have both clinched spots in the WPIBL team championships. Each team has also qualified several bowlers for the individual championships.

“It has been a really good season,” Norwin assistant coach Jason Patrick said. “We switched sections this year. It has been a new experience bowling against different teams.”

The boys are on top of the Central section with an 8-0 record. The boys team finished fifth at the WPIBL championships last season.

The Knights have six bowlers among the top 11 averages in the Central section.

C.J. Turek leads the team with an average of 223.50. Not only is it the the highest average in the Central section, but it is the highest average in the the entire WPIBL. The junior finished 12th at the WPIBL championships last season. Michael Fekete has an average of 216.67. The junior has a high game of 279 this season. He was Norwin’s top returning finisher from the WPIBL championships last season as he finished eighth.

“They are definitely the leaders of the team,” Patrick said. “But they are quiet leaders. They let their bowling do the talking.”

Boys bowlers must have a 170-or-better average and bowled 21 games to make it to the individual postseason. Norwin has two other bowlers who have met the mark: junior Ethan Decker (200.25) and senior Zachary Marzec (186.60). Sophomore Ethan Dutka has an average of 206.37 but needs to bowl two more games.

The girls team, meanwhile, is in second place in the Central section at 6-2. The top two teams from each section advance. This is the first trip to the team playoffs for the Knights since 2016.

Senior Rachel Lundy is leading the girls team. Her average of 206.57 is the highest in the WPIBL. Lundy has had a decorated career during her time with the Norwin bowling team. As a freshman, she captured the WPIBL championship and finished 18th in the state. She finished 19th in the WPIBL as a sophomore. As a junior, she finished fourth in the WPIBL and eighth in the state.

“She has been bowling her entire life,” Patrick said. “She is a vocal leader for the team. She lets them know when the are doing bad and doing good. She is even a vocal leader for the boys. She will come over and cheer them on.”

The girls team has two other bowlers who have qualified for the WPIBL championships: junior Ashley Krivansky (171.38) and junior Brenda Furin (143.65). Girls bowlers must have a 140-or-better average and bowled at least 21 games.

The WPIBL team championships are set for Feb. 13 at Nesbits Lanes and Feb. 14 at AMF Noble Manor. The individual championships are scheduled for Feb. 20 at Wildlife Lanes and Feb. 21 at Sims Lanes.

Nathan Smith is a freelance writer.

Tags: Norwin