Penn Hills bowlers use group effort to excel

By: Andrew John
Thursday, February 21, 2019 | 8:57 PM

The Penn Hills bowling team didn’t have a standout bowler this season. However, the Indians blended as a team and managed to get the best out of their talents.

Penn Hills finished seventh at the WPIBL team championships with a total of 2,187 pins Feb. 14 at AMF Noble Manor in Crafton.

Burrell won the team title after defeating Butler in the Baker Games. Burrell finished with the best score with a total of 2,314 pins. Shaler (2,273) and Butler (2,261) rounded out the top three.

Penn-Trafford (2,232), Greensburg Salem (2,215) and McKeesport (2,204) finished ahead of the Indians.

“I was able to use all seven girls, so they all contributed in some way shape or form. We’re looking for bigger and better things when we go to Western Regionals,” coach Nancy Lindsay said.

Sophomore Tayler Parco led the Indians with a three-game total of 517 pins. Parco was the Indians’ most consistent bowler, with a 168 in the first game, a 175 in Game 2 and 174 in her third.

“She has been one of the more consistent bowlers all year. Some of the more inexperienced bowlers would have a good game, and then they would have some issues. Tayler has been that steady bowler all year,” Lindsay said.

Sophomore Ashley Hepler (457) and senior Makayla Delo (449) finished second and third on the Indians. Hepler rebounded after struggling in her first two games to finish with a 212 in her third. Delo bowled her best game first, when she finished with a 162.

“That’s when pretty much the rest of the team was struggling with the exception of Tayler. Ashley rose to the occasion. That has been the theme all season,” Lindsay said.

Junior Audrey Grainy (358) started with her best game of 138, and bowled a 111 and 109 in her following games.

Lindsay rotated three bowlers — junior Lucy Urbansky, senior Autumn Blair and sophomore Irlynn Richardson — in the fifth spot.

Urbansky opened with a 157. In the second game, Urbansky and Blair combined for a 105. Blair and Richardson combined for a 144 in the final game.

“When you’re shooting a scratch match, every pin is important. If someone isn’t bowling where we need them to be, they have to understand I have the ability to move a bowler in and out,” Lindsay said.

“They have to understand that someone needs to step up when someone is struggling.”

The Indians, who won the East section with a 9-1 record, advanced to the Western Pennsylvania Regional team championship March 9 at North Versailles Bowl.

Parco, Hepler, Delo and Grainy qualified for the WPIBL singles championship held Feb. 21. Results of the event weren’t available at the time of the deadline for this story.

Prior to the WPIBL singles event, Lindsay made it clear she wanted the bowlers to focus on the next event on the calendar.

“I try to make sure the girls don’t look ahead. I just want them to make sure they can handle what needs to be done the next day,” Lindsay said.

“I’m trying to keep them focused and directed on what we need to handle right now and not looking ahead.”

On the boys team, junior AJ Collins qualified to participate in the WPIBL singles championship.

Tags: Penn Hills