Plum’s Cade Schimmer storms to WPIBL boys singles bowling title

By: Tribune-Review
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 7:38 PM

Plum sophomore Cade Schimmer barely qualified for the finals of the WPIBL boys singles championships Wednesday at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes, but once the single-elimination stepladder finals started, he couldn’t be stopped.

Schimmer defeated Butler’s Luke Keane in the finals 195-163 to give Plum back-to-back championships in the event. The Mustangs’ Nicholas Daniels won as a junior last year.

Schimmer topped 200 in each of his three qualifying games, but with seven bowlers topping the 650 mark for the series, competition to advance was fierce. He finished sixth with a 659, three pins ahead of Greensburg Salem’s Dylan Megliorino.

In the quarterfinals, Schimmer defeated third-seeded Eric Devore of Butler, the league MVP in the regular season, 233-212. Fourth-seeded Keane beat fifth-seeded Dylan Ford of Woodland Hills, 215-208, in the other quarterfinal.

Schimmer and Keane proceeded to knock off the top two seeds in the semifinals. Schimmer beat No. 2 Mike Mullaney of Greensburg Central Catholic, the returning regional champ, 198-192. Keane topped Butler teammate Rocco Rice, the top seed, 213-201.

Rice led qualifying with a 712 series, nine pins ahead of Mullaney, who had the day’s high game with a 279 in the first game of qualifying. Devore had a 689 series, Keane a 664 and Ford a 661 in qualifying.

The boys singles regional tournament is set for March 3 at AMF Noble Manor Lanes.

The WPIBL girls singles championships are scheduled for Thursday at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes.