Western Regional bowling tournaments split into 2 weekends

By: Michael Love
Monday, February 1, 2021 | 3:57 PM

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In response to covid-19 guidelines and protocols for gathering numbers, the Western Regional high school bowling championships this year will be split up over two weekends, the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League announced Monday.

Regionals will start with the boys singles tournament March 5 and the boys team event March 6 at North Versailles Bowl.

Tournament action will return to North Versailles Bowl with girls singles March 12, and the girls team tournament March 13.

“Splitting up the regionals will help us keep the numbers down while allowing the same amount of bowlers to compete all while keeping the bowlers spread out more than normal,” said Shawn Pilyih, secretary for the WPIBL.

Last year, 77 boys and 89 girls competed in the regional singles tournament, while 18 boys and girls teams took part in the championship event.

The WPIBL furnishes a majority of the teams and individuals for the Western Regional Tournament. Teams from the Erie metro area and Philadelphia took part in last year’s championships.

The top 12 individuals and top six teams from the Western Regional will advance to the state tournament at North Versailles Bowl on March 19-20.

Last year’s state tournament was canceled as the sports world, from high schools to professional leagues, came to terms with the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Franklin Regional boys and Greensburg Salem girls are the defending Western Regional team champions.

There will be new regional singles champions as last year’s titlists, Norwin’s CJ Turek and Woodland Hills’ Johnna Hill, both graduated.

Complete WPIBL standings and bowlers averages are at wpibl.com.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.