The varsity bowling teams made Head Coach JR Lafnear proud this weekend at the state finals with their solid showing in Canton March 5-6.
‘We did things this weekend that we have never done before and I now believe we can achieve even more in the future,? said Lafnear.
The girls team finished seventh, while the boys finished 15th.
The girls got off to a slow start in the finals on Friday, averaging a 164 over the first eight baker games, leaving them 44 pins from the cut line of eight teams with two regular games left.
The Wildcats wouldn’t be denied a spot as one of the final eight teams. Seniors Kelly Cartner and Sarah Decker and sophomore Heather Lafnear propelled Oxford to the finals with their strong efforts.
Cartner would bowl a 173 and 182, while Decker exploded with a 246 in game one and a 201 in game two. Lafnear followed with games of 210 and 200.
When they reached head-to-head play, the Wildcats found themselves matched up against Tecumseh, who was the two-time defending state champ. After splitting the baker games, Oxford still trailed by 55 pins.
The girls gave it everything they had, but Tecumseh proved to be too much for Oxford, defeating them 897-832 to advance. Tecumseh wound up winning the state tournament for the third year in a row.
‘This was a great performance for our program,? said Lafnear. ‘The ladies were great sports and bowled well; finishing seventh out of 84 teams is a great accomplishment.?
The boys bowled well at states, finishing 15 out of 81 teams. Over the eight baker games, the team averaged a 176, placing them just outside the top eight.
They responded with a solid 873 in game one, but it wasn’t meant to be as they found themselves losing ground on the field. The boys finished with a total of 3103.
Lafnear said that momentum wasn’t with them today. ‘It seemed like every time we had a couple of strikes, we would get a split to slow us down. The boys had a great spirit and gave it their all. We are very proud of their effort this season.?
Oxford sent four bowlers to the individual portion of the state finals on Saturday. Two of the bowlers, Ross Hadden and Sarah Decker, failed to make the cut.
Hadden finished 57 after a good day of qualifying, but couldn’t keep up his scoring touch, while Decker missed the cut by four pins.
Lafnear would wind up as the sixth seed heading into head-to-head play, where she matched up against Jennifer LeClair from Bay City John Glen. She would wind up losing after falling behind by 40 pins after the first game.
‘She was solid all day and bowled great. As a coach it was fun to watch,? said Lafnear.
Cartner continued the strong bowling by Oxford when she qualified fifth with a 253 game, breaking her own school record. She would get off to a strong start by knocking off the number one qualifier from regionals, Stephanie Penxa from Warren Regina.
She would advance to the final four before losing to Lindsay Ploof of Kearsley 402-336. She defeated Jenny Clark of Trenton when Clark missed a strike on her last roll of the match.
Lafnear said he saw a lot of growth in Cartner this season. ‘Kelly has matured a ton this year and is truly a great bowler. She showed she can compete with the best in the state. This is a proud day for the program and her family.?