Back at full strength, Lakewood girls bowling ready for return to state tournament
THORNVILLE — Nevaeh Wall could only sit and text her coaches for constant updates.
The senior wanted another shot to compete, but a school commitment kept her from competing in the Division II district tournament Feb. 20. In Wall's absence, the rest of the Lancers delivered, taking runner-up to earn a second trip to state in three seasons.
“I was bothering (assistant coach April Streets and coach Scott Price), and they let me know,” Wall said.
Wall will bowl Saturday morning with her Lakewood teammates at HP Lanes. Wall and classmate Vica Pletcher, who placed fourth individually in both the sectional and district tournaments, and juniors Amy Smith and Peyton Mellring were among those bowling for the Lancers in 2022 when they finished 13th, with Pletcher taking 20th individually.
”It is amazing to go back my senior year,” Wall said. ”To finish off my high school career, it is a really good feeling that we get to go back and experience all of that stuff again.”
The Lancers hope to carry the momentum of an outstanding regular season into the state tournament. They went unbeaten in Licking County League play to earn a third consecutive LCL championship.
“We have just been putting more work into it, and we haven’t stopped,” Wall said. “We just keep growing. We are stronger than ever. It’s more than just the bowling (at state). You feel so much closer to the girls. It’s something that you can’t really explain unless you are there. We are one of the top bowling teams, and that’s such an amazing experience.”
Pletcher’s 206 high game and 571 series helped the Lancers total three pins more than River Valley for the final qualifying spot. Smith took 15th individually with a series of 485, and seniors Savannah Zwayer, who had a 434 series, and Addison Grebb, who had a high game of 163, gave the Lancers a big lift.
Madison Darnes, who made two trips to state as an individual was Lakewood’s only previous qualifier before the breakthrough in 2022. The Lancers now are establishing themselves among the elite in central Ohio.
“The nice part is it is turning into a culture,” Price said. “The younger girls pick up on the what the older girls are doing, so I feel like we are not going to miss a beat even over the next couple years. What we have coming looks pretty good. I have two JV players here still working out with us. They get great exposure to the experienced girls.”
With 24 players across the high school girls and boys programs, Price has added Ron Guinsler to his coaching staff. The Lancers’ next step is filling a talent pool at the middle school level after consistently fielding high school reserve teams of both genders.
It is a good time to be a bowler at Lakewood, and slowly but surely people are taking notice.
“Especially my sophomore year when we went to state, it helped so much with this program, putting more of a spotlight on it, helping us get more uniforms and being able to compete in different tournaments,” Wall said. “It definitely made a really big impact. It made me a lot more proud to be a part of Lakewood.”
740-973-4541
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Lakewood girls bowling ready for return to OHSAA tournament
