Corning boys bowling team secures first NYSPHSAA state title

Corning's sizable collection of boys bowling championships added the biggest prize possible Sunday, with the Hawks earning their first state title.

Corning led Victor by 68 points after the opening three games and maintained the lead throughout the afternoon session to claim the Division I crown at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament at Strike 'N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.

The Hawks' final score over six games was 6264, highlighted by a 300 game from Cameron Kennedy to open play. Victor, from Section 5, finished second with a score of 6163 and Section 11's Commack took third with a 5864. The tournament included nine section champions from across New York.

"I'm really proud of the group of guys," Kennedy said. "We've been training for this all season.

"It means the world to us, especially to me. It’s been something I’ve been dreaming about for a while, so I’m glad we’ve finally been able to accomplish it."

Camryn Stefanini is the other senior on the team.

"Today was a big achievement for us as the Corning Hawks, especially for the seniors, me and Kennedy. It was quite a big achievement to be able to go back and actually win a state championship," Stefanini said. "But it also gives these younger kids the confidence to know they can as a program go very far and to know this program is a very good program."

What It Means

The Hawks won Southern Tier Athletic Conference and Section 4 Class A titles last year but fell to Elmira in the sectional qualifier. The Express went on to win the Division 1 state title. Corning came back with another strong season that had a dominant dual-meet run, along with STAC tournament and Section 4 state qualifier victories.

Corning placed third in the state two years ago.

"It’s an unbelievable accomplishment," Corning coach Will Condon said. "The kids deserved every last second of it. I told them all weekend this is something special, you need to take advantage of every last second of it. To come out with a win today, there’s not another team in the state that deserves it more."

How Hawks won state title

As has been the case all season, the Hawks' five all delivered. Kennedy had series of 754 and 627 for a 1381 total, highest in the overall field by 21 pins. Peyton Nelson put up a score of 1274 (643 and 631), followed by Stefanini at 1234 (554 and 680), Zach Sturdevant at 1198 (639 and 557), and Dante White at 1177 (618 and 559).

Kennedy's 300 set the tone. He added a 295 in the fifth game, missing out on another 300 when his ball stayed straight in the final frame.

"It was a big deal," he said of the 300. "A 300 at the state championship was not something I felt was going to happen. It was a really big confidence boost out of the gate."

Corning led Victor by 185 pins entering the final game.

"They were not ready to go down without a fight," Condon said of Victor. "They opened the first at least three frames with big strikes, closed frames. We struggled a little bit early in game six. We were not going to give it up, it was not happening. The team kind of rallied back and we found a way to win."

By the time Nelson threw his ball in the 10th frame, Corning knew it had the title secured. Stefanini said it was an emotional moment for the team.

More: A closer look at Corning boys bowling team

More perspective on championship

Condon, in his third year as coach, was paralyzed from the armpits down following a diving accident several years ago. Doctors feared he might never walk again, but he overcame that battle. He has been effusive in his praise for members of the team and the work they've put into the championship.

"I think about the tough stuff I've gone through in my life and to be here with these kids, it's just really, really wonderful," he said.

Corning's championship was the result of teamwork in a sport that has a large individual element to it.

"I was really happy with how we were all able to work together and use each other's brains to our advantage," Kennedy said.

Added Stefanini of that team mindset: "I think we played as a team again today, like we did at state qualifiers. I think that was very big. The fact we kept each other up and didn’t let each other down, and when someone was doing bad we helped them through it and kind of made up the scores for them I think was very huge."

A police escort through Corning was arranged upon the team's arrival into the city.

Other Section 4 results

Corning's title capped a big weekend for Section 4. The Waverly boys and Maine-Endwell girls each finished second in the Division 2 competition Friday and Chenango Forks' Landon Butenko had the second-highest score (1430 over six games) in Saturday's section vs. section event.

Also on Sunday, the Union-Endicott girls placed eighth in Division 1 with a score of 4982. Section 2's Columbia won with a 5982.

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Corning boys win NYSPHSAA Division I bowling title