NYSPHSAA bowling championship within reach for Corning boys

When a trip to the state tournament was on the line, Corning bowled like the best boys team in New York. The Hawks are hoping to do the same Sunday with the state championship up for grabs.

Corning will join eight other sectional champions from across the state in the Division 1 competition at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Bowling Championships at AMF Strike 'N Spare Lanes in Syracuse. Each team bowls six games, with the morning session starting at 9 a.m. and the afternoon at 1 p.m.

After falling to eventual state champion Elmira in last year's state qualifier subsequent to winning conference and sectional championships, the Hawks got past a very good Express team two weeks ago to earn this opportunity. They make the trip to Syracuse intent on bringing home the program's first state championship.

"I think we’re in a good spot," senior Cameron Kennedy said. "We have the highest average going in, so we’re sitting pretty high right now. We’re just trying to stay relaxed, not get too high strung. We think we have a good shot at winning, that’s what we’re going to go out and try to do."

Camryn Stefanini, the other senior on the roster, will bowl collegiately at Midland University in Nebraska. He'd like to head off to the Cornhusker State as a state champion.

"I think we’ll be as ready as we ever will be for this and I think we have a very good chance of putting up some very high scores against everyone else and have a very good chance of getting a state title," he said.

Rewind to an epic sectional battle

From a scoring perspective, Corning and Elmira rank among New York's top teams, but only one team per section in each division goes to the state tourney.

The Express got the better of repeat Southern Tier Athletic Conference champion Corning in the sectional championship tournament, but the Hawks rallied from a 187-pin deficit determined by three sectional games to win the state qualifier. Both teams had incredibly impressive nine-game scores, with Corning finishing at 9987 and Elmira at 9950.

"It was the pinnacle of competition," third-year Hawks coach Will Condon said. "It was unbelievable to be a part of that, both teams going shot for shot, just putting up incredible scores. It was a spectacle to behold. I think everybody that was there truly understood the skill that was involved was unbelievable.

"I kind of find myself having to defend bowling quite a bit because it’s not football, it’s not basketball. If you don’t play this sport, you don’t understand how much talent is actually involved. I hope us continuing to be successful can open the eyes of a lot of people because these kids deserve recognition. They deserve more than recognition, they deserve everything that comes to them."

One of Condon's favorite sayings is "iron sharpens iron" and he said the intense but respectful rivalry with Elmira has helped each program. He said both are deserving of spots in the state tournament and believes each is among New York's top-five teams.

"There is a reason why both of these teams are fantastic, because they play each other," Condon said. "I want to scrimmage or play them all the time. I know all the guys from Elmira quite well and I was elated when they won that state championship last year. And now it’s our turn."

Kennedy was driven to beat Elmira since last year, a setback he acknowledged was hard on him. Coming back and beating the Express, particularly after Elmira won the sectional tournament, was particularly gratifying.

"It was a  big deal," Kennedy said. "They’re a good group of guys. It was hard going against them, but it makes you feel like it puts confidence in your team when you beat a team like that going into states."

Said Stefanini: "I think for us it was kind of a get-back at Elmira for losing last year because we wanted to go so badly last year. It was more it was our last chance to go and if we blow it we’re not getting back."

What makes Hawks so strong?

Corning calls Crystal Lanes in East Corning home. The Hawks have had their share of success over the years, including a third-place finish at the 2022 state tournament in Condon's first season. Prior to that, Eric Kizis-coached Corning teams had significant success, including STAC titles in 2020 and 2021.

Condon said there's exceptional pride and bowling talent in the Corning region, from bowlers 65 years old down to 12. That goes for his team as well, with Corning's top-five also including Peyton Nelson, Zach Sturdevant and Dante White. Stefanini said everyone on the team has "a great passion" for bowling.

"The kids are unbelievably dedicated. I can’t get them off the lanes," Condon said. "Even when we take a day off, they’re still playing. I literally have to tell them, I don’t want you bowling today, you have to take a day off. If I ask them for two days, it’s not happening.

"I’ve coached teams and in programs that have won state championships and the level of dedication this team has surpasses anything I’ve seen. It’s unbelievable."

It's a close team filled with bowlers who compete outside of the high school program and who have bowled alongside each other at Crystal Lanes since youth leagues.

"The team element definitely helps create a bond between all of us," Stefanini said. "It definitely makes us feel more like brothers out on the lanes."

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Keep calm and roll along

When it comes to bowling effectively in a high-stakes environment, emotion plays a big part. As in not letting emotions get the better of you.

Corning has done a good job in that respect and continuing to do so will help determine whether the Hawks win it all in Syracuse. If a player has a bad shot or tough time, teammates are there to pick him up.

"The physical grind is a lot, but it’s a lot more mental than a lot of people think," Stefanini said. "To be able to mentally sustain shooting very well and also know you don’t shoot very well sometimes is very hard, especially when you know it can go very bad very quickly. Being able to sustain that for multiple hours on end without any break is quite challenging."

Condon said those who don't compete in bowling don't understand that element.

"There is an immense amount of emotion that goes into it and it plays a major role," he said. "The one thing I can probably compare it to is pitching in baseball. If you play angry or if you're too high or too low, you just don't play well."

Kennedy said Condon does a good job keeping the team in check mentally, adding he respects his coach's willingness to keep learning.

Corning was at its peak mentally in the state qualifier.

"Even from game one, there was just an energy you could literally feel," Condon said. "I think we came in with a plan and we executed that to a very high degree. We worked and played as a team. That was probably the best example of us playing as a team all season."

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'They deserve a state championship'

Kennedy said staying level mentally could go a long way in determining Corning's success Sunday, adding the high-stakes setting of a state tournament brings its own challenges. The Hawks are planning to get some practice time Saturday night to gauge the lanes.

Earlier this season, Condon told his team all he could ever ask of them is to give everything they have, but he also realizes their focus is a championship.

"I feel like a good weekend for me and the team is a win," Kennedy said. "That’s the main goal, our only goal going in. Hopefully we succeed."

Condon is right there with them.

"These kids, especially those seniors, they deserve to win," he said. "They deserve a state championship. The amount of work they’ve put in, anything short of that is probably going to be a disappointment. Me? Yeah, I’d like to win."

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: Breaking down the success of the 2023-2024 Corning boys bowling team