Reigning state champion Nordonia returns to Columbus with 'amazing bunch of young ladies'
The Nordonia girls bowling team will be in a unique position as a reigning state champion at the Division I state tournament this weekend.
Nordonia heads to HP Lanes in Columbus after winning team sectional and district championships last month.
Nordonia was sixth in last year's state tournament qualifying round and advanced to the eight-team bracket. The Knights then defeated Perry, Plain City Jonathan Alder and Kettering Fairmont in the championship round to earn the state title at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowling Lanes.
Abigael Toronski, Kolbey Lewin and Brooke Barnes contributed to last year's state title run as juniors and are senior leaders for Nordonia this year. Lewin finished 22nd individually in last year's state tournament.
"This is an amazing bunch of young ladies," Nordonia coach Ty Lachowski said. "I only graduated one senior [Hailey Whitten] from last year. We also have two new additions this year [in sophomore Natalie Barnes and junior Brianna Glena]. The way the girls come together as a team is unbelievable. We have progressed and it is a great feeling. They just feed off of each other."
Nordonia's other bowlers are junior returnees Grace Bzdafka, Kaitlyn McNutt and Alexis Demarco.
"Last year when we made it to the state tournament, nobody thought we were going to because we were definitely an underdog," Toronski said. "I did not bowl all four years of my high school career. I have only bowled for three years because of [the] COVID[-19 pandemic]. I bowled my first year on JV, my second year and final year, this year, on varsity. Being on varsity and making it to the state tournament was probably the greatest experience I have had in high school.
"... We went into last year being nobodies and then we went into this year and everyone knew us. Everyone knew what we could do. We definitely brought it this year. We were undefeated in the Suburban League in match plays and we have several tournament wins. We stepped up our game this year."
Bzdafka finished 38th individually, McNutt was 49th and Whitten tied for 52nd in last year's state tournament.
"Our team is looking really good," Lewin said. "We are really excited to go back to the state tournament this year and win that state title again. That would be really cool. We are practicing a lot.
"... Winning the state title last season gave us the confidence to do better this season."
Toronski, Lewin, Bzdafka, McNutt and Brooke Barnes have led led Nordonia in its past two tournaments, a sectional at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood and a district at Rebman Recreation Lanes in Lorain.
Toronski finished fourth individually in the sectional and ninth individually in the district. Lewin was second in the sectional and 15th in the district.
"Our first goal was to win the Suburban League," Lachowski said.
Nordonia did exactly that at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn in February, and kept winning on its path to Columbus.
"Then we set our eyes on being one of the top four teams to get out of the sectional and then being one of the top six teams to get out of the district and get to where we really want to go," Lachowski said. "Those were our goals along the way. I am very excited for these girls."
Lachowski, 56, is a 1986 Nordonia graduate who competed in football, wrestling and baseball. He is in his seventh season coaching bowling at Nordonia and completed his 16th season as a Knights football assistant coach in the fall.
"I have been a bowler since I was 2 years old," said Lachowski, who grew up in Macedonia. "... My parents still live right down the street from North Woods. That is our home lanes. I used to bowl there on Saturday mornings. I actually worked there, and when I was really young I used to ride my 10-speed up there to bowl."
Kettering Fairmont junior Danica Roseberry won the Division I girls bowling individual state title last year, but did not qualify for this year's state tournament.
Beavercreek is the defending Division I boys bowling team state champion and is led by senior Carson Shroyer, the individual state champion last season.
What is the time schedule for the OHSAA bowling state tournament?
The two-day Division I bowling state tournament starts Friday with the boys competition and concludes Saturday with the girls competition.
Each day, the qualifying round begins at 10:45 a.m. and ends at around 2:30 p.m. The individual award ceremony is scheduled to begin at around 3:30 p.m. The championship round starts at around 4 p.m. and the tournament concludes with a team award ceremony.
Which other Akron-area teams advanced to the OHSAA bowling state tournament?
Green girls: Elena Hughes, sr; Brooklyn Krager, soph.; Natalie Noirot, jr.; Madison Perrine, jr.; Payton Taylor, fr.; Kyleight Berisko, sr.; coach Alex Snowberger
Perry girls: Ami King, sr.; Kiele Poling, jr.; Jenna Boyer, Jr.; Arielle Clapper, soph.; Avery Wilt, jr.; Alexandra Devore, soph.; Alexis Reeves, fr.; Bella Woods, fr.; coach Joe Altimore
Lake girls: Lindsey Gotham, sr.; Kaylee Holler, sr.; Samantha Kuruc, sr.; Abigail Meffert, sr.; Madison Paxton, jr.; Alexis Westfall, sr.; coach Patrick King
Which Akron-area individuals advanced to the OHSAA bowling state tournament?
Girls: Melaena Martin, Springfield, jr.; Haleigh Leggett, Canton McKinley, jr.; Gracie Dunne, Highland, fr.
Boys: Anthony Vacanti, GlenOak, jr.; Justin Wagner, Cuyahoga Falls, soph.; Cleveland Mancino, Ellet, sr.
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nordonia enters OHSAA girls bowling state tournament as reigning champ
