River Valley's Alexis Manning gearing up for third state berth in four bowling seasons

COLUMBUS — River Valley's Alexis Manning went to the Division II girls bowling state tournament as a freshman and finished as a top 15 All-Ohioan.

Last year, she made it back and brought her teammates with her. She returns as a solo act as a senior this year.

With all that in her background, there's still some anxiety.

"Experience doesn’t always take the nerves away. I wish it did, but it doesn’t. I’m just glad that I made it," Manning said as she gets ready for the D-II state tourney that starts at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at HP Lanes in Columbus.

State bowling preview: Pleasant bowlers welcome change in venue for Division II state tournament

More state bowling coverage: Pleasant's boys bowlers keep building on their dynasty with third straight state berth

Bittersweet moment

Manning made it by winning the individual title with a 171-220-219 610 series, 24 pins better than the district runner-up. But she didn't want to go alone.

The Vikings finished an agonizingly close third in the team standings at the D-II district tournament at HP Lanes. They were three pins away from second-place Lakewood. The top two teams advance to state.

"It’s heartbreaking because I know that I have a team full of seniors, and I know this was the end of their season," said River Valley coach Cheryl Manning, who is also Alexis Manning's mother. "They wanted it so bad all year long. They fought for it and fought for it. We lost this by three pins. We lost the game against Pleasant by seven pins. It’s just, oh, those couple of pins or one spare is all the difference and it’s heartbreaking. It really is. I wanted to go with a full team."

RV shot a 3,260 and came back strong in the final three Baker games with scores of 190, 175 and 194 to cut into Lakewood's edge, but not enough.

“They had a chance. They had a double in the last game in the seventh and eighth frame," said Rob Manning, RV's assistant coach and Alexis Manning's father. "Laurie (Ann Cox) got up there in the ninth frame and went Brooklyn and left a wobbling 5-pin that could have fell. She made the spare, and Allie struck out. If that 5-pin falls, they’re in."

The Vikings are a vocal group with lots of chatter and cheers and a Kool-Aid Man chain to wear after strikes, so this will be a different experience for Alexis Manning.

"It’s probably going to make it a little bit harder just because they help me stay going. I really wish they were going with me," she said.

State outlook for Manning

As a freshman, Alexis Manning managed herself well at state as an individual, shooting a 192-196-181 569 series for 15th and the final honorable mention All-Ohio slot. Last year while bowling with her teammates, she went 246-183-143 572 for 16th, just two pins from another All-Ohio honor.

"I’m going to go for as much as I can, and I’ve just got to try to stay out of my head," Alexis said. "If I do that, I think I’ll be fine."

The state tournament moves from Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl to HP Lanes, and Manning sees it as a good thing. HP is where she has competed in sectionals and districts throughout her career.

"It helps a lot. I haven’t done all that great at Wayne Webb’s (Columbus Bowl), so being able to come back here makes that a little easier," Alexis said. "It’s so different. Maybe it’s how I’m throwing it, but one way or the other I always throw better here."

Besides the district-winning 610 she threw last week, she was third in the sectional with a 587. Last year at HP, she won the district with a 254-219-209 682 and was fourth at the sectional at 595. In her sophomore season, she was a sectional runner-up at 620 and fifth in the district at 560, and in her freshman year, Manning was 16th in the sectional at 482 before winning the district with a 603.

So that's three district wins and a sectional runner-up medal. That's why she's happy with the venue switch.

"I know she wanted to go out on top for the season and for her final year of high school," Cheryl Manning said. "It’s good to see she has one more to go."

rmccurdy@gannett.com

419-610-0998

X @McMotorsport

Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: She's back: RV's Alexis Manning returns to D-II girls state bowling