Springville-GI bowling closes out successful season

SPRINGVILLE — The Springville-Griffith Institute varsity bowling team closed out its season, with the Erie County Interscholastic rolloffs and the Section VI championships.

On Feb. 11, the girls headed off to the AMF Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga, for the rolloffs. Both the boys and girls teams saw individual winners, during this singles tournament.

The girls had two winners, in Seniors Tara Felser and Stephanie Wozniak. Felser finished with the top average, in division A, with a 561 three-game total. Wozniak bowled a 192 game, for the high game in division B. Area bowlers were divided into three divisions, based on their averages, during the season.

On Feb. 12, the boys took to the lanes and Daimen Skinner won a trophy for the highest single game, in division C, with a 212.

On Feb. 14, the girls traveled back to Cheektowaga, to compete in the Section VI championships. The girls finished 26th out of the 50 competing teams. Hunter McCarthy had the best performance and led the team, with a 999, for the six games, and had an average of 166. She had the team’s highest game, as well, with a 221.

“As their coach, it meant a lot to me, to see all of the time they have spent practicing pay off,” said Coach Kevin Farner. “My top three seniors, Tara Felser, Miranda Clark and Hunter McCarthy, spent time in the summers, over the last three or four years, working not just with me, but with professional bowlers Jack Jurek, Joe Ciccone and Sue Jeziorski, who are some of the top coaches in WNY. The younger girls on the team now have gotten a taste of how much fun winning is and I believe they will try hard to continue our winning ways.”

The Springville boys competed in the championships, on Feb. 15. The boys placed 28th out of 52 teams, with Nate Sopko’s being the high point man. This athlete made the team’s best average, with a 180. Senior Val Hill averaged a 173 for six games, during his last varsity match.

Farner said that he was very happy with his teams’ success, this season, and is thankful for the bowling program, in general. “I am thankful that we have had the chance to compete,” he said. “We never would have gotten this chance, if not for the hard work of Mr. Heichberger and Mr. Russell, who were the athletic director and coach, respectively, the year that the bowling program was introduced at S-GI.”