Lynchburg-Clay girls and boys varsity teams qualify for 2024 State Bowling Tournament

Three Highland County teams competed this week in the Division II Southeast District bowling tournament, with Lynchburg-Clay’s boys and girls varsity teams both winning the district and earning a trip to the Div. II State Bowling Tournament.

In the district tournament Feb. 19 at Shawnee Lanes, the Lady Mustangs earned a 41-pin victory over runners-up New Lexington, as Lynchburg-Clay had a team score of 3,211. LC’s regulation total was 2,238, with game scores of 744, 745 and 749. 

In Baker games, the Lady Mustangs scored a 973, with the six game scores being 172, 157, 158, 169, 175 and 142.

Senior Sarah McKinney led the Lady Mustangs with a score of 523, including game totals of 149, 170 and 204. She was third place overall in the tournament as an individual.

Freshman Kylee Chaney scored a 501 for LCHS, with game totals of 146, 175 and 180. Chaney also earned a Top 10 finish, as she was ninth overall as an individual.

Senior Leanna Wallace followed with a 435 (175, 135, 125), as she was 13th.

Two sophomores contributed to the championship win, with Madison Baker scoring a 391 (147, 128, 116) and Maddie Brault close behind with a 388 (127, 137, 124). They finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively.

Lynchburg-Clay’s varsity boys team won the district tournament by 35 pins (over second-place Zane Trace), with a team score of 3,550. That total included bowling an 823 in Game 1, then an 876 in Game 2 and an 878 in Game 3 for a 2,577 in regulation games. 

The Mustangs’ Baker game total was 973, with their scores in those six games being 179, 151, 136, 166, 181 and 160.

Leading the way for the LC boys team was senior Oakley Lewis, who bowled a 547, including game totals of 168, 175 and 204, good for third place overall as an individual.

Junior Damien Fry’s final score was 530, with games of 152, 179 and 199, as he was fifth place.

Junior Noah Bitzer was close behind with a 529, including 164, 205 and 160 games, giving Lynchburg-Clay three bowlers in the Top 10 as he was sixth place.

Rounding out the scoring for LC were senior Layne Ellis with a 500 (195, 157 and 148) for 14th place, and junior Frank Bullins bowling a 471 (144, 160, 167) for 17th place. 

The LC teams are coached by Sean Ison (boys head coach, girls assistant) and Shawn McLaughlin (girls head coach, boys assistant).

Also competing at districts was the Fairfield Lions boys bowling team, as the Lions were fourth at districts as a team with a score of 3,324. 

Individual scores for FHS included senior Ethan Fetters (509), freshman Van Bennington (506), senior Isaac Burns (494), senior Jordan Bennington (447) and sophomore Raymond Gleadle (433).

The Lynchburg-Clay teams advance to the 2024 Bowling State Tournament, which will be hosted by HP Lanes Bowling Center in Columbus. The boys team will compete Friday, March 1, and the girls team will bowl Saturday, March 2. Doors open at 9 a.m. both days.

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