Front row (left to right): Breanna Rea, B J Williams, Grace Lawellin, and Faith Sharp; back row (left to right): Emma Patterson, Chloe McCance, Lundyn Foree, Krislynn Duncan, and Amarachi Oguh. Image submitted
Here’s Coach Fred Denison’s recap of Southside Southerner bowling at the 4A-3A State Bowling Tournament at Hijinx Lanes in Jonesboro on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
The tournament format consisted of three games of six-person singles and four Bakers games. Total pinfall determined the placing.
Boys Results: Top Five Teams
- Gentry – 3891
- Westside Consolidated – 3764
- Southside – 3576
- Brookland – 3444
- Valley View – 3298
Girls Results: Top Five Teams
- CAC – 2951
- Southside – 2941
- Gentry – 2874
- Valley View – 2797
- Lamar – 2611
All-State Team: This designation was based on the top 15 percent of the players’ scores from the three games of singles play. There were 88 boys and 84 girls who participated, so the top 13 players in each division earned this honor.
For Southside, there were five bowlers who were named All-State. In the boy’s division, Breydyn Wilson finished eighth with a total score of 541 and Tyler Jones finished 13th with a total score of 515. In the girl’s division, Emma Patterson finished fifth with a total score of 452, Grace Lawellin finished seventh with a total score of 445, and BJ Williams finished 13th with a total score of 415.
Comments from Coach Denison: I was really proud of how well both of our teams performed today. Only two teams get to be named a champion, but both of our teams were in the mix and bowled at a championship level today. The boys’ finish matched where we were last year, but we did that with several new guys in the lineup this season. The girls came so very close to winning back-to-back state titles with only two players returning from last season, but a state runner-up finish with so many new faces is quite an accomplishment. There were times during this season that I thought COVID might take away our season, so I’m so thankful the kids got to this point and got to perform in a state tournament today. I would say that having five All-State players and both teams finishing in the top three at state (with the girls’ runner-up finish) makes this one of our most successful seasons ever. Both teams improved so much from the start of the season, and we will hopefully return most of our kids for next season so our expectations will be pretty high again.
I would like to thank our seniors (Antonio Ciamaricone, Eli Dockins, Krislynn Duncan, Lundyn Foree, Grace Lawellin, Amarachi Oguh, and Breanna Rea) for all their hard work and dedication to our bowling program and they will definitely be missed. Thanks to our administration and faculty for their support of our program, and it meant a lot to our kids to see our superintendent and AD at the tournament today cheering our kids on. Finally and most importantly, a big special thank you to my volunteer coaches Wendell Tucker and Nicki Williams for the time and work they put into developing our kids so that we could have another special and successful season.
Have a news tip or event to promote? Email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Get up-to-date local and regional news/weather every weekday morning and afternoon from the First Community Bank Newsroom on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ. White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and Your FM 99.5.
