WARREN HILLS bowling 2017-18
state champs once again!
warren hills girls take the group iii state title
Remember February 2017? The Streaks won everything, absolutely everything there was to win in New Jersey high school bowling. Took the Central Jersey Winter Classic. Won the Skyland - every match and the tournament - by impossible margins. Won the North Jersey, Group III sectional with the highest score in the building and highest sectional score in the state. Walked into Bowlero and took the State Group III title with the highest game in EACH of the three, and again with the highest score in the building. Took the State Tournament of Champions title, winning six of seven Baker games in the semifinals and finals. Good times.
Hugs. Trophies. Jackets. Awards. Celebration. A parade, even. It was the pinnacle of the program, the culmination of what had been building for a decade. 2017-18 was inevitably going to be a huge step back to reality: we lost our depth, as Seniors Liz Hudock and Jessica Yerance, three-year starters who averaged over 180, graduated from Warren Hills. We lost our superstar anchor, as Senior all-stater and four-year starter Jenna Henderson moved on to Fairleigh Dickinson, where she knocks down pins for a team in the nation's top ten. And we lost a big part of our soul, as longtime Coach Greg Rottengen passed away in August.
What was left? It didn't look like much on paper; a good team, probably, but not competitive with the state's best this time. But.. We didn't lose our desire: four 2017 JV bowlers, Sofie-Lynn Schaffer, Eliza Mahoney, Amanda Burdett and Jacquelyn Nesbeth, returned determined to improve. We didn't lose our continuity: two experienced freshmen, Samantha Irwin and Olivia Ostrander came in ready to contribute immediately. We didn't lose our sense of family, as Jennifer Feldman, a former Warren Hills bowler herself, took the reins as girls head coach and, along with new boys coach David Garcia and assistant Adam Zimmer, kept the program on the right page seamlessly. We didn't lose our talent, as sophomore Kelcie Mannon, one of two returning starters from the 2017 champs, came back after a third-team all-state freshman season.
And we didn't lose our heart. Captain Katie Winch took full ownership of her Senior season, presiding over the new bowlers' integration and elevating her own already strong game. With the memory of Coach Rottengen always present, the 2017-18 Blue Streaks were going to be tighter, louder and more confident than ever, and the scores would follow.
The scores most certainly followed. The Blue Streaks won 11 matches, all 7-0. Won tournaments at Lodi, Carolier, Laurel and Oakwood, beating every single good team in New Jersey in the process. Warren Hills set the all-time New Jersey single game record with an amazing 1153 at the County tournament. And then they went out and lit up sectionals again, with the highest score in the building for the fourth straight year. On Friday, February 16, the Blue Streaks walked back into Bowlero, this time as co-favorites in the most competitive Group of the state tournament.
In 2017, the Streaks started off with 5 strikes in the first and left the field in the dust quickly; most of the day was a victory lap. That was unlikely this time, with three new bowlers in their first state team finals and a much deeper group of opponents. But it happened anyway, as the Warren Hills girls unleashed an absolute barrage of strikes, putting up a massive 1021 game (the highest anyone would shoot all day) to lead the Group III field by an unbelievable 162 pins. Four Streaks broke 200: Sam at 201, Olivia, fresh off her amazing run at the Individual TOC at 226, Katie at 227 and Kelcie at 232.
The Streaks slipped a bit in game two, with everyone's scores dropping except Jackie, whose 179, along with Katie's 199, kept the team firmly in command, still 103 pins ahead of a good Toms River South team after two games. It wasn't a lock, though: TRS was putting up some huge individual scores and Warren Hills would need to do better than game two's 862 to make it stick.
They sure did. Jackie threw her best game of the day, 186, to complete her third 500 series of tournament season after averaging under 130 as a junior. That was huge. Sam (517) and Olivia (555) completed solid sets under huge pressure to finish off incredibly successful freshman campaigns. Kelcie fired a 226 game, her 637 series stood at tenth in the event and marked her eighth tournament 600 of the season. And Katie, the captain, the anchor, the leader, made damn sure her team would emerge as state champs again with a 235 game and the tournament's fourth-highest set at 661 - only one pin off what she had done in the same pressure-packed situation last year.
Champs Again. Highest set in the building, again. The Warren Hills Blue Streaks overcame huge obstacles to make it back to the mountaintop with a team that was 60% new. The only ones who weren't surprised may have been the bowlers themselves.
There was one more piece of business: the Tournament of Champions. Up first was newly crowned Group I champ, Matawan. A full three-game match would have made the Streaks heavy favorites, but anything can happen in Baker, and the Huskies were absolutely ready to compete. After a relatively easy Warren Hills win in game one (Olivia and Sam each struck twice; WH 204-187), the Streaks started making uncharacteristic mistakes and Matawan started capitalizing. In game two, a sure Hills loss was only averted when Katie Winch threw three straight clutch strikes in the tenth to earn a tie; that would be very important later. A Yahtzee in game three led to a 205-131 win, leaving the girls one win away from the finals. But some sloppy bowling by the Group III champs gave Matawan two more wins, leaving the best-of-five match tied at 2.5 apiece.
In the tiebreaker, an early turkey by Olivia-Kelcie-Katie pushed the team to a 195-174 win, and we went to the finals. Waiting there was Toms River North, Group IV champs and, statistically, the best team in the state. They have an immensely talented team, including two of the top U15 bowlers in the country.
The Streaks didn't bowl badly in games one and two, but the Mariners were on fire, taking them by scores of 207-182 and 226-188. But the Blue Streak girls, as always, showed no quit and put up a gigantic ten-strike 269 to take game three. Game four came down to the wire, and a huge four-bagger near the end got them close, but TRN eventually prevailed 205-200 to take home the TOC title. Every Streak struck at least once in the final game. Sometimes, the other guys are just a tiny bit better.
That very tight loss should not, and will not, dull the amazing list of accomplishments this group of bowlers posted this season. Three regular season tournament titles, three postseason tournament titles. Four straight sectional titles. Back-to-back state championships. And this group cemented Warren Hills' status among the state's elite programs. The 2017 Streaks were not a one-year wonder. We don't sneak up on anyone anymore; now we walk into the building and everyone is aware. Seeing a reporter's tweet reference "All Ten, Girlfriend" was one of the highlights of an amazing day on Friday. It's fun to be the hunted.
Congratulations to the bowlers and the coaches. Thanks to the parents and families and friends. Thanks to AD McKelvey and Oakwood proprietor Rob Plenge - a better, more enthusiastic and more important Blue Streak backer I cannot imagine. Congrats and good luck to Jackie Nesbeth as she graduates Warren Hills in June as a state champ. And huge respect and admiration for Katie Winch, who will move on to study and bowl at LIU-Post, upon her completion of arguably the most successful athletic career in Warren Hills history.
Next year? Why not?
Hugs. Trophies. Jackets. Awards. Celebration. A parade, even. It was the pinnacle of the program, the culmination of what had been building for a decade. 2017-18 was inevitably going to be a huge step back to reality: we lost our depth, as Seniors Liz Hudock and Jessica Yerance, three-year starters who averaged over 180, graduated from Warren Hills. We lost our superstar anchor, as Senior all-stater and four-year starter Jenna Henderson moved on to Fairleigh Dickinson, where she knocks down pins for a team in the nation's top ten. And we lost a big part of our soul, as longtime Coach Greg Rottengen passed away in August.
What was left? It didn't look like much on paper; a good team, probably, but not competitive with the state's best this time. But.. We didn't lose our desire: four 2017 JV bowlers, Sofie-Lynn Schaffer, Eliza Mahoney, Amanda Burdett and Jacquelyn Nesbeth, returned determined to improve. We didn't lose our continuity: two experienced freshmen, Samantha Irwin and Olivia Ostrander came in ready to contribute immediately. We didn't lose our sense of family, as Jennifer Feldman, a former Warren Hills bowler herself, took the reins as girls head coach and, along with new boys coach David Garcia and assistant Adam Zimmer, kept the program on the right page seamlessly. We didn't lose our talent, as sophomore Kelcie Mannon, one of two returning starters from the 2017 champs, came back after a third-team all-state freshman season.
And we didn't lose our heart. Captain Katie Winch took full ownership of her Senior season, presiding over the new bowlers' integration and elevating her own already strong game. With the memory of Coach Rottengen always present, the 2017-18 Blue Streaks were going to be tighter, louder and more confident than ever, and the scores would follow.
The scores most certainly followed. The Blue Streaks won 11 matches, all 7-0. Won tournaments at Lodi, Carolier, Laurel and Oakwood, beating every single good team in New Jersey in the process. Warren Hills set the all-time New Jersey single game record with an amazing 1153 at the County tournament. And then they went out and lit up sectionals again, with the highest score in the building for the fourth straight year. On Friday, February 16, the Blue Streaks walked back into Bowlero, this time as co-favorites in the most competitive Group of the state tournament.
In 2017, the Streaks started off with 5 strikes in the first and left the field in the dust quickly; most of the day was a victory lap. That was unlikely this time, with three new bowlers in their first state team finals and a much deeper group of opponents. But it happened anyway, as the Warren Hills girls unleashed an absolute barrage of strikes, putting up a massive 1021 game (the highest anyone would shoot all day) to lead the Group III field by an unbelievable 162 pins. Four Streaks broke 200: Sam at 201, Olivia, fresh off her amazing run at the Individual TOC at 226, Katie at 227 and Kelcie at 232.
The Streaks slipped a bit in game two, with everyone's scores dropping except Jackie, whose 179, along with Katie's 199, kept the team firmly in command, still 103 pins ahead of a good Toms River South team after two games. It wasn't a lock, though: TRS was putting up some huge individual scores and Warren Hills would need to do better than game two's 862 to make it stick.
They sure did. Jackie threw her best game of the day, 186, to complete her third 500 series of tournament season after averaging under 130 as a junior. That was huge. Sam (517) and Olivia (555) completed solid sets under huge pressure to finish off incredibly successful freshman campaigns. Kelcie fired a 226 game, her 637 series stood at tenth in the event and marked her eighth tournament 600 of the season. And Katie, the captain, the anchor, the leader, made damn sure her team would emerge as state champs again with a 235 game and the tournament's fourth-highest set at 661 - only one pin off what she had done in the same pressure-packed situation last year.
Champs Again. Highest set in the building, again. The Warren Hills Blue Streaks overcame huge obstacles to make it back to the mountaintop with a team that was 60% new. The only ones who weren't surprised may have been the bowlers themselves.
There was one more piece of business: the Tournament of Champions. Up first was newly crowned Group I champ, Matawan. A full three-game match would have made the Streaks heavy favorites, but anything can happen in Baker, and the Huskies were absolutely ready to compete. After a relatively easy Warren Hills win in game one (Olivia and Sam each struck twice; WH 204-187), the Streaks started making uncharacteristic mistakes and Matawan started capitalizing. In game two, a sure Hills loss was only averted when Katie Winch threw three straight clutch strikes in the tenth to earn a tie; that would be very important later. A Yahtzee in game three led to a 205-131 win, leaving the girls one win away from the finals. But some sloppy bowling by the Group III champs gave Matawan two more wins, leaving the best-of-five match tied at 2.5 apiece.
In the tiebreaker, an early turkey by Olivia-Kelcie-Katie pushed the team to a 195-174 win, and we went to the finals. Waiting there was Toms River North, Group IV champs and, statistically, the best team in the state. They have an immensely talented team, including two of the top U15 bowlers in the country.
The Streaks didn't bowl badly in games one and two, but the Mariners were on fire, taking them by scores of 207-182 and 226-188. But the Blue Streak girls, as always, showed no quit and put up a gigantic ten-strike 269 to take game three. Game four came down to the wire, and a huge four-bagger near the end got them close, but TRN eventually prevailed 205-200 to take home the TOC title. Every Streak struck at least once in the final game. Sometimes, the other guys are just a tiny bit better.
That very tight loss should not, and will not, dull the amazing list of accomplishments this group of bowlers posted this season. Three regular season tournament titles, three postseason tournament titles. Four straight sectional titles. Back-to-back state championships. And this group cemented Warren Hills' status among the state's elite programs. The 2017 Streaks were not a one-year wonder. We don't sneak up on anyone anymore; now we walk into the building and everyone is aware. Seeing a reporter's tweet reference "All Ten, Girlfriend" was one of the highlights of an amazing day on Friday. It's fun to be the hunted.
Congratulations to the bowlers and the coaches. Thanks to the parents and families and friends. Thanks to AD McKelvey and Oakwood proprietor Rob Plenge - a better, more enthusiastic and more important Blue Streak backer I cannot imagine. Congrats and good luck to Jackie Nesbeth as she graduates Warren Hills in June as a state champ. And huge respect and admiration for Katie Winch, who will move on to study and bowl at LIU-Post, upon her completion of arguably the most successful athletic career in Warren Hills history.
Next year? Why not?
name | game 1 | game 2 | game 3 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kelcie Mannon | 232 | 179 | 226 | 637 |
Samantha Irwin | 201 | 145 | 171 | 517 |
Jacquelyn Nesbeth | 135 | 179 | 186 | 500 |
Olivia Ostrander | 226 | 160 | 169 | 555 |
Katie Winch | 227 | 199 | 235 | 661 |
Net total | 1021 | 862 | 987 | 2870 |
olivia !!
amazing performance lands freshman
fourth in the state!
The NJSIAA Individual Tournament of Champions took place on Wednesday, February 14, and all four Streaks who had qualified bowled well. One of them had a day that will go down in Warren Hills history.
Freshman Samantha Irwin continued her fantastic run over the last couple of weeks, shooting her fifth consecutive series at 550 or better. She's improved her average by more than six pins over those five sets. Sam shot 167-223-180=570, which would be good enough to make the cut (the top 18 of 51 move on) in many years, but this year's cut was very high at 603. Sam finished 28th, which, added to her 5th place 628 at sectionals, has made this a fantastic first postseason so far.
Senior captain Katie Winch bowled extremely well, hitting the pocket on nearly every shot. Her score was very good - 189-219-188=596, certainly good enough to advance in most seasons. But Katie was agonizingly short by seven pins; she deserved better. But 21st place in the state TOC is still an excellent mark, and confidence for Friday's Team finals is certainly high.
Sophomore Kelcie Mannon was the only Streak not to get off to a hot start, posting 185-166 in her first two games, victimized by splits and misses. Sitting in 39th place and 54 pins behind the cut, she gathered herself for game three, and made one of the biggest jumps into the second round ever seen, shooting 257 (earning a share of second-high game in the event) to post a 608 set and advance by five pins.
Freshman Olivia Ostrander was simply brilliant in the first round. Consistent, accurate, and deadly: 233-214-242=689, her career high series. More importantly, that 689 qualified Olivia for the second round and put her in second place overall, fantastic position to make a run at the final stepladder, which includes the top five after six games.
In the second round, Kelcie struggled a lot with carry, hitting lots of pockets but leaving lots of single pins. A ball switch for game three made a difference, and she closed with a solid 235 game to complete a 605 back-half set, a 1213 total, and 13th place in the Tournament of Champions.
Olivia took her place among the top bowlers in the state, picked up her ball, and promptly shot the best game of her life, a ten-strike 277 that moved her into first place overall in the best individual field in New Jersey high school bowling, ahead of all the seniors, all-staters and tournament winners. It was more than a little amazing. Unfortunately, things got a little tougher in the next two games: the shot was getting more difficult, and the day was starting to feel long. Olivia lost a bit of steam, but never gave up, putting up 168-170 to finish off a 615 set and post a 1304 total for the six games. And then she waited. We all waited, as the results were compiled and the final five determined.
They announced the top qualifier, and second, and third. Fourth place. And then they named the final stepladder participant, and it was indeed Warren Hills freshman Olivia Ostrander. I honestly believe her teammates were happier than Olivia at the announcement, and I think some neighboring cities heard the scream.
So as a reward for the best bowling day of her young career, Olivia got to face one of the best bowlers in New Jersey history, South Plainfield senior Lanasia Neal, the 2016 champion who was bowling in her third straight stepladder and had shot 218-232-267=717 in the back half to jump from 13th to 4th. Intimidating.
Olivia beat her 228-212.
Both bowlers bowled well, but the Blue Streak freshman made every shot she had to, and advanced one more step.
Next up was Lauren Marks, a junior from Parsippany who had shot 654-684 to qualify third. Neither bowler was particularly sharp at this point, but both made clutch strikes late. Unfortunately, Olivia came up one pins short 175-174 and her run ended to quite an ovation from her teammates, friends and fans.
This was only the fourth TOC stepladder appearance in the history of the Warren Hills program, with Olivia joining Darren Flynn, Michele DeVries, and Jenna Henderson on a very exclusive list, and it was the best Blue Streak TOC performance in ten years. We will all be talking about this for a long time.
Freshman Samantha Irwin continued her fantastic run over the last couple of weeks, shooting her fifth consecutive series at 550 or better. She's improved her average by more than six pins over those five sets. Sam shot 167-223-180=570, which would be good enough to make the cut (the top 18 of 51 move on) in many years, but this year's cut was very high at 603. Sam finished 28th, which, added to her 5th place 628 at sectionals, has made this a fantastic first postseason so far.
Senior captain Katie Winch bowled extremely well, hitting the pocket on nearly every shot. Her score was very good - 189-219-188=596, certainly good enough to advance in most seasons. But Katie was agonizingly short by seven pins; she deserved better. But 21st place in the state TOC is still an excellent mark, and confidence for Friday's Team finals is certainly high.
Sophomore Kelcie Mannon was the only Streak not to get off to a hot start, posting 185-166 in her first two games, victimized by splits and misses. Sitting in 39th place and 54 pins behind the cut, she gathered herself for game three, and made one of the biggest jumps into the second round ever seen, shooting 257 (earning a share of second-high game in the event) to post a 608 set and advance by five pins.
Freshman Olivia Ostrander was simply brilliant in the first round. Consistent, accurate, and deadly: 233-214-242=689, her career high series. More importantly, that 689 qualified Olivia for the second round and put her in second place overall, fantastic position to make a run at the final stepladder, which includes the top five after six games.
In the second round, Kelcie struggled a lot with carry, hitting lots of pockets but leaving lots of single pins. A ball switch for game three made a difference, and she closed with a solid 235 game to complete a 605 back-half set, a 1213 total, and 13th place in the Tournament of Champions.
Olivia took her place among the top bowlers in the state, picked up her ball, and promptly shot the best game of her life, a ten-strike 277 that moved her into first place overall in the best individual field in New Jersey high school bowling, ahead of all the seniors, all-staters and tournament winners. It was more than a little amazing. Unfortunately, things got a little tougher in the next two games: the shot was getting more difficult, and the day was starting to feel long. Olivia lost a bit of steam, but never gave up, putting up 168-170 to finish off a 615 set and post a 1304 total for the six games. And then she waited. We all waited, as the results were compiled and the final five determined.
They announced the top qualifier, and second, and third. Fourth place. And then they named the final stepladder participant, and it was indeed Warren Hills freshman Olivia Ostrander. I honestly believe her teammates were happier than Olivia at the announcement, and I think some neighboring cities heard the scream.
So as a reward for the best bowling day of her young career, Olivia got to face one of the best bowlers in New Jersey history, South Plainfield senior Lanasia Neal, the 2016 champion who was bowling in her third straight stepladder and had shot 218-232-267=717 in the back half to jump from 13th to 4th. Intimidating.
Olivia beat her 228-212.
Both bowlers bowled well, but the Blue Streak freshman made every shot she had to, and advanced one more step.
Next up was Lauren Marks, a junior from Parsippany who had shot 654-684 to qualify third. Neither bowler was particularly sharp at this point, but both made clutch strikes late. Unfortunately, Olivia came up one pins short 175-174 and her run ended to quite an ovation from her teammates, friends and fans.
This was only the fourth TOC stepladder appearance in the history of the Warren Hills program, with Olivia joining Darren Flynn, Michele DeVries, and Jenna Henderson on a very exclusive list, and it was the best Blue Streak TOC performance in ten years. We will all be talking about this for a long time.
bowler | game 1 | game 2 | game 3 | total | game 4 | game 5 | game 6 | total | grand total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olivia Ostander | 233 | 214 | 242 | 689 | 277 | 168 | 170 | 615 | 1304 |
Kelcie Mannon | 185 | 166 | 257 | 608 | 194 | 176 | 235 | 605 | 1213 |
Katie Winch | 189 | 218 | 188 | 595 | |||||
Samantha Irwin | 167 | 223 | 180 | 570 | |||||
Stepladder Match One | |||||||||
Olivia Ostrander | 228 | ||||||||
Lanasia Neal | 212 | ||||||||
Stepladder Match Two | |||||||||
Olivia Ostander | 174 | ||||||||
Lauren Marks | 175 |
back to back.
to back.
to back.
girls win fourth consecutive sectional title
The Warren Hills girls bowling team did it again. North Jersey Group III champions. Again. Highest total in the building. Again. And the highest sectional total in the state. Again.
Freshman Samantha Irwin led the way with a huge 227-201-200=628, her highest mark on the season, and 5th best in the entire sectional. But every single Streak contributed. Sophomore Kelcie Mannon finished 230-203 for a 618 set. Senior Jacquelyn Nesbeth fired her second highest set of the year, 523. Olivia Ostrander posted a pair of 200 games en route to a 597 series. And senior Katie Winch carded the second-highest game of the tournament with a 252, along with her 584 series.
All told, the Blue Streaks put together an absolute monster, a 2950 set that is their best effort on the season, one that beat every other team in the North sectional by nearly 400 pins. As a well-earned bonus, Kelcie , Sam, Olivia and Katie all qualified for the state individual tournament of champions on Wednesday before the team defends its state title on Friday.
Go Streaks!
Freshman Samantha Irwin led the way with a huge 227-201-200=628, her highest mark on the season, and 5th best in the entire sectional. But every single Streak contributed. Sophomore Kelcie Mannon finished 230-203 for a 618 set. Senior Jacquelyn Nesbeth fired her second highest set of the year, 523. Olivia Ostrander posted a pair of 200 games en route to a 597 series. And senior Katie Winch carded the second-highest game of the tournament with a 252, along with her 584 series.
All told, the Blue Streaks put together an absolute monster, a 2950 set that is their best effort on the season, one that beat every other team in the North sectional by nearly 400 pins. As a well-earned bonus, Kelcie , Sam, Olivia and Katie all qualified for the state individual tournament of champions on Wednesday before the team defends its state title on Friday.
Go Streaks!
name | game 1 | game 2 | game 3 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kelcie Mannon | 185 | 230 | 203 | 618 |
Samantha Irwin | 227 | 201 | 200 | 628 |
Jacquelyn Nesbeth | 151 | 201 | 171 | 523 |
Olivia Ostrander | 211 | 182 | 204 | 597 |
Katie Winch | 148 | 252 | 184 | 584 |
Net total | 922 | 1066 | 962 | 2950 |
boys and girls sweep
skyland tournament
for third straight year
katie winch - high game and high series
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boys place fifth at sectionals
name | game 1 | game 2 | game 3 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan Monahan | 201 | 168 | 146 | 515 |
Philip Leidner | 188 | 188 | ||
Ian Dorman | 175 | 128 | 303 | |
Tyler Ostander | 166 | 186 | 159 | 511 |
Antonio Furlano | 168 | 149 | 154 | 471 |
Avante Wilson | 165 | 176 | 190 | 531 |
Net total | 875 | 807 | 837 | 2519 |
Read about Coach Greg here.
Check out the archives to see all the exciting things that happened in 2017!
Check out the archives to see all the exciting things that happened in 2017!
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