TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS.
STREAKS GIRLS DEFEAT #1 AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
The Warren Hills girls did nothing short of make history on Saturday, defeating the toughest field of any New Jersey tournament that will happen this season, sweeping the individual awards, finishing with a flurry of clutch shots, and delivering possibly the biggest win in the program's history.
The girls side of the Central Jersey Winter Classic is easily the deepest tournament field anyone in New Jersey will face in 2017. Thirteen of the top twenty teams in the state were there, including each of the top seven (Warren Hills was ranked #4 heading in). #1 Brick Memorial was the heavy favorite, averaging just under 200 per girl per game on the season.
The Streaks girls weren't intimidated in the least. Bowling on the pair right next to the favorites, the Streaks shot a huge 971 in the first game, taking the tournament lead by nine pins. Junior Katie Winch's 213 from the leadoff spot set the tone for the entire team, and Senior Jenna Henderson came through with a huge 247 from the anchor spot, which proved to be the highest single game bowled by any girl in the entire event.
In game two, it got even better. Jenna nearly equaled game 1 with a 242, while Seniors Jessica Yerance (213) and Elizabeth Hudock (203) fired their top games on the day. The result was a season-high game of 1011, which stretched the lead over Brick Memorial to 81 pins heading into the final game.
Game three looked to be a cut below the first two score wise, as several splits and misses marred the first few frames. Because of lane issues, the Memorial girls finished well before the Streaks, and posted a huge 995 in the final game. The WH girls knew exactly what they needed to do in order to capture the title. Freshman Kelcie Mannon kept the scoring from dropping off with a 200 game, her best on the day. Under immense pressure, the Streaks put up 14 marks in the final 15 frames bowled. . It came down to the tenth frame, where marks were needed from every one of the five. Facing do-or-die pressure, each Streak in turn made a clutch spare to keep the win in sight, and Jenna finished it off with three buried strikes which closed out a 202 game, clinching the high series award (691, a season-high).
This was an amazing performance all the way through, and top to bottom. Nearly every open frame was immediately followed by the next girl "picking up" her teammate. The enthusiasm, energy, and cheering never let up, from the first frame to the last. The Streaks girls were the last team in action, and because the tournament was at stake and so close, every spectator in the place was watching the tenth frame of the last game: they never wilted, not one of them. Huge credit to the coaches and the captains for building an atmosphere that made that kind of focus possible. In order to accomplish a win this big, a teams needs contributions from the whole lineup, and that's exactly what the Warren Hills girls delivered.
The Streaks will have 3 more conference matches, a couple of more tournaments to compete it, and sectional and state titles to chase in a few weeks, but this win on Saturday should be celebrated for the amazing accomplishment it is, and every member of the Streaks bowling program should be immensely proud of the giant eagle trophy headed to the display case. Also, they get jackets, so that's pretty cool.
Not a lot of rest before they're back at it, though. Monday's tournament at Laurel Lanes is four games plus a Baker playoff if the girls can make the top four after qualifying. That may even result in a rematch with Brick Memorial. Stay tuned; I don't think this group is done just yet.
The girls side of the Central Jersey Winter Classic is easily the deepest tournament field anyone in New Jersey will face in 2017. Thirteen of the top twenty teams in the state were there, including each of the top seven (Warren Hills was ranked #4 heading in). #1 Brick Memorial was the heavy favorite, averaging just under 200 per girl per game on the season.
The Streaks girls weren't intimidated in the least. Bowling on the pair right next to the favorites, the Streaks shot a huge 971 in the first game, taking the tournament lead by nine pins. Junior Katie Winch's 213 from the leadoff spot set the tone for the entire team, and Senior Jenna Henderson came through with a huge 247 from the anchor spot, which proved to be the highest single game bowled by any girl in the entire event.
In game two, it got even better. Jenna nearly equaled game 1 with a 242, while Seniors Jessica Yerance (213) and Elizabeth Hudock (203) fired their top games on the day. The result was a season-high game of 1011, which stretched the lead over Brick Memorial to 81 pins heading into the final game.
Game three looked to be a cut below the first two score wise, as several splits and misses marred the first few frames. Because of lane issues, the Memorial girls finished well before the Streaks, and posted a huge 995 in the final game. The WH girls knew exactly what they needed to do in order to capture the title. Freshman Kelcie Mannon kept the scoring from dropping off with a 200 game, her best on the day. Under immense pressure, the Streaks put up 14 marks in the final 15 frames bowled. . It came down to the tenth frame, where marks were needed from every one of the five. Facing do-or-die pressure, each Streak in turn made a clutch spare to keep the win in sight, and Jenna finished it off with three buried strikes which closed out a 202 game, clinching the high series award (691, a season-high).
This was an amazing performance all the way through, and top to bottom. Nearly every open frame was immediately followed by the next girl "picking up" her teammate. The enthusiasm, energy, and cheering never let up, from the first frame to the last. The Streaks girls were the last team in action, and because the tournament was at stake and so close, every spectator in the place was watching the tenth frame of the last game: they never wilted, not one of them. Huge credit to the coaches and the captains for building an atmosphere that made that kind of focus possible. In order to accomplish a win this big, a teams needs contributions from the whole lineup, and that's exactly what the Warren Hills girls delivered.
The Streaks will have 3 more conference matches, a couple of more tournaments to compete it, and sectional and state titles to chase in a few weeks, but this win on Saturday should be celebrated for the amazing accomplishment it is, and every member of the Streaks bowling program should be immensely proud of the giant eagle trophy headed to the display case. Also, they get jackets, so that's pretty cool.
Not a lot of rest before they're back at it, though. Monday's tournament at Laurel Lanes is four games plus a Baker playoff if the girls can make the top four after qualifying. That may even result in a rematch with Brick Memorial. Stay tuned; I don't think this group is done just yet.
name | game 1 | game 2 | game 3 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Katie Winch | 213 | 160 | 190 | 563 |
Jessica Yerance | 175 | 213 | 149 | 537 |
Kelcie Mannon | 143 | 193 | 200 | 536 |
Elizabeth Hudock | 193 | 203 | 194 | 590 |
Jenna Henderson | 247 | 242 | 202 | 691 |
Net total | 971 | 1011 | 935 | 2917 |