The Greenwood High School girls and boys bowling teams have both earned the privilege of moving on to the Class 5A state tournament next week in Jonesboro. They continued their season and secured their spots by finishing fourth (boys) and fifth (girls) in the 5A West conference tournament last Wednesday (Feb. 3rd) in Conway.
The 5A West tilt was held at Conway Family Bowl with the top five teams moving on to the state tournament, which was originally slated for this week. Instead, the state competition will be rescheduled due to inclement winter weather expected across the state over the next few days.
The highlight for the GHS girls and boys was the performance of Nick Yowell, who started his day on fire with a string of seven straight strikes. He completed that first game with an impressive 257 and went on to roll a 695 series after scoring a 202 and 236 in his second and third games, respectively. He finished as the top bowler in the tournament.
The Bulldogs placed fourth overall in total pins behind Benton (4323), Van Buren (3893), Siloam Springs (3732), Greenwood (3694), and Lake Hamilton (3640) to round out the top five. The ‘Dogs also racked up 644 pins in four Baker games, included in their total of 3694.
Six boys competed in the tournament for the ‘Dogs, including Kobe Clay (159, 138, 197), Taylor Morehead (169, 112, 168), Grant Huneycutt (111, 157, 203), Aden Thorman (176, 169, 155), and Kaley Kennedy (149, 138, 154).
GHS Head Coach Chad Mercado talked about Nick Yowell’s outstanding performance. “Nick's day was highlighted by seven consecutive strikes to start the day. When your best player shows up like that on game day, it gives everyone a confidence boost, which I think allowed our boys to put up their most complete match of the season.
“We knew that for us to have a chance we'd have to have a great day, and [our players] definitely answered the call. Everyone bowled their average or better for the day, and even if someone had a tough game, they made up for it later, like when Grant Huneycutt jumped from a first game 111 to a final game of 203,” said the coach.
Mercado’s Lady Bulldogs also qualified for state, finishing fifth in the conference tournament. Greenwood totaled 2558 pins behind Benton (2914), Russellville (2898), Lake Hamilton (2783), and Hot Springs Lakeside (2742). The GHS girls also added 440 pins to their total score in four Baker games.
“The girls overall were solid,” offered their coach. “They didn't bowl their best games, but they competed hard and it gave us a shot at state. Cassidy Childers stepped up after having been quarantined [much] of the second half of the season, and her 400 series was a difference maker.”
Childers rolled a 146, 124, and a 130 to pace her Lady Bulldogs’ teammates. She was followed by Sara Dungan (125, 136, 127), Kennedy Holland (95, 127, 149), Riley Golden (119, 114, 92), Brooklyn Elmore (99, 120, 98), and Ashlyn Dungan (100, 117, 90).
“I couldn't be more proud of both squads,” said Coach Mercado. “They have fun and compete every time out, and do a great job representing our community's championship culture. I can't wait to see what they're able to accomplish at state.”
According to their coach, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will spend time practicing the next few days before traveling to Jonesboro next week for a practice round at Hijinx Family Entertainment Center before competing in the state tournament the following day. The exact day and time of the rescheduled event has yet to be determined.