Clermont Northeastern’s girls bowling team lost only one regular season match and won the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference’s postseason tournament.

CNE bowling squads strike early, often in SBAAC

By Dick Maloney

Few sports combine individual and team talents in the way high school bowling does, and few programs do it as well as Clermont Northeastern High School.

Since bowling became an official, sanctioned Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference sport two years ago, Rocket squads have dominated. The girls team has won 66 of 75 matches since 2017-2018, and the boys are 45-9 over the last two seasons. This season the girls 27-1 overall, sharing the SBAAC National Division regular season title (11-1 league record), the SBAAC postseason tournament and qualifying for the Division II district tournament by finishing second in the sectional.

The boys team was 22-6 overall and 9-3 in the SBAAC National – second behind undefeated Georgetown. They also won the SBAAC postseason tournament and qualified for district by placing fourth at sectional.

In high school bowling, five-member teams roll two regular games and three baker games, where team members take turns (one player bowls the first and sixth frame, another the second and seventh frames, etc …). Tournament formats may vary, with individuals bowling three games.

Baker games often are the difference between winning and losing at the team level. Such was the case in the girls’ Jan. 16 match vs. Williamsburg. The Wildcats had defeated the Rockets three consecutive times dating to the 2018-2019 season, including a 2,145-2,029 victory Dec. 3. In the rematch, CNE led by 90 pins after the two regulation games, 1,500-1,411, but Williamsburg cut the margin to 22 pins after the first baker game, which it won 166-98.

“We bowled a terrible 98 (first baker) game,” coach Jeff Connor said. “During the second and third baker games the girls rallied and bowled a 256 and 200 game and beat Williamsburg overall by 201 pins.” That win forced a tie in the SBAAC National with the Wildcats.

Such matches also reinforce the importance of depth on a bowling team. Since all five bowlers’ scores count in the team total, consistency throughout the lineup, from first to fifth, is crucial. CNE’s top five girls were in the SBAAC’s top 24 overall in terms of two-game average. Junior Michayla Eifert was second to Wilmington’s Ariel Comberger. Eifert averaged 172.4 in 24 league matches, with a high two-game series of 418 vs. Bethel-Tate Jan. 6 at Batavia Bowl. She set a CNE single-game record with a 245 Jan. 27 vs. Western Brown.

Eifert was also named SBAAC National Division Player of the Year – the second time she has earned that honor.

Senior Morgan Miller was 11th, with a 157.7 average; junior Alyssa Ferguson 13th (156.5); senior Elizabeth Lindsley 21st (145.1 in 16 games) and senior Abigail Averwater 24th (142.7 in nine games). Senior Destiny Sheanshang rolled 20 games, averaging 141.3. Seniors Tierra Tuneberg and Molly Stetson also rolled varsity games. 

CNE’s boys had six bowlers between 24th and 47th in the SBAAC, led by junior Jered Glancy (24th, 183.5). Glancy set a CNE single-game record with a 290 in the season opener Nov. 21 vs. Felicity at Community Lanes and was high scorer at the Division II sectional tournament at Cherry Grove, with a three-game total of 618. The Rockets won the postseason tournament, the first time they defeated Georgetown in 2019-2020.

Senior Foster Kuntz (27th, 181.3); junior Landon Williams (39th, 172.5); senior Jon Hatfield (47th, 169.4, 16 games), and junior Jake Anstaett (47th, 161.2, 22 games) also saw regular action. Junior Cyris Williams averaged 137.4 in 10 games.

Connor was confident entering the season, based on the experience he had returning. 

“After watching a few practices at the beginning of the year I knew we were going to have some new bowlers that were going to help round out the teams,” he said.

CNE boys bowling match-by-match results (dual matches only):

Nov. 21 CNE 2,384, Felicity-Franklin 1,704

Nov. 22 CNE 2,138, East Clinton 1,995

Nov. 26 CNE 2,296, Fairfield 2,283, Eastern 1,674

Dec. 2 CNE 2,164, Goshen 1,876

Dec. 3 CNE 2,242, Williamsburg 2,117

Dec. 9 CNE 2,189, East Clinton 2,02

Dec. 11 Georgetown 2,481, CNE 2,346

Dec. 13 Blanchester 2,261, CNE 2,257

Dec. 16 CNE 2,070, White Oak 2,007

Dec. 20 CNE 2,073, Taylor 1,716

Dec. 22 Fourth of 10 teams at Warrior Division II Classic

Jan. 6 CNE 2,253, Bethel-Tate 1,775

Jan. 8 Georgetown 2,349, CNE 2,250

Jan. 9 CNE 2,525, Mariemont 2,243

Jan. 13 CNE 2,205, Bethel-Tate 1,706

Jan. 15 CNE 1,882, Felicity-Franklin 1,680

Jan. 16 CNE 2,186, Williamsburg 2,090

Jan. 22 CNE 2,523, Blanchester 2,272

Jan. 27 Western Brown 2,505, CNE 1,902

Jan. 29 Batavia 2,433, CNE 2,089

Feb. 4 New Richmond 2,099, CNE 2,040

Feb. 8 First in SBAAC Tournament

CNE girls bowling match-by-match results (dual matches only):

Nov. 21 CNE 2,010, Felicity-Franklin 1,491

Nov. 22 CNE 1,857, East Clinton 1,566

Nov. 26 CNE 2,004, Fairfield 1,916, Eastern 1,556

Dec. 2 CNE 1,982, Goshen 1,534

Dec. 3 Williamsburg 2,145, CNE 2,029

Dec. 9 CNE 2,189, East Clinton 2,02

Dec. 11 CNE 1,929, Georgetown 1,610

Dec. 13 CNE 1,779, Blanchester 1,249

Dec. 16 CNE 2,026, White Oak 1,486

Dec. 20 CNE 1,982, Taylor 1,289

Dec. 22 First of eight teams at Warrior Division II Classic

Jan. 6 CNE 1,995 , Bethel-Tate 1,760

Jan. 8 CNE 2,004, Georgetown 1,619

Jan. 9 CNE 2,007, Mariemont 1,447

Jan. 13 CNE 1,970, Bethel-Tate 1,720

Jan. 15 CNE 1,789, Felicity-Franklin 1,426

Jan. 16 CNE 2,054, Williamsburg 1,853

Jan. 22 CNE 2,169, Blanchester 1,349

Jan. 27 CNE 2,125, Western Brown 1,938

Jan. 29 CNE 2,036, Batavia 1,121

Feb. 4 CNE 1,849, New Richmond 1,599

Deb. 8 First in SBAAC Tournament

Sectional tournaments

CNE’s boys competed in the Division II sectional tournament at Cherry Grove Lanes, placing fourth with a total score of 3,433 (2,390 for three regular games; 1,043 for six baker games). Individual scores: Jered Glancy, first, 217-156-245 – 618; Landon Williams, 18th, 206-193-118 – 517; Foster Kuntz, 29th, 171-136-162 – 469; Jake Ansteatt, 45th, 152-143-119 – 414; Cyris Williams, 58th, 141-104-127 – 372. 

CNE”s girls placed second in the Division II sectional tournament at Cherry Grove Lanes with a total score of 2,942 (2,042-900). Individual scores – Michayla Eifert, sixth, 139-193-142 – 474; Tierra Tuneberg, 23rd, 143-152-114 – 409; Destiny Sheanshang, 24th, 125-137-141 – 403; Alyssa Ferguson, 33rd, 114-134-132 – 380; Elizabeth Lindsley, 35th, 132-111-133 – 376.

District tournaments

CNE’s boys were 14th in the district tournament at Beaver-Vu Lanes in Beavercreek. with a 2,632-994 – 3,626 score. Individual scores: Jake Ansteatt, 50th (tie), 233-182-141 – 556; Foster Kuntz, 52nd, 188-163-200 – 551; Cyris Williams, 58th, 192-168-173 – 533; Jered Glancy, 65th, 162-179-184 – 525; Landon Williams, 82nd, 137-168-162 – 467.

CNE’s girls were 10th at district with a 2,290-961 – 3,251 team score. Individual scores – Michayla Eifert, 39th, 179-158-172 – 509; Alyssa Ferguson, 40th, 178-160-170 – 508; Elizabeth Lindsley, 67th. 167-144-142 – 453; Destiny Sheanshang, 75th, 138-156-128 – 422. They were the only Rockets to bowl three games at district. 

Final averages

Girls (* includes junior varsity scores)

Michayla Eifert 171, Alyssa Ferguson 160, Morgan Miller 158, Elizabeth Lindsley 147, Destiny Sheanshang 142, Abigail Averwater 133*, Alexa Ansteatt 132*, Tierra Tuneberg 132*, Hannah Newton 131*, Molly Stetson 120*, Caitlin Brewer 97*, Annie Welage 94*.

Boys (*includes junior varsity scores)

Jered Glancy 183, Foster Kuntz 177, Landon Williams 175, Jon Hatfield 170, Jake Ansteatt 165, Cyris Williams 142*.

SBACC National Division All-Star teams

Boys

First team – Jered Glancy, Foster Kuntz.

Second team – Landon Williams

Girls

Coach of the Year – Jeff Connor.

First team – Michayla Eifert, Alyssa Ferguson.