North Union’s Allyia Nicol rolls the ball down the lanes in this file photo. The Lady Cats will compete in the Division II state bowling tournament in Columbus on Saturday.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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The North Union girls bowling team has made school history this year on several fronts.
The Lady Cats are about to make more history this weekend when they make their first appearance at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state tournament.
The Lady Cats will venture to Waynes Webb’s Columbus Bowl where they will face off against 15 other schools from across that state.
The format will consist of three match play games and three Baker games to follow. The top eight teams will qualify for a championship round, where they will bowl five Baker games to determine the state champion.
Wildcat head coach Brent Markham says at this point, it is anybody’s game.
“We’ve already made history so let’s keep it going,” he said. “I’m watching for all 15 schools because we all will be fighting for a top eight spots.”
The Lady Cats will be taking a 14-3 season record into the tournament, where they will be heavily leaning on senior Allyia Nicol.
She wrapped up the regular season with the highest single-game total in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference at 244, highest two game total at 451 and the second highest average per game at 176.35.
The season success comes as no shock to Markham.
“I’ve said since day one of the season, she no longer has to live in her brother’s shadow,” said. “Austin graduated a year ago and he had many great accomplishments in his four-year varsity career.
“I believe Allyia felt as if she was always trying to compete or get one up on him.” He said. “Well, with improved confidence, maturity and dedication, Allyia will go down as the greatest female bowler in NU history.”
Alexis Jameson, Kalie Price, Katie Buckingham, Abby Anderson, Kierstan Diaz and Kendra Nicol will join Nicol at the tournament.
The Lady Cats made the trip to Columbus to get some practice on the lanes Wednesday as they prepared for Saturday. Markham says, though, nothing has changed for the girls just the location.
“We’ve kept the same routine within our practice schedule following the same expectations as we did the first day of practice,” he said
At this point, the focus for the Lady Cats is on making it to the championship round.
“I mean the elephant in the room is to make the cut,” Markham said. “Move up the ladder closer to a state championship Saturday afternoon is the expectation for all.”
The state tournament will kick off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at Waynes Webb’s.