Singles championships on the line for competitors

With the WPIBL bowling singles championships on the horizon, it’s pretty obvious who could be in contention. Just look for the school with the word “win” right in its name.

Norwin boasts strong competitors in both the boys and girls divisions, and seeing those Knights place at or near the top would not be shocker.

The boys championships take place Wednesday at Sim’s Lanes in Beaver Falls. The girls get rolling Thursday at Wildlife Lanes in Lower Burrell.

On the boys side, Norwin’s Mike Fekete led the Center division with an average of 223.6. The Knights filled four of the top five averages in the division with the likes of C.J. Turek (217.17), Ethan Dutka (214.73), Ryan Dawson (213) and Ethan Decker (209). They also took up four of the top seven spots on the list of top WPIBL qualifiers.

The Knights have rolled their way to a 10-0 record. They were the only local team to make the state tournament last year, when they advanced to the semifinals. None of the boys made it to the state singles finals, but Fekete came close. He recalls being about 11 pins from advancing. Getting so close stung at the time, but it turned to motivation for his senior year.

“After getting so close, I now know what it takes to get there,” he said. “Every pin counts.”

Central Catholic’s Nate Pearl is another one to look out for. He has the best average in the league at 226 and rolled a 300 game a few weeks back. His high three-game series this season is a 788.

Franklin Regional’s Alex Smith remains a force to be reckoned with. He made waves last year when he rolled back-to-back 300 games for an 879 series. This season, his average is 217.43.

On the girls side, Norwin senior Ashley Krivansky is the top returning player from last year after placing 12th in the state in 2019. The La Roche recruit has come on as of late and boosted her average to 171.03. Krivansky said that she went through a slump and struggled early on before adding a wrist positioner to her repertoire. It’s a brace that holds the wrist in place for better ball control.

“It just helped me with getting good rotation on the ball and being able to throw the ball well and get it in the pocket more consistently,” said Krivansky.

Plum’s Shannon Small is at the top of the list of girls qualifiers. She averages a robust 223.23 and has come close to a perfect match with a high game of 299.

Greensburg Salem’s Mattie Mae White (210.59 average), Apollo-Ridge’s Kristin Womeldorf (208.03) and Burrell’s Lydia Flanagan (208) could also be in the mix.

Top averages during the regular season do not always translate to the championships. As the stakes get higher, the lanes become more challenging with a sport shot of oil, rather than the house shot used during regular-season play. The house shot uses more oil toward the center of the lane, helping to funnel the ball toward the pins. A sport pattern has a wider distribution of oil, which in turn reduces the margin of error and forces bowlers to be more accurate.

“It’s definitely easier on the house pattern,” said Krivansky. “It’s challenging to try on the sport shots and that’s what makes it so fun.”