Ready, Jonathan Alder veterans ready to roll

Seniors Ryan O’Harra of Ready and Mackenzie Heimlich of Jonathan Alder are banking on their experience to pay off in the Division II state bowling tournament this weekend at Wayne Webb Columbus Bowl.

O’Harra and Heimlich, each of whom won medals in the district championships, will make their fourth consecutive state appearances. They also hope to lead their teams to high finishes.

Coming off a statewide-best 706 series at the district and sporting a 226 average, O’Harra enters as one of the favorites. He placed 10th at 682 a year ago.

“It’s hard to make

comparisons from one district to another because of the oil patterns, but I expect him to be somewhere between 650 and 700 and that would put him right in the hunt,” Ready coach Russ Rehner said. “The improvement we’ve seen each year is a direct result of all the work he has put into it.”

Heimlich, who rolled a 637 for a 66-pin victory over teammate Trisha Fox at the district, placed 10th in the state as a freshman, 34th as a sophomore and 26th last year.

“Mackenzie bowled over 600 at the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference tournament, the sectionals and the districts, and if she maintains that consistency this weekend, she could very well be in the top five,” Jonathan Alder coach Rusty Walter said. “We’ve seen some of the state’s best this year and she knows what she’s capable of.”

Winner of five district titles in nine years, Alder’s boys won the district by 30 pins over Ready. Both teams hope to finish in the top eight in qualifying rounds and advance to the baker round. Hillsboro had the top qualifying score (4,224) in districts, and three-time champion and 2016 runner-up Coldwater is always a threat.

“I really think Ready and ourselves are capable of being in the top five,” Walter said.

Alder’s girls posted the third-best qualifying score (3,698) behind Minerva and Coldwater. Their MOAC rivals, Elgin and Northmor, also qualified. Alder came up 38 pins short in the state qualifying round last year and placed ninth.

“This is our third time here in a row and we’ve gotten better each time,” Walter said. “There are a lot of traditional powers, like Mechanicsburg and Coldwater, to go through, but if we make it to the baker round we’ve been very good at that format all year.”