East Islip rolls to second place in Division I girls bowling state championship
Brooke Andresen of East Islip during the 2024 Division 1 NYSPHSAA Bowling Championships at AMF Strike N Spare Lanes in Syracuse, N.Y. on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit: Kayla Bartkowski
SYRACUSE — East Islip relished the opportunity to participate in the state tournament and put forward a medal-worthy performance.
And East Islip did just that, finishing second with a 5,681-pin total in the Division I girls bowling state championship at AMF Strike ‘N Spare Lanes on Sunday. Columbia (Section II) placed first with 5,982 pins.
“It means a lot to come up here each time, especially with this team,” Kailyn Bloch said. “I really wanted to close out my senior year with the win, but we fell short.”
Bloch, a member of the Suffolk All-Stars last season, rolled a 237 in game 3. Dakota Collins bowled a 234 in game 3 and Nikki Miller rolled a 214 in game 1. East Islip led Columbia by 82 pins after three games.
Columbia would outscore East Islip 3,071 to 2,688 over the final three games. Brooke Andresen rolled a 216 in game 4.
“The pressure mounted the very first game of the second half, they just kept striking,” Andresen said. “It was a challenge to stay focused, but the experience with the team was still amazing.”
Palumbo near perfect in Mineola finale
Michaela Palumbo wrote a near-perfect ending to her high school bowling career. The only thing stopping perfection was two pins.
Palumbo rolled 11 straight strikes and finished with a 298 in the final game, Mineola finished in seventh place with 5,125 pins.
“Obviously I’m upset that it’s my time to go, but having this game is a send-off for me,” Palumbo said. “It was sentimental, feeling like I left my mark. I wanted to come up here and leave my name somewhere.”
Palumbo finished with the highest game of the day and jumped from third to first place in high series (1,331). Kelsey Morrison also had a big final game, rolling strikes from frames 2-to-9 and finishing with a 246.
“I felt more pressure for her,” Morrison said. “I didn’t even realize I had so many strikes in a row because I was just focused on her.”
“My goal was to end up here. I had the best last year ever,” Palumbo said. “This is my second family and being here with them was a perfect ending.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.