East Islip's Niko Stavropoulos helps boys bowling team place third at state championships
East Islip places third at the NYSPHSAA Division I Bowling Championships at AMF Strike 'N' Spare Lanes in Syracuse, N.Y., on Friday. From left, coach Mike D'Ambrosio, Anthony Sasso, Lucas Brelsford, Lucas Lawlor, Andrew Jacobsen, Brenden Muller, Niko Stavropoulos, Gregg Stephens, Chase LaFata, and coach Judy Fischer. Credit: Marilu Lopez Fretts
Niko Stavropoulos ended his high school bowling career with a bang.
The senior bowled a 1,511 six-game series to help East Islip placed third in the state Division I boys bowling championships on Friday at AMF Strike ‘N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.
East Islip had six-game total of 6,589. Arlington won the title with a total of 6,751.
Stavropoulos rolled the third-highest series, finishing nine pins short of Arlington’s Braden Cassidy, who led the tournament with a 1,520 series.
“I knew I had to go big today, but I didn’t expect that,” Stavropoulos said. “I wish we could’ve won. I’d rather have a decent average and win, but the whole team put in so much work and we weren’t even expected to win counties this year. It was great.”
Stavropoulos, who averaged 205.15 this season, averaged 251.83 on Friday and had a high game of 269.
“His score would’ve been first place last year, that’s how well he bowled,” East Islip assistant coach Mike D’Ambrosio said.
Greggory Stephens had a 1,282 series and averaged 213.67. Andrew Jacobsen and Brenden Muller each had a 1,235 series for a 205.83 average. Jacobsen had a 223.71 average and Muller averaged 217.83 during the season.
“Niko was out of this world,” East Islip coach Judy Fischer said. “Brenden and Andrew, who normally are, weren’t quite there. We’re just used to them bowling 700s in a three-game series. It didn’t happen, but it didn’t matter because they never let it impact them. It wasn’t a super day for them as far as their scores, but still they provided the leadership.”
Bellmore-Merrick, which placed sixth with a total of 6,287, was led by Lucas Lam (1,314 series) and Chris Mann (1,277).
Mann started slow with a 158 in Game 1, but bounced back with a 267 in Game 2. The senior, who only started bowling when he was a sophomore, finished with a 212.83 average.
“It was definitely a rough first game,” Mann said. “In my head, I’m just thinking, alright, it’s one bad game. I couldn’t get in my own head and I just had to make the adjustments on the fly . . . It was a really fun experience, especially getting to do it in my last year.”
Mann is joined by Anthony Francolini and Jake Piazza as graduating seniors. With Lam and his brother, Nathan, moving to North Carolina, coach Joe Bianca will have three returning starters next year.
Eighth-grader Riley Kolinsky had a high game of 248, Owen Yeung had a 214.60 average and Josh Sat had a high game of 225.
“It was a very successful season. Taking sixth in the state is a pretty good accomplishment for the team,” Bianca said.” We’ve got three starters coming back and they’re all in eighth or ninth grade, so I’m excited for the next few years.”