Suffolk girls All-Stars come up two pins shy of state title
East Islip’s Kailyn Bloch had the sixth-highest series with a 1,270 on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Credit: Mark McGauley
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — For the second consecutive day, a team from Suffolk mounted a furious comeback that fell short. The Suffolk (Section XI) girls bowling all-star team trailed by 167 pins after Game 4 and came up just two pins shy of a first-place finish in the end.
Down to their last bowler in the final frame, they needed two strikes to take home a state title. The first roll was a strike and the second looked just as good but left one pin standing.
“We needed a big game, and we did that our fifth game (1,105 pins). We knew it was close going into the sixth,” Kailyn Bloch said. “Unfortunately, we lost, but we put up a good fight all day,”
The Suffolk all-stars earned a second-place finish at the state championship at Strike ‘N Spare Lanes in Syracuse on Saturday with a six-game total of 6,283 pins. Section VI was the top finisher with 6,284 pins.
Bloch (East Islip) had the sixth-highest series at 1,270. Her East Islip teammates, Dakota Collins and Brooke Andresen, had a 1,193 and 1,178 series, respectively.
Leighanna Tolan (Central Islip) rolled the highest game of the day with a 268 in Game 1 and the fifth highest series at 1,273. Cira Arcangel (Sachem) had a 1,220 series and Julianna Caridi (West Babylon) had a 1,206 series.
“In the fourth game it was rough, but we picked it up,” Tolan said. “A lot of other teams weren’t cheering the way we do. The boys teams came and cheered for us too and we just had a lot of energy behind us.”
Erica DeJesus (Division) rolled a 204 in Game 6, as she finally got her chance to represent the Nassau (Section VIII) all-stars, who finished in seventh place with 5,600 pins. The senior made the team during her freshman year, but the tournament was cancelled because of COVID-19.
“This is a huge accomplishment in my book, I’ve been trying to get here for four years,” DeJesus said. “It finally fell into place for me, and it’s been an amazing ride.”
Three of the six Nassau bowlers were freshmen, Morgan Winchell (Sewanhaka), Holland Boder (MacArthur) and Johanna Finck (MacArthur). Winchell, the Nassau individual champion, rolled a 236 in Game 1. Boder rolled a 213 in Game 4 and Finck rolled a 238 in Game 1. Senior Mackenzie Collin (Massapequa), rolled a 209 in Game 1.
Amanda Morris (East Meadow), who holds Nassau’s top average this season (210.44), had a 1,210 series. The sophomore rolled a 232 in Game 6, beginning the game with six consecutive strikes.
“Being comfortable with these girls changes everything, we became one big, unified team,” Morris said. “I’ve put a lot of effort and dedication into this. Representing Nassau county with five other amazing girls, makes high school bowling worth it.”
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.