Lucas Lam rolls Bellmore-Merrick to Nassau Division I bowling team championship
Lucas Lam of Bellmore-Merrick reacts after rolling a strike during the Nassau boys bowling team championships at AMF Garden City Lanes on Saturday. Credit: Neil Miller
Lucas Lam’s time with Bellmore-Merrick may be nearing its end, but the sophomore certainly has found a way to leave his mark on the program.
Bellmore-Merrick knocked down 6,620 pins over six games to capture the Nassau Division I boys bowling team championship at AMF Garden City Lanes on Saturday. Lam bowled a 1,458 six-game series.
“A lot of the team will be gone after this year. Me and my brother are moving and we have a few seniors,” Lam said. “I’m really happy we were able to achieve this as a team, it’s exciting.”
Sewanhaka finished in second place, knocking down 6,453 pins. It made its move in the fifth game, trailing by less than 100 pins after it was over. Peyton Hughes rolled a 280 in Game 5 on the strength of 11 strikes for Sewanhaka.
Lam saved his best for the final game as Bellmore-Merrick began to feel some pressure. He rolled eight strikes to start the game and scored 278, his high mark for the day.
“I just tried my best to stay focused and composed,” Lam said. “I was going through all the necessary motions and executed every shot just how I wanted to.”
Bellmore-Merrick scored its highest total in Game 6, with 1,146 pins and was the only team to knock down at least 1,000 pins in every game.
Anthony Francolini had a 255 high game in Game 5 and finished with a 1,306 series. Owen Young rolled a 243 in Game 6 of a 1,269 series and Joshua Sat rolled a 1,234 series.
“We just focused on the lanes, not on what the scores were,” Francolini said. “We didn’t leave many open frames, got a ton of spares and strikes and ended up with some great scores.”
Lam finished the season with a 230.03 average, the highest in Nassau, automatically qualifying him for the sectional All-Star team which will compete at the state championships.
“I’m going to miss Lucas and his leadership. He loves the pressure and is a clutch bowler,” Bellmore-Merrick coach Joseph Bianaca said. “He’s inspirational to the team and keeps everyone up when they’re down. I’ve been doing this 25 years and I’ve never met anyone like that. He’s once in a lifetime.”
Bellmore-Merrick will compete in the Division I state championship as a team on March 14 at AMF Strike N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.
SEAFORD CAPTURES EIGHTH STRAIGHT
Seaford continued its dominance at the county championship, knocking down 6,228 pins over six games to earn the Division II team title, the team’s eighth consecutive county title.
The Vikings held a 242-pin lead after Game 1 and extended their lead after each game. Island Trees finished in second with a 5,188 pin total.
Andrew Ceraulo had a 233 high game in Game 6 and finished with a 1,269 series. Matt Mele rolled a 248 high game in Game 1 of a 1,239 series.
“This never gets old, it feels just as good every time,” Ceraulo said. “We did about 300 pins better here today than we did last year. I’m extremely proud of everyone here.”
Freshman Brendan Dennehy bowled five of six games, with a high game of 257 in Game 2 and 1,078 total pins. His 257 was the highest game for a Seaford bowler on the day.
“This means a lot to me, it’s all fun but I take bowling very seriously,” Denehy said. “We practiced here quite a bit beforehand, so we knew what we needed to do and how to execute.”
Jack McKenny rolled a 212 high game in Game 4 and Brian Karaman rolled a 245 in Game 6. Last year Seaford led by just 50 pins after the fifth game, this year contributions throughout its lineup made for a less stressful finish.
“There’s not much pressure because we expect to win, so we just go out there and do what we know we can,” McKenny, a senior said. “There was no slacking from anyone today, it was a team effort.”
Seaford will compete in the Division II state championship on March 16 at AMF Strike N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.
“We’ve had a couple of rough outings at the state championship in the past,” Ceraulo said. “But we all have a chance to prove ourselves, it’s going to be fun.”
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.
