The Goshen girls bowling team returns three members who competed in the district tournament last year.
The Goshen girls bowling team returns three members who competed in the district tournament last year.

By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

Coming off of a season that saw the Goshen Lady Warriors advance out of the Division II sectional tournament as a team, expectations have been raised for the red and white rollers in 2015.

Competing in a sectional that should pave the way for Goshen to make it up to the Beaver-Vu Bowl district once again, head coach Shirley Reynolds has raised the bar for her three returning standouts.

“I have two or three girls that would love to make it to state,” she said. “If they listen, practice and keep their heads in it, a couple of them will make it to state and I would love to see it.”

The trio Reynolds referenced was seniors Hanna Schafer, Bailey Rodgers and Shelby Wilson. All three were among the top-five on the team that qualified for districts last season. During their final season at Goshen, they hope to leave a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.

Schafer boasts the best average on the team, putting down 154.9 pins per game with a season-high game of 204 and a series high of 366. Wilson averages 145.5 per game with a high game of 181 and a high series of 316. Rodgers’ 135.1 average is third-best on the team, but she’s shown the potential to get hot, rolling a season-high game of 210 and series of 346.

The Lady Warriors’ supporting cast is made up of freshmen Becca West and Josie Rodgers and sophomore Megan Slusher. Senior Naomi Mueller and junior Brandi Rahm also have the ability to step in and knock over some pins. Everyone on the team has an average in the triple digits.

While the girls’ record is well above .500, Reynolds said that they are trying to ramp up to the sectional tournament on Feb. 19 at Colerain Bowl. The top five teams and the top five individuals from non-qualifying teams will advance to districts.

Interestingly enough, while the girls’ team will compete in the Division II sectional, the boys are classified as Division I and as a result, have a harder road to hoe.

Making the journey that much more difficult is the fact that five of the six bowlers the Warriors sent to the sectional tournament last year have graduated out of the program.

“It’s hard to take eight or nine guys and expect them to roll really well when most of them have never picked up a bowling ball,” Reynolds said. “As of their bowling right now, they’ve improved from where they started.”

The lone holdover from last year’s team is senior Ethan Koepke. He averages a 164.8 game with a high of 221 and a season-best series of 382. Sophomore Jordan Lowery has put up the best average on the team to this point, rolling to a 179.4 average. His season-high game is a 255 and his series high of 437 is among the best in the area.

Juniors Seth Davis and Jack McHorter, freshman Mike Hoff and sophomore Dakota Eades round out the Warriors’ lineup.

“They want to try and they want to learn,” Reynolds said. “Even if they don’t have a match, they call me and want to come in and practice. If you have willingness and the want, you have the ability to go far.”

How far the boys team goes will depend on how they can roll at Crossgate or Colerain Bowl on Feb. 26. The top seven teams and the top seven individuals on non-qualifying teams will advance to the district tournament.

For more information on bowling’s postseason, log on to swdab.org.