The Leader-Herald
Outstanding seasons on the lanes translated into first team all-star honors for several local high school bowlers.
In the Foothills Council, Johnstown’s Morgan Ruggeri and Jim Marshall were named first-team all-stars, while Mayfield’s Carly Poyfair was named Western Athletic Conference MVP and was joined on the first team by teammates Selena Barber and Cassie Hammond, and Fort Plain’s Krista Kazilas and Beth Mallet. Canajoharie’s Bailey Pitonza rounds out the first team honorees.
Ruggeri, a sophomore, rolled a perfect game during Foothills Council competition this season and finished with a 210 average.
“I credit her for her focus and her attitude that nothing bothers her,” Johnstown coach Sarah Maiello said. “She just goes out there and bowls. She doesn’t get upset. When she bowled that 300, you could not tell the difference if she had just bowled 250 or 200. She was happy but her demeanor is always positive and the same. She keeps herself focused. Bowling changes from one lane to another and she just tries to adjust and move on. I credit her demeanor and composure on the lanes for why she is successful.”
Marshall, a junior, put together a 217 average for the season and earned a trip as a member of the Section II team that placed third at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships Sunday at Strike N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.
Marshall finished with a 1,247 six-game series, rolling 225-631 on the first day of competition and 239-616 on Sunday.
“Jimmy throws the ball about as hard as anybody I have ever seen,” Maiello said. “He gets the pin action and the touches. There are times you can tell it is going to be a strike and then there are times it is not at all in the pocket and he comes away with a strike.”
Poyfair, a junior, was selected the WAC girls MVP for the second straight year and led the Lady Panthers to their third-straight league championship with a 172.67 average.
“She was high average for the team and did a great job of consistently having high games all season,” Mayfield coach Rebecca Woodruff said. “If she had a hard time adjusting to the lanes, she just kept working at it and found a way to get a high score.”
Barber, a senior, finished with a 170 average while Hammond had a 165.
“For Selena it was her fifth season on varsity and sixth on the team,” Woodruff said. “She was league MVP in ninth and 10th grades and first-team all-star as a junior and senior. Cassie has had the high single for the team for the last two years.”
The Lady Panthers’ Victoria Johnson recorded the high single for the WAC girls with a 234 single.
Kazilas, a senior, and Mallett, a sophomore, made the most of Fort Plain fielding a varsity girls team this season.
“Krista bowled on the combined boys team last year, so this was her first year bowling with a girls varsity team,” Fort Plain coach Rob Jenks said. “I was very pleased with how she bowled this year and she was definitely a leader on our team. Beth bowled as a freshman on the mixed team last year. She comes from a long line of bowlers in her family. She has a lot of potential and I can see her, possibly in the next couple of years, leading the league in average.”
Mallett rolled the high single at the WAC tournament with a 211 and earned the second high single patch at the Section II tournament.
Pitonza, a senior, led the league and WAC tournament champion Canajoharie boys team with a 194 average.
“Bailey was the high average for our team this year and earned the honor because he was in the top six averages in the league,” Canajoharie coach Dwayne Heroth said. “This is his first time on the all-star team. He adjusted to the lanes very well and was consistent. He is not one to put up a 700 series but he is consistently around the 600 mark.”
Earning second-team Foothills Council honors were Broadalbin-Perth’s Cody Husek and Gloversville’s Ben Van Nostrand, while Johnstown’s Jay Hadcock, Broadalbin-Perth’s Jordan Holik and Gloversville’s Tim Hoose received honorable mention.
Fonda-Fultonville’s Rob O’Kosky was named a Colonial Council second-team all-star.
Foothills Council
First team
Brandon Boyer (HF), Morgan Ruggeri (JHS), Ryan Karabin (SG), Jim Marshall (JHS), Ethan Kelsey (HF), Darren Clark (Q), Marc Lambert (Q), Justin Jones (GF).
Second team
Shannen Schill (Q), Nate Madison (Q), Connor McAdam (Q), Meghan Ryan (GF), Cody Husek (BP), Cooper Hanson (SGF), Ben Vann strand (GHS), Bryan Barrett (HF), Ryan Bickering (SG).
Honorable mention
Tyler Colton (HF), Nick Fuller (SGF), Jay Hadcock (JHS), Michael Boyce (SGF), Jordan Holik (BP), Steve Lamalfa (SG), Kevin Weatherwax (SGF), Tim Hoose (GHS), Derek Daniels (GF).
Western Athletic Conference
Girls
MVP: Carly Poyfair (Mayfield).
All-star team: Selena Barber (Mayfield), Cassie Hammond (Mayfield), Krista Kazilas (FP), Brittany Nelson (Middleburgh), Beth Mallett (FP).
Boys
MVP: Jason Cramer (Duanesburg).
All-star team: Cody Largeteau (Duanesburg), Bailey Pitonza (Canajoharie), Adam Warner (Midd), William Miaski (Middleburgh), Derek Hempstead (BKW).
Colonial Council
MVP: Cody Holland (Lansingburgh).
First team
Dylan Keyer (RCS), Nick Pondillo (Lansingburgh), Alec Matuszak (Schalmont), Scott Cusson (Lansingburgh), Derek Barkman (Schalmont), Dakota Gaylor (CR), Drew McHale (Mechanicville).
Second team
Chris Lance (Lansingburgh), Kevin Lance ( Lansingburgh), Tanner Grozis ( Mechanicville), Rob O’Kosky (FF), Kyle Lyons (Voorheesville), Josh Galusha (RCS), Brendan Williams (RCS).
