First Posted: 3/6/2015
COLUMBUS — The last two girls Division II OHSAA State Bowling championships have been seen 10 baker games won on Lane 28 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. Last year it was Mechanicsburg which had the “Lane 28 advantage,” ending Coldwater High School’s bid for a three-peat. This season Coach Rick Hartings elected to begin on that lane and five games later his Cavaliers held high the 2015 championship trophy.
Napoleon was the finals victim Friday, dropping three out of five in the finals match. Coldwater took the odd number games 172-157, 211-174 and the finale 177-144. The Cavaliers lost the two Lane 27 bakers 202-115 and 201-168.
They had previously taken the measure of Urbana in another five-game match and Kenton Ridge in a three-game battle.
There was a story floating around the lanes that he was teased by one of the greater Columbus fans of Hartings and Cavs to take the “right” lane this time. While Hartings did not dismiss he shared, “We had started on the right hand lane all day, the girls were comfortable, and I did not want to change what was working.”
Hartings was right about things were working. They were number one out of the gate, falling to number two when the defending champions from Mechanicsburg took the lead in game two with a 1,039 effort, the strongest team game of the day.
The Cavs never flinched. Hartings made a lineup change for game two, bringing Madison Fox off his bench and there seemed to be moments where she inspired the team.
“I am sort of surprised, stunned even that we have had the success that we have had this season,” Hartings said. “I really owe it all to the girls. They have worked real hard to get here and worked hard today.”
Shannon Osterfeld had led the team in scoring in sectional and district play but took a scoring back seat in this one. What the one senior on the team did on this day was even more dynamic, she led.
“I am really excited right now,” Osterfeld said. “When we were able to bowl well and win the sectionals and the districts, we felt that we might have a chance. We worked real hard to get here. I am really impressed with some of younger bowlers. They did not get nervous.”
Osterfeld gave credit to her team and Cavalier fans. “The support that we always get means a lot.”
“Some come here hoping to win, I have a feeling that when you enter this building that you expect to,” Roxanne Price of the OHSAA said during the trophy presentation, noting that this is Coldwater’s third championship in the last four years. “When I get home tonight I am looking up the word Cavalier, I bet there is at least one reference to it meaning champion.”
Coldwater High School principal Jason Hemmelgarn was on hand to award the medals to his student athletes..
“I am so impressed with our student athletes, how hard they have worked this season after losing so many key people from last year. They are really great kids, as all our students and student athletes are at Coldwater.”
He continued by praising not only the students, “We are truly blessed to have great parents, great families as well as coaches like Rick, Wes Stienecker and Kyle Bruns. I could not be happier. Let’s get another one tomorrow (when the boys state championship is held).”
