In recent years I have become a firm believer that there is no such thing as a bad day or even a good day. I feel that there are simply days and that in each day there are going to be good and bad moments.
The very recently completed OHSAA State Bowling tournament was loaded with not simply good but great moments.
There will be no attempt made to rank the moments today as different individuals will certainly have the right to consider theirs as the special moment of the different steps and divisions of the 2018 OHSAA tournament play.
Let me channel my inner Roxanne Price for the first three.
Carlee Hosterman, there will be other 300 games rolled by young ladies in the WOHSBC but when they are rolled the fans will always be reminded that you were the first young lady to roll one and that you were also the first individual to throw one since the WBL made bowling an official sport of the conference. The fact that you did it on a march to the state tournament will always be a very special moment for a whole lot of people in Wapak and the area.
Bryana Twining, there have been other champions from our area in individual play at the OHSAA but you will always be the 2018 champion and you will always be the first from Bath. You now hold a top five score in Division II. In this season only one individual finished ahead of you in DII play boy or girl. You will always be the first Bath Wildcat to bring home gold from the OHSAA bowling event.
Celina you will always be the first boys team to capture an OHSAA event. Think about that. There have been some phenomenal student athletes from your school but you will always be able to say that you were first. Different teams from your school will be honored in the future but you will always be number one.
I have to say that this team really nailed it. The red finger nails were a perfect accent to your team uniforms and will always be remembered by this writer. The clever homage to Josh Wahl of Wapak, who finished second team all state while bowling in singles action was brilliant and timely. Wahl then quickly donning a Celina jersey to support the Bulldogs is another lasting memory.
Josh there have been other bowlers from Wapak and I trust that there will be more that will stand upon the podium in the finals but your day and then sitting behind your friends from Celina through their championship run will be a moment that I will remember for quite a while.
It would have great to see a couple of cousins bring home the gold from Columbus but not mortal, boy or another girl, was going to touch Tyrahana Elder of Twinsburg who rolled 729 for overall state honors. She was simply special in D1 action.
That said Morgan Twining represented our area well with a very solid 596 tying Madision Doseck for 16th place. Sometimes we have to accept the negative moments. It would have been interesting to see how the young ladies from Shawnee and different schools from the southwest would have performed on this day. Morgan is our champion and if Roxanne was around Morgan it would have gone something like this.
“Morgan others will be D1 girls champions from the Northwest and will make the trip to Columbus but in 2018 it was you and in the history of the OHSAA tournament you were the first competitor from Lima Senior High to make this trip.”
There was so much more.
Strangely enough Toby Price has always been one of my favorite competitors at state. The Wapak Redskin from a decade or two did all he could to keep his teammates and fans of the team in the game. This year that person became Parker Maurer. He is a blessing to the sport and will be fun to watch in the next season. His team inspiring moments even topped his honorable mention bowling scores.
This tournament may well have been the tournament of the grandmother love. Marge Langenkamp, the grandmother of the chocolate milk guzzling honorable mention Nate Langenkamp, was very proud, “We the parents and the grandparents have been so fortunate to watch these kids over the last four years.”
To me she will always be Mama Cisco, wore her grandparent hat at every event during the year. On Friday she wore both, “It has been 51 years, this honor was a long time coming. With this group it has always been about family. We are all very proud of them.”
Her grandson Cole placed a similar spin on it with tears in his eyes and the state trophy firm in his arms. “It is indescribable, like a dream I am so glad that we were able to do it with the group we came down here with.”
The Wapak contingent was every bit as strong. Sadly for them the fat lady did not get to sing but the Wapak clan will always be a great memory for me and I trust others.
Shawnee clearly should have been there and it would have been justified to see them stay home. Yet Coach Shelley Ambroza made the trip as well as two of my very favorite high school rollers, Allie Meeker and Abbey Ambroza. They bounced from Wapak to Morgan Twining doing all they could to give each a boost. Class, you are clear class young ladies. And yes Shelley I include you in the young part of that.
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