John Raffel
Sports Scene
Farrand Schneider knows what it’s like to be very close to an individual bowling state title.
Now the Ithaca senior wants to have the actual state championship feeling.
Dan Macha is the coach for the Ithaca girls’ team. Wally Schneider, the boys’ coach, is also Farrand’s father.
The Ithaca girls started out the season in the Tri-Valley, beating Hemlock 27-3 and Bridgeport 30-0.
“Farrand’s my anchor,” Macha said. “She’s been my most consistent, solid bowler. But I have a really good core of freshmen.”
Michelle Lindsey and Schneider are team captains. Schneider is averaging over 200 pins per game in practices and games, while Lindsey is around 185.
“From one to six, it’s probably the deepest team I’ve had,” Macha said. “Farrand picks up something on her game every year. It makes her game a little better. It’s her consistency, and she has a very good attitude this year. She was third in the state two years ago.”
Other top bowlers are juniors Haley Hofmann and Sarah Cowdrey, both returning starters. “They both have improved 10 pins on their average, which is awesome from last year,” Macha said.
The two key freshmen for the Yellow Jackets are “probably the two best freshmen I’ve ever had since Farrand was a freshman,” Macha said, referring to Chelsea MacLennan, who has already put up a couple of 200 games, plus Kristy Godley. “Those two freshmen have come up in our youth bowling leagues since they were 6 or 7 years old. They know how to bowl.”
Macha likes his team’s season prospects.
“We want to win the conference this year and then win the regional and at least get back to the final four of the state tournament,” he said. “We were second two years ago in the state teamwise and third last year. The girls want to get to the finals again.”
Schneider admits she wants to finish first in the state this season.
“It’s my last year to do something and I want to do it big,” she said. “The strategy is to work hard. To take first as a team, we need to work together and stay strong throughout the season. I think we’re going to have a good year.”
Schneider, who also plays soccer and is a member of the pom pon squad, feels she’s improved a lot from last season and indicated she’s averaging 10 to 20 pins higher.
“This is going to be a big year,” she said. “The improvement has come from a combination of everything I’ve worked with…my brothers, they’ve helped me a lot. I’ve got a lot better form this year, and I’m a lot more relaxed than from previous years.
“[My dad] works with me a lot during practice helping me out. I first started bowling when I was 4. It’s been in the family.”
Schneider is looking at a college bowling career.
“I definitely can’t stop here,” she said.