Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
Katie Arendt wants to get back to state and win this year.
As a sophomore on the Corunna girls bowling team two years ago, Arendt and the Cavaliers qualified for the Division 2 state finals and bowled well, finishing fourth after Baker games and making it to the quarterfinals.
Last year, Corunna fell just short of qualifying for state, as its season ended at regionals.
“Losing at regionals last year made us the team we are now,” said Arendt, one of the team’s captains. “We know we can pick ourselves up and do it again; make it back to state.”
And that is exactly what the Cavaliers have done this year – in a big way.
Arendt is one of five seniors on the talented and experienced team. She is joined by fellow seniors Shawna Park, Taylor Milks, Harlee Brenner, and Kristen Gilbert.
All but Milks were on that state qualifying team in 2010.
Add to that two talented freshmen in Morgen Scott and Sierra Howes, and it is easy to see why coach Karla Scott is so excited about her squad.
“The girls’ team is on fire this year,” Karla Scott said. “This is my fourth year coaching, and this is the best team I have ever had.
“We have five seniors, and all five have been bowling since the ninth grade year, and they have worked hard and improved every year,” she added. “And I have two freshmen, one is my daughter, and they have been bowling since they were two years old. So we are deep.”
This season, every girl on the team carries an average that exceeds 180. The Cavaliers have lost just one match, to Owosso.
Corunna will try and apply the lessons learned February 24 and 25 when it takes part in the Division 3 regional at Cherry Hill North Lanes in Clarkston.
“We wanted to come back last year and wanted to win state,” Arendt said. “It was a hard time knowing we made it to state as sophomores and not to make it as juniors. That was the motivation that drove us this year. And I think we are going to win state this year, because we have a good team, and I know if we put our heads together and work hard, we can achieve great things.”
Coach Scott shares that confidence.
“I know we will win conference and win regionals,” Karla Scott said. “With the schools we bowl against in regionals, and the girls I have, I’m confident we can win that. At state, I would like to win it, but we’ll have to see.”
Arendt says that having been at state once before will help with strategy and nerves.
“I think going in with the experience, and having that under our belt will be easier,” Arendt said. “I feel we didn’t take it serious last year at regionals,and that’s why we lost. We went in there thinking we would take it and didn’t work hard. We know we have to work to do it this year.”
The Division 3 state finals will take place March 3 and 4 at Airport Lanes in Jackson.