Staff report
North Tonawanda junior Brianna Larson rolled her way to a bronze medal Sunday at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Bowling Championships at Mardi Bob Lanes in Poughkeepsie.
Larson rolled a 1,277 total for six games with a high series of 718 in the afternoon block to finish as the top bowler from Section VI at the individual portion of the tournament. The team portion, which featured the Niagara Falls boys squad, was Saturday. NFHS placed seventh.
Larson and Lockport keglers Bridget Masiello and Sam Stachura-Lee helped Section VI place third in the section standings with a 5,908, finishing just two pins behind second place. Section II (Albany area) won the girls title. Masiello rolled an 1,129.
“The way the lanes were playing was pretty much a complement to my game,” said Larson, who also took home the Sportsmanship Award. Larson improved her pin total by more than a 100 from her effort at last year’s state tournament. “It’s nice to end the season by coming home with a medal and an award. It definitely all paid off,” she said.
The girls team overcame a slow start, vaulting from sixth place to third after the third game and made a good run for second. “From the third game on, we bowled really well,” Niagara Falls coach Ed Ventry said of the sectional team.
The Section VI boys team placed sixth in the standings, with Section I (Westchester) winning.
