Victory at Sheffield: Vikings Sweep Rams to Clinch Back to Back Section Titles and Rewrite Records

Victory at Sheffield: Vikings Sweep Rams to Clinch Back to Back Section Titles and Rewrite Records

The Hopewell Vikings bowling program authored a historic chapter on Wednesday at Sheffield Lanes, completing a clean sweep of the Rochester Rams. On a night defined by high stakes and Senior Night celebrations, both the Boys and Girls teams solidified their dominance heading into the postseason.

Boys Varsity: Back-to-Back Champions

Entering the match with no margin for error, the Boys Varsity team needed a perfect 7-0 win to secure their second consecutive section title. They delivered exactly that.

The effort was headlined by senior captain Brayden Mowry, who turned his Senior Night into a career-defining performance. Mowry led all scorers with a career-high game of 253 and a career-high series of 636. Supporting the charge were juniors Ayden Gault (201) and Aiden Heppner (206). The Vikings finish the regular season with a stellar 9-1 match record and a 61-9 overall mark.

Lady Vikings: Record-Tying Dominance

Already section champions as of last week, the Lady Vikings sought to etch their names in the school record books. With a sweep of the Rams, they finished the season at 9-1, tying the program record for the best season ever.

Led by junior captain Annabeth Sembower who shot a match best 457 series and a match high game of 169, the Lady Vikings did just that. Junior Krysten Clary added a 159 game and a 445 series and junior Danica Jackson added a 160 game and 410 series to the win for the Lady Vikings.

The Lady Vikings also finish this season with an overall record of 61-9 and there will be a LOT to say about that a year from now when we celebrate what this special group of junior Lady Vikings has meant to this program and the culture of Hopewell Bowling.

MVP Honors went to freshman Lacey Seretti who finished the regular season by competing in her first varsity match and bowling over her average.

The men and women will both be in action next week during the WPIBL playoffs!

JV Highlights: “Nuclear” Numbers

The JV Vikings matched the varsity energy with a 7-0 sweep of their own. Junior Aiden “AJ” Klette put up “nuclear” statistics, recording his first career 200+ game (235) and 500+ series (573). Klette’s series was the second-highest of the entire event, even outperforming Rochester’s top varsity junior.

Freshmen Caleb Hughes (164) and Richie Yeager (150), along with sophomore Diego Ocasio (374 series), all posted career highs.

MVP Honors were shared by Klette and Mowry for their career high performances.

After the match, the Vikings celebrated their lone senior – Brayden Mowry with a brief reception. In which, Mowry was introduced as the inaugural member of the newly formed 18,000 pin club.

Mowry finishes his career with 19,221 total pins over four years in which he accomplished the following: 4 year letter winner, 4 year varsity starter, 3 year scholar athlete winner, 3 year playoff qualifier, 2 section titles, 1 year as captain, 1 year of individual playoff qualifications, 0 missed practices and 0 missed matches over a 4 year career. Mowry’s 31-9 career record as a Viking stands as a benchmark for the program as it has turned a corner over the last few years.

Mowry’s contributions to the bowling program have been enormous, but his contributions to Hopewell as an athlete are also tremendous considering his career statistics. His successes on the lanes stand toe to toe with those of any of his peers. He’ll leave the program better than he found it and he leaves behind a very tall task for his teammates as they continue the program going forward.

The Vikings will attend the MAC Conference tournament this weekend where they expect to contend for podium finishes in all three divisions.

PERSONAL RECORDS

BOYS VARSITY: Brayden Mowry High Game 253, High Series 636

LADY VIKINGS: Krysten Clary High Series 445. Fiona Zelechowski High Game 131.

JV VIKINGS: Aiden Klette High Game 235, High Series 573. Caleb Hughes High Game 164. Richie Yeager High Game 150. Diego Ocasio High Series 374.