By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Rootstown Rovers girls and boys teams were featured on Monday as the bowling season gets underway with tournaments and matches.

The Rovers share their home lanes, Spins Bowl in Kent with the Ravenna boys and girls teams, as well as the Southeast girls.

All three teams competed in the annual invitational hosted by Spins Bowl on Saturday for varsity teams and junior varsity teams on Sunday.

RAVENNA

The Ravenna girls finished in 11th place followed by Southeast in 12th place at the invite on Saturday. The Ravens were led by Julia Stratton’s 388 series, good for 35th among the 70 individuals.

The Ravenna boys earned fourth place as a team in their own tournament, with Jeriah Miller (614) and Mark Jones (580) leading the way as the Ravenna boys look forward to a successful season led by head coach Kelly Champ.

The Ravens’ girls are coached by Mike Smith, now in his second season and owning a 4-8 overall record.

Last year, the Ravens finished 4-8 for fifth place in the Metro Athletic Conference.

“This season, with only two returning bowlers, we are rebuilding again,” said Smith. “I am looking forward to seeing how far we progress from the beginning of the season to the end of the season.”

Returning bowlers include senior Julia Stratton, a one-year letterwinner and senior Ella Bishop, two-year letterwinner.

Newcomers this season include Torrie Gardner-Mann, a junior, and Hannah Jones and Torrie Butner, both sophomores.

SOUTHEAST

The Southeast girls earned a top-12 finish at the Ravens Invitational. The Pirates were led by Elizabeth Mix bowling a 375 series, good for 37th.

Southeast is bowling in a new league this season, joining the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference.

Coached by Mike Hammond, now in his ninth season, the Pirates were 2-4 in the PTC in last season and 6-4 overall.

“Southeast has an entirely new roster for the 2024-25 season,” said Hammond.

The Pirates lost four bowlers to graduation including firs team All-PTC and district qualifier Abby Smith.

However, the Pirates have a promising group of girls that are all beginning bowlers that are quickly improving and are displaying great potential.

“I am looking forward to helping to develop this team to become competitive in our league,” said Hammond.

THE RAVENNA INVITATIONAL

Boys and girls, varsity and junior varsity competed Saturday and Sunday at Spins Bowl in the Ravenna Invitational.

For the boys varsity tournament, Portage County teams competed well as Kent, Ravenna and Rootstown ended up in the top five teams with Streetsboro landing in 13^th place.

The Rovers’ Justin Miller earned high series (762) followed by Branden Latacki of Kent in third (682) and Colden Prater, also of Kent, rolling his way too a top ten finish in seventh place (631).

The Streetsboro Rockets’ rounded out the Portage County bowlers in the top 10, bowling a 624 series, good for ninth place.

For the girls varsity, Roostown earned the runner-up spot behind Fairport Harbor Harding as Streetsboro, Ravenna and Southeast earning 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively.

Cassie Egli (4th – 549) and Olivia Davies (6^th – 536), both of Rootstown, were the only Portage County bowlers in the top 10.

The Rover girls were the runner-up in the JV tournament on Sunday as two Rover girls medaled. Nina Gill earned high series (448) and Valeri Darteen landed in fourth, rolling a 393.

The Rover boys won the junior varsity tournament ahead of Mentor in second and Ravenna in third.

Two Rover bowlers also medaled in the boys JV led by Corey Galloway, medalist (562) and Elijah Birch in fifth place, rolling a 496 series.

GIRLS BOWLING SCOREBOARD

RAVENNA INVITATIONAL (Varsity)

(At Spins Bowl, Kent)

TEAM STANDINGS: Fairport 3,695; Rootstown 3,365; Norton 3,136; Wadsworth 3,038; Austintown 2,945; Tallmadge 2,786; Hubbart 2,574; Mansfield 2,514; Copley 2,478; Streetsboro 2,376; Ravenna 1,875; Southeast 1,801; Woodridge 1,112.

MEDALISTS: Justin Justinger, Fairport 6626; Sophia McLaughlin, Fairport 590; MacKenzie Pilny, Fairport 568; Cassie Egli, Rootstown 549; Madalyn Mullett, Norton 542; Olivia Davies, Rootstown 536.

RAVENNA INVITATIONAL (Junior Varsity)

(At Spins Bowl, Kent)

TEAM STANDINGS: Nordonia 2,458; Rootstown 2,243; Norton 2,027; Austintown Fitch 1,495.

MEDALISTS: Nina Gill, Rootstown 448; Madeline Ayers, Nordonia 418; Madison MacEwen, Nordonia 400; Valeri Derteen, Rootstown 393; Peyton Lamonica, Norton 365; Bella Dipenti, Nordonia 330.

CRESTVIEW 1,697; SOUTHEAST 1,059

(At Spins Bowl, Kent)

CRESTVIEW (1,697): Lidia Campbell 145-116 261, Abbey Emich 124-104 228, Blasey Biser 164-168 332; Aubrey Unkefer 140-120 260, Olivia Bennett 93-114 207. GAMES: 666-622 1,288; BAKER: 123-147-139 409.

SOUTHEAST (1,059): Elizabeth Mix 112-88 200, Madison Nutter 71, Laine Streem 85-45 130, Sophia McKibben 96-74 170, Anna Holstein 81-82 163, Kinsley Luke 88. GAMES: 445-377 822; BAKER: 82-81-74 237.

RECORDS: Southeast 0-1.

BOYS BOWLING SCOREBOARD

RAVENNA INVITATIONAL (Varsity)

(At Spins Bowl, Kent)

TEAM STANDINGS: Wadsworth 3,965; Highland 3,796; Kent 3,786; Ravenna 3,756; Rootstown 3,699; Medina 3,644; Gren 3,638; Austintown 3,523; Fairport 3,406; Mansfield 3,405; Tallmadge 3,391; Woodridge 3,333; Streetsboro 3,256; Copley 3,176; Norton 3,034.

MEDALISTS: Justin Miller, Rootstown 762; Anthony Bordonaro, Green 741; Braden Latacki, Kent 682; Thomas Nhok, Highland 679; Eddie Krofcheck, Fairport 672; Nathan Bishop, Tallmadge 649.

RAVENNA INVITATIONAL (Junior Varsity)

(At Spins Bowl, Kent)

TEAM STANDINGS: Rootstown 3,222; Mentor 3,187; Ravenna 3,065; Austintown 2,924; Tallmadge 2,914; Medina 2,778; Nordonia 2,581; St. Joseph 1,828.

MEDALISTS: Cory Galloway, Rootstown 562; Gabe Fuller, Mentor 529; Chase Jonke, Tallmadge 505; Elijah Birch, Rootstown 496; Gregg Manners, Austintown 492; Trenton Turney, Ravenna 485.