By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The holiday break has been a time for many of the bowling teams to practice and prepare for the tough schedule ahead, seeking conference championships and success on the tournament trail leading to Columbus.

One tournament is in the books for several area teams with tournaments scheduled in January hosted by Portage County athletic departments.

THE CLUTCH CLASSIC

The Clutch Classic was held in Cuyahoga Falls at Clutch Lanes on Saturday.

Both Kent Roosevelt and Rootstown varsity bowling teams competed in the event.

The Kent Roosevelt boys earned eighth place and Rootstown boys finished ninth, just 10 pins apart. For the girls, the Rovers placed runner-up.

Caleb Stevens led the Rootstown boys with a fifth-place finish and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, rolling a 623 series with an outstanding high game of 257.

Roosevelt’s Tayden Bailey landed in the top 10 of the tournament as an individual, rolling a 597 series.

The Rovers’ Bryce Harless (573) and the Rough Riders’ Eli Logsdon (555) both finished in the top-25 tier.

The Rover girls earned the runner-up spot in the event thanks to Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt’s solid series (226-57), along with the high games of Nina Gill 212 and Hailie Furry 198.

Hammerschmidt was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Rootstown girls bowling team finished as runners-up at the Clutch Classic this weekend. The Rovers were led by Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt (center), who was named to the All-Tournament Team.

FUTURE TOURNAMENTS

Both Garfield and Rootstown host tournaments in the coming weeks, welcoming teams from across the state.

On Jan. 10-11, the G-Men Classic takes over Sky Lanes in Garrettsville.

The boys division bowls on Saturday and the girls division on Sunday with an entry fee of $100 per team.

For additional information on the G-Men Classic, contact Aaron King, tournament director and proprietor of Sky Lanes, at summerfestgrille@gmail.com or 330-527-9999.

On the Martin Luther King weekend, the annual Rover Sectional Preview rolls off at Spins Bowl in Kent.

Division-I teams bowl on Jan. 17 and Division-II teams bowl on Jan. 18, bowling the same regular games and Baker games as the OHSAA Sectional tournaments ahead.

Spins Bowl is hosting the Northeast District Sectional D2 Tournament and Spins will offer the same oil pattern for the tournament as the sectional tournaments for the Rovers’ event.

Contact athletic director Keith Waesch, waesch@roversk12.org or 330-325-2066 or Susan Jenior, tournament director, golffam2@gmail.com or 330-206-9083.