By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The OHSAA tournament trail leading toward the state tournament got underway on Friday as the Tri-County Sectional for the boys was held, including Portage County Division-II teams including Crestwood, Field, Garfield and Rootstown.

It was a successful tournament for several. Both Field and Rootstown advanced as teams to the Division II district on Feb. 21 at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood.

Field, the champion of the Metro Athletic Conference’s postseason tournament, again found itself at the top of the sectional tournament.

Two tournaments in two weeks for the Falcons, who are in only their second year as a varsity program.

The Rovers also won the postseason Portage Trail Conference Tournament and the league championship for the fourth time in a row and grabbed the second of four qualifying spots to the district.

The same Portage County teams, with the addition of both the Southeast and Ravenna girls, begin their tournament action today at Spins Bowl in Kent, seeking one of four qualifying spots for teams and individuals on their way to the district tournament on Feb. 22 in Oakwood.

The Division I Portage County sectional joins Mahoning and Trumbull County teams at Holiday Lanes in Struthers with both boys and girls bowling on Feb. 15.

Teams include Ravenna boys, Kent Roosevelt boys and girls and Streetsboro boys and girls seeking one of those four coveted spots advancing to Roseland Lanes on Feb. 23 for the boys and Feb. 24 for the girls.

All of this is leading toward the OHSAA State Tournaments hosted by H.P. Lanes in Columbus Feb. 28-March 1 for Division II and March 7-8 for Division-I teams.

Tickets for upcoming sectional and district tournaments are available at ohsaa.org/tickets.

SOUTHEAST GIRLS

The Pirates have been looking to improve this season as members of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference for their first season.

The record may not be what the girls would have liked, but they have lost several close matches in the recent week.

Against Lowellville, Southeast only lost by 31 pins when the final pin had dropped.

The match against McDonald was even closer as Southeast found itself in the losing column by only seven pins.

Makayla Diehl, 254 series, and Elizabeth Mix, 201 series, led the team in the match against McDonald. While Kimberly Luke and Madison Nutter tied for high series (229) in the match against Lowellville.