Wayland sophomore Sydney Urben defeated all comers Sunday in a special Brunswick High School Regional Tune-up Single Tournament.
Urben not only claimed the individual championship in the women’s competition, but also bested the boys’ champ in a special “bragging rights” match.
Wildcat boys’ team member Cameron Heintzelman finished third on his side of the special tourney.
“It was a great experience for all of the girls as the prepare for regional tournament in a couple of weeks,” explained girls’ coach Bill Holbrook. It was also the first time they have bowled on the oil pattern being used for regional and state.”
The Lady Wildcats, fresh off a league tournament championship performance, and the guys will bowl in the Division 2 regionals in Kalamazoo Saturday, Feb. 27. The Lady Wildcats are rated fifth in the state.
Urben won her first match 207-183 to make it to the round of eight She won her second match 197-181 to make it to the round of four. The next match was tight, right down to the 10th frame, when the girl from Rockford was up by one pin and could shut out Sydney with three strikes. She threw the first strike in the 10h and so did Sydney. She left a ten pin and missed it to finish with a201. Sydney threw the second strike in the tenth to secure the win and finished with a 217 placing her in the championship match against the number one qualifier.
Holbrook said, “The championship match was lower scoring, the difference ended up being three split conversion by Syd to wrap up the title.”
At this point there was a call for the boys’ champ to bowl against the girls’ champ for bragging rights. Sydney started with a 3-10 split but preceded to throw seven consecutive strikes en route to a 257-221 win over the boys champ for a tournament title.”
“So proud to watch her grow in her bowling and learn how to grind out games and fight to the end of each game!,” he coach beamed.
Austen Beggs and Heintzelman qualified fifth and sixth, respectively. Beggs lost his first round match, but Heintzelman hot a 278 to his first match. He also won by a close margin in round two. In round three, he lost to the eventual boys’ champ to finish tied for third place.
PHOTO: Sydney Urban and her trophy