The Benjamin Logan Raiders bowling team made history on Saturday at HP Lanes in Columbus, where they competed in the Division 2 State Tournament.
After a strong performance in the qualifying round, the Raiders advanced to the Championship round and won their first-ever State Championship.
In the qualifying round, the format consisted of 3 conventional games and 5 baker games.
The Raiders posted a total score of 3972, finishing in 7th place and securing a spot in the Championship round.
Their conventional games totaled 3054, while the baker games added 918 points.
Individual Scores in the Qualifying Round:
- Jarrett Buckenroth led the team with a 738 series, which included scores of 268, 247, and 223. His performance earned him First Team All-State and ranked him as the 4th best bowler in D2 in the state.
- Landon Stoodt had a strong 691 series with scores of 169, 243, and 279. He almost had a perfect game, leaving a solid 4-pin on his first ball of the 10th frame after striking 9 times in a row. Landon earned All-State Honorable Mention and was ranked 12th in the state.
- Caleb Knight scored a 608 series with games of 234, 192, and 182, finishing as the 38th-best D2 bowler in the state.
- Nate Dave contributed a 502 series with scores of 157, 184, and 161.
- Dylan Stewart added a solid 226 game.
In the Championship round, the Raiders played against the #2 seed Mechanicsburg Indians in a “Best of 5” baker game format.
The Raiders won the first three games with scores of 180, 215, and 176, advancing to face their CBC rival, the #3 seed Northwestern Warriors.
The game against Northwestern was close, with the Raiders winning the first game 198-197.
Northwestern won the second game 222-217, but the Raiders bounced back, winning the next two games 248-226 and 235-203, which sent them to the Championship match against #4 seed Marion Pleasant.
In the Championship match, Marion Pleasant started strong with a perfect 300 in the first game, winning 300-166.
The Raiders fought back in the second game, winning 194-186.
Marion Pleasant won the third game 265-192, but the Raiders kept their hopes alive, winning game four 257-224 to force a fifth and final game.
In the deciding game, both teams kept striking.
Marion Pleasant had 7 strikes in a row, and the Raiders had 6.
In the 10th frame, Marion Pleasant left a solid 10-pin, while Jarrett Buckenroth, the Raiders’ anchor bowler, delivered a crucial strike.
Marion Pleasant responded with a spare, and the Raiders threw another strike.
With one more strike, Jarrett secured the win with a 270 game, and the Raiders won the game 270-257, clinching their first D2 State Championship.
This victory marks the first-ever State Championship for Benjamin Logan Boys Bowling.
