INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOWLING
SUBURBAN CONFERENCE
2008-09 IHSB State Tournament Highlights
SUBURBAN CONFERENCE
2008-09 IHSB State Tournament Highlights
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SUBURBAN PRIDE
Post Season Performance Nothing Short of Spectacular
Post Season Performance Nothing Short of Spectacular
The Suburban Conference has not garnered much respect
over the last several seasons among Northwest Indiana High
School bowling enthusiasts. Thanks in part to the post-season
performance of Kankakee Valley, that has changed.
At the Michigan City regionals on February 7, the Kougars
"shocked" the NWI bowling world with their hard fought grind it
out performance against the Westlake, Duneland, and
Porter-Laporte conference big guns that resulted in a regional
championship. Coupled with Boone Grove's third place finish,
the suburban garnered two of the three boys semi-state
berths. Led by Justin Shepards 493 series the Kougars edged
Boone for the #2 qualifying seed behind Highland.
KV rebounded from a 202-170 deficit to defeat the Wolves
405-352. KV then relied on another second game comeback
to secure the title.
Post-season magic didn't stop there as three boys and one girl
advanced to the semi-state round in South Bend. KV's Derek
Smenyak, Boone Grove's Jimmy Kraushaar and Lynn Strol
advanced on the boys side, while KV's Carly Grover finished
third, losing to Lake Central's Katie Sexton in the semi-finals.
Rensselaer's Keegen Holbrook secured the second alternate
spot with his 13th place finish while Lowell's Sydney Nantais
finished 12th which was also the girls second alternate position.
over the last several seasons among Northwest Indiana High
School bowling enthusiasts. Thanks in part to the post-season
performance of Kankakee Valley, that has changed.
At the Michigan City regionals on February 7, the Kougars
"shocked" the NWI bowling world with their hard fought grind it
out performance against the Westlake, Duneland, and
Porter-Laporte conference big guns that resulted in a regional
championship. Coupled with Boone Grove's third place finish,
the suburban garnered two of the three boys semi-state
berths. Led by Justin Shepards 493 series the Kougars edged
Boone for the #2 qualifying seed behind Highland.
KV rebounded from a 202-170 deficit to defeat the Wolves
405-352. KV then relied on another second game comeback
to secure the title.
Post-season magic didn't stop there as three boys and one girl
advanced to the semi-state round in South Bend. KV's Derek
Smenyak, Boone Grove's Jimmy Kraushaar and Lynn Strol
advanced on the boys side, while KV's Carly Grover finished
third, losing to Lake Central's Katie Sexton in the semi-finals.
Rensselaer's Keegen Holbrook secured the second alternate
spot with his 13th place finish while Lowell's Sydney Nantais
finished 12th which was also the girls second alternate position.
Regional's Recap
Wow! The Suburban Conference contingency made their
presense felt at the South Bend semi-state on February 11.
The Kankakee Valley Kougars boys squad captured one of
four state finals berths with their gritty performance. Randy
Mewes (504) and Justin Shepard (498) led the attack that
resulted in the Suburban Conference's first team to advance to
the state finals in almost eight years.
What was more surprising was that all four individual qualifiers
earned state finals berths. KV's Derek Smenyak fired a
whopping 745 (279) to qualify third. Smenyak then won two
stepladder matches, including defeating arguably the state's
top lefthander Ryan McCoy from Griffith, before finally
succumbing to Huntington North's specatular sophomore EJ
included a 300. Boone Grove was the only school to send two
individuals to the finals as Senior Lynn Strohl fired a big 246 in
the third game to jump from 10th to 5th with a 715, while Junior
Jimmy Kraushaar limped home with a 204 following games of
240 & 234 to drop from 5th to 8th at 678. The top 9 boys were
awarded finals invitations.
On the girls side KV's Carly Grover is making her second
consecutive trip to Anderson with her 8th place finish.
presense felt at the South Bend semi-state on February 11.
The Kankakee Valley Kougars boys squad captured one of
four state finals berths with their gritty performance. Randy
Mewes (504) and Justin Shepard (498) led the attack that
resulted in the Suburban Conference's first team to advance to
the state finals in almost eight years.
What was more surprising was that all four individual qualifiers
earned state finals berths. KV's Derek Smenyak fired a
whopping 745 (279) to qualify third. Smenyak then won two
stepladder matches, including defeating arguably the state's
top lefthander Ryan McCoy from Griffith, before finally
succumbing to Huntington North's specatular sophomore EJ
included a 300. Boone Grove was the only school to send two
individuals to the finals as Senior Lynn Strohl fired a big 246 in
the third game to jump from 10th to 5th with a 715, while Junior
Jimmy Kraushaar limped home with a 204 following games of
240 & 234 to drop from 5th to 8th at 678. The top 9 boys were
awarded finals invitations.
On the girls side KV's Carly Grover is making her second
consecutive trip to Anderson with her 8th place finish.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Though the suburban contingency didn't bring a state championship
home, they all bowled well and earned a lot of respect.
The KV boys started things off with two solid team games which landed
them in 6th place before baker. Three 200+ games in baker moved the
Kougars up to the fourth spot, the critical final stepladder position.
However, the team caught a difficult lane and slipped slightly in game 4.
The team finished in 6th, 35 pins shy of the cut. Still a memorable
performance.
Jimmy Kraushaar (Boone Grove) had nearly the same fate as the KV
boys. Kraushaar posted games of 223 and 216, good enough for 3rd
place and just shy of 2nd through two. However, a "sparing" start in
game 3 coupled with a tough break late, resulted in a closing 203 and 5th
place finish, 16 pins shy of the stepladder cut. KV's Derek Smenyak
(572) finished 13th while Boone's Lynn Strohl closed out his spectacular
4-year career with a respectable but disappointing 14th place finish
(570). Carly Grover also placed 14th, following last season's runner-up
performance.
Scores can be found at www.ihsbporter-laporte.org
Though the suburban contingency didn't bring a state championship
home, they all bowled well and earned a lot of respect.
The KV boys started things off with two solid team games which landed
them in 6th place before baker. Three 200+ games in baker moved the
Kougars up to the fourth spot, the critical final stepladder position.
However, the team caught a difficult lane and slipped slightly in game 4.
The team finished in 6th, 35 pins shy of the cut. Still a memorable
performance.
Jimmy Kraushaar (Boone Grove) had nearly the same fate as the KV
boys. Kraushaar posted games of 223 and 216, good enough for 3rd
place and just shy of 2nd through two. However, a "sparing" start in
game 3 coupled with a tough break late, resulted in a closing 203 and 5th
place finish, 16 pins shy of the stepladder cut. KV's Derek Smenyak
(572) finished 13th while Boone's Lynn Strohl closed out his spectacular
4-year career with a respectable but disappointing 14th place finish
(570). Carly Grover also placed 14th, following last season's runner-up
performance.
Scores can be found at www.ihsbporter-laporte.org
