HIGH SCHOOL

Smyrna boys, Blackman girls bowlers headed to state

Cecil Joyce

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

The county will be represented by two bowling teams at this week's TSSAA State Bowling Tournament after Smyrna's boys' 19-8 win over Rhea County Monday afternoon in the Division I Sectional.

Rutherford County will be represented by two bowling teams at this week's TSSAA State Bowling Tournament.

Blackman's girls had already punched a ticket to the state with Saturday's 23-4 Division I Sectional win over Walker Valley.

The state tournament begins Thursday at Smyrna Bowling Center with individual play, while the team championships begin Friday.

Following Baker Matches (to determine seeding),at 11 a.m. Friday, the boys quarterfinals will be at 2:30, followed by girls action at 4:30. Semifinal rounds will begin Saturday morning at 9 a.m., with the finals set for 11:30 a.m.

Smyrna (22-0) fell behind 5-3 in the first game of Monday's sectional but bounced back quickly, outscoring Rhea County 6-2 in the second to take an 8-7 lead.

The decisive third game was all Bulldogs, who won 7-1 to put things away. Smyrna had 3.452 total pins to Rhea County's 3,259.

Josh Meeke fired games of 222 and 268 and finished with a 702 series for Smyrna. Xavier Powell fired a 224 and Justin Lee had a 212 in the first game, Justin Shull had a 202, Blake Evans a 222 and Lee a 201 second game. Brayden Paul shot a 238 and Lee a 210 in the third game.

Blackman's girls dominated their sectional match Saturday, winning by 600 total pins.

Baileigh Snow and Sarah Sanes had big series for the Lady Blaze. Sanes finished with a 679 series while Snow had a 653. Kayla Berry had a 211 game and Erika Sisk added a 201 game.

Smyrna's Lee, Meeke and Shull will be participating in the individual state tournament Thursday, along with Riverdale's Elijah Avery, Donovan Vincent and Spencer Perry, Blackman's Jacob Berry, Stewarts Creek's Cameron Hall, Casey Mitchell and Chase Lawson, Oakland's Andrew Shattuck and Siegel's Hunter Whitaker.

Girls qualifiers include Blackman's Snow, Sanes, Berry and Sisk, Oakland's Alexis Campbell and Jessica Hileman, Siegel's Danielle Jedlicki and Haleigh Lawwell, and Stewarts Creek's Ashlynn Barkdull.