Seven Murfreesboro area bowlers reach state individual finals

Murfreesboro Daily News Journal

Smyrna bowlers, from left, Xavier Powell-Short, Josh Meeke and Blake Evans all reached the TSSAA State Bowling Tournament individual finals.

It's easy to see why Smyrna's boys team is one of the favorites in the TSSAA State Bowling Tournament at Smyrna Bowling Center.

Three Bulldogs advanced to the state individual tournament finals Friday after the final six were narrowed down during Thursday's quarterfinals and semifinals.

"I'm pretty speechless," said Smyrna's Blake Evans, who joined teammates Josh Meeke and Xavier Powell-Short in the top six. He was seventh overall entering the fourth game of the semifinals before rolling a 211 to move up to the sixth and final spot.

"I didn't even know where I was (in the standings). I was just trying to bowl the best I could. I think this (gives momentum for the team). It really represents the school well."

In all, Rutherford County had four of the top six boys and three of the top six girls in Division I.

Meeke, Powell-Short and Evans as well as Blackman's Jacob Berry all reached the boys finals while Blackman's Baileigh Snow and Sarah Sanes as well as Siegel's Danielle Jedlicki reached the girls finals.

Jedlicki finished first (205.1 average) after the semifinals, followed by Wilson Central's Megan Metz (199.5), Hardin County's Faith Welch (193.0), Sanes (192.9), Snow (191.8) and Lebanon's Lindsay Manning (186.4).

Defending state champion Jedlicki, who was seeded 12th, seems to turn it up a notch around tournament time.

Blackman's Baileigh Snow (left) and Siegel's Danielle Jedlicki, who both reached the individual state championship match last season, are again in the TSSAA State Bowling Tournament individual finals.

"(State tournament) drives me," said Jedlicki, who reached the state championship match as a freshman before winning it last year over Snow. "I don't always have the best (regular) season, but when I get here, there's no time to waste."

More:Blackman girls, Smyrna boys confident heading into state bowling tournament

Metz wasn't scoreboard watching as she and Jedlicki were battling for the top spot, separated by only two pins after the quarterfinals.

"When I bowl, I just focus on how I'm doing," said Metz, a senior who is in her first state finals after finishing 10th last year. "I'm definitely excited. It's tough to get in there (finals)."

In DI boys, Hardin County's Calin Meeks (231.6) was first after the semifinals, followed by McMinn County's Zach Price (227.4), Meeke (219.9), Berry (212.3), Powell-Short (210.1) and Evans (204.9).

Wilson Central senior Megan Metz reached the TSSAA State Bowling individual finals.

Two Midstate boys advanced to the finals in Division II as Pope John Paul II's Quinn Collins (189.0) was fifth and Ezell-Harding's Kenton Gentry (181.3) sixth.

Three Midstate girls advanced in DII as Friendship Christian's Kennedy West (163.8) was second, Clarksville Academy's Leah Hayes (160.5) was fourth and Harpeth Hall's Maggie Macurin (150.5) was sixth.

The top six in DI and DII girls and boys will compete for a state championship in a step-ladder format beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, with sixth place bowling fifth, the winner then bowling fourth, and so on until the championship matches involving the No. 1 seeds.

The team quarterfinals also will be bowled beginning at noon Friday, with the semifinals and finals on Saturday.

"I'm glad I did better than i did as a freshman and sophomore," said Sanes, who is making her first trip to the finals. "My second (semifinal) game was rough, but I did pretty well."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.