The 2021 season was an unusual one for the Laurence Manning Academy boys bowling program. The Swampcats didn’t win a state title, having their string of consecutive SCISA state championships snapped at five by Heathwood Hall.
Things returned to normal this year, however. LMA rallied from a 13-pin deficit heading into the final game against Cardinal Newman to win title No. 7 last month at Gamecock Lanes in Sumter.
“I told them going into the last game that we’ve got this,” said Laurence Manning head coach Jay Atkins. They were throwing good and things came together in the last game with us bowling a 195.”
Cardinal Newman had rolled a 354 through the first two games of the 4-team final, an average of 177 per game. The Swampcats had a score of 341, a 170.5 average. They far exceeded that number in the final game with the 195 for a final score of 536. The Cardinals only managed a 161 for a final score of 515.
Porter-Gaud finished third at 508 while Heathwood Hall was fourth at 433.
Atkins was not surprised at the way his team closed out the 3-game championship.
“All of my guys are good,” he said. “We were in pretty good shape. It was nip and tuck at the end, but we finished strong.”
Each member of the 5-man team bowls two frames to make up the team score. Eighth-grader Nathan Stewart is the anchorman for LMA, bowling the fifth and 10th frames, and he closed out with a pair of strikes to secure the victory, Senior Harley Sandifer also had a crucial strike in the ninth frame.
The remainder of the team will return next year along with Stewart. Jason Skinner is a seventh-grader, while Caleb Baker and Daniel Geddings are freshmen.
Atkins said his squad, which had the top score in the 3-game preliminary round to reach the championship, works well together.
“Once they get in the groove, they’re really good,” he said. “They help each other and are more consistent. They talk to each other and try to calm each other down.”
The Laurence Manning co-ed team reached the championship round, finishing fourth. Spartanburg Christian won with a 448, followed by Heathwood Hall at 408, Cardinal Newman at 381 and LMA at 364.
The co-ed team was led by a pair of returnees from the 2020 state championship team in Austin Riles and Sydnie Vohs. The other members of the team who bowled in the championship were Wes Matlock, Emily Picket, Josh Sharpe and Madelyne Rich.
