on December 6, 2024

Pictured in the Front row, from left to right, are Riley Otten, Braden Rhodes, Rhett Staley and Chase Copas. In the middle row are Connor Rhodes, Brady Staley, Gavin Amrine, Lucas Tanner and Landon Moss. In the back row are Head Coach Matt Donohue, Zach Howald. Nathan McCaul, Logan Otten, Tristan Carey and Assistant Coach Mike Donohue. (Gazette photo by Aleksei Pavloff)

NU bowling programs will lean on veterans this winter

By By Bob Putman, Richwood Gazette

By Bob Putman, Richwood Gazette

North Union’s boys and girls bowling programs return a lof of experience this winter season.

Girls

Head Coach Matt Donohue welcomed six seniors, including five letterwinners, for the 2024-25 season.

“Our strengths this year are that we have so many seniors that have been with us since they were freshman,” Donohue said.

That strength has already been shown during the early season as the Lady Cats opened their season by taking first place in the Ridgedale Rocket Baker Bash and set a school team scoring record in a win over Tecumseh.

Lexi Bahan, Montana Donohue, Olyvia Frisco, Alyssa Frisco and Emma McCaul are the returning senior letterwinners. A sixth senior, Maggie Hillyard, joins the varsity squad for the first time.

Bahan, Donohue and McCaul are each averaging over 170 per game so far this season through eight individual games.

Other members of the varsity squad are junior Leila Hamilton, sophomores Khloe Tucker, Miracle Brown and freshman Garrison Hatfield.

“We were second in our sectional last year but fell short at the district tournament,” Coach Donohue said. “We hope to learn from last year and make it to the state with all of our seniors.”

Boys

Donohue feels he has strong group at the top of his lineup on the boys team but will need to shore up things after the first four.

Senior Logan Otten and Braden Rhodes and juniors Zach Howald and Chase Copas led the Wildcats. They are the only returning letterwinners.

“We have a solid top four and we are looking to see will step up to fill the fifth and sixth spots on the varsity lineup,” Donohue said.

Donohue has several bowlers ready to take those spots but none are letterwinners.

Ready for the challenge are junior Lucas Tanner, sophomores Gavin Amrine, Brady Staley, Rhett Staley, Nathan McCaul, Tristian Carey and freshmen Connor Rhodes, Riley Otten and Landon Moss.

Logan Otten leads the Wildcats with a 188 average while Howald is 170 through the first eight individual games.

Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Leila Hamilton, Garrison Hatfield and Alyssa Frisco. In the middle row are Lexi Bahan, Olyvia Frisco, Miracle Brown and Maggie Hillyard. In the back row are Head Coach Matt Donohue, Montana Donohue, Emma McCaul, Khloe Tucker, Assistant Coach Mike Donohue. (Gazette photo by Aleksei Pavloff)