Staff Reports
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
LOCKPORT —
Lockport High School senior Tyler Laubacker will represent Section VI and the Lions when he competes next month in the state bowling tournament in Waverly.
Laubacker bowled a six-game 1,242 at Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga last week to edge defending Section VI champion Eric Michalski of Amherst by six pins for the overall individual championship.
The tourney’s winning team (Niagara-Wheatfield), along with Laubacker and five other qualifying bowlers from Section VI have qualified to compete in the New York Championships at Valley Bowling Center in Waverly on March 3-4.
Laubacker , Michalski, Chad Mee of Frontier, Andrew Herbert of Eden, Ryan Shane of Silver Creek and Chris Gable of Lackawanna are on the VI team. Michalski’s 267 was the day’s high single. Herbert had the high set at 695.
Laubacker and fellow LHS captain Jacob Swartz both averaged 210-plus this past Niagara Frontier League season for head coach Marion Singleton’s boys team.
“Tyler has performed consistently well all season long and has been a key clutch player. He pulled out a lot of games for us this year,” Singleton said.
“He started off the second half of sectionals not bowling so well, but I encouraged him to fill in the frames and not bowl himself out of it. He closed the day with a 241 game that gave him the lead over everybody in the building. I couldn’t be more proud of him as his coach. He deserves it.”
Forty-eight schools competed at sectionals. Lockport’s boys finished fourth overall as a team and second in Class A.
Niagara Falls won the girls’ title. Lockport was 14th, led by junior Brittany Wright’s 13th place individual finish with a 1,060 pin total. The high girls’ series was a 1,169 by Kenmore West’s Ashley Fries.
