Monroe bowling team in thick of divisional race
Falcons are in second place in GMC
White Division
The Monroe High School boys bowling team will be looking to reverse an early season loss against Middlesex this afternoon and stay in contention for the top spot in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s White Division.
Coach George Packard’s Falcons are 7-1-2 in the year, and in second place in the White Division behind Colonia.
Monroe forged a tie against Colonia and also gained a draw against JFK, another conference foe.
"Middlesex is an important match for us," Packard said. "If we can get the win, we’ll be in pretty good shape, but we have to keep winning. And we still need to beat Colonia."
The Falcons have been getting solid performances from all seven varsity competitors.
Junior Andrew Chung, who has a 252 game and a 600 series to his credit, leads the team with a 190 average.
A pair of freshmen, Eric Wysokowski and T.J. Van Gorden, are right behind at 185 pins and 182 pins, respectively. Each has rolled a 600 series.
Senior Jim Smith is averaging 172 pins, freshman Dan Lynch is at 166 pins, and junior Eddie Gaydas is averaging 162 pins. The team average is a bit more than 2,700 pins per match.
"We’re getting good contributions throughout the lineup, and we’re in contention in the conference," Packard said. "That’s where we want to be."
While the boys team has been doing well, Monroe’s girls team, at 2-9, has struggled a bit, though Packard noted that the young girls squad, which includes six sophomores, is showing promise.
The Falcons girls have scored triumphs against both Middlesex and South River.
Samantha Beyer is the leading scorer, averaging 145 pins, followed by Robyn Grant and junior Lori Sonenblum at 140 pins each.
The other members of the team are Alayna Berg, Kristin Bjornsen, Lauren Nieler and Thea Narkiewicz.
"The girls have been inconsistent at times, but they’re getting better with each match," Packard said. "I think that will continue and, hopefully, they’ll have a strong second half."