By: James McKeever
It was an up-and-down week for Monroe High School’s boys bowling team.
On the down side, the Falcons suffered their first loss of the season, while top-notch bowlers T.J. Van Gorden and Gregg Puleio failed to qualify for the second round of the GMC Individual Championship Tournament.
On the plus side however, Monroe bounced back from its lone defeat the next day with a solid performance, while senior Eric Wysokowski turned in a great day in the GMC Tournament to advance to next week’s second round.
Monroe’s unbeaten streak ended Monday in a tri-match. The Falcons defeated Middlesex 4-0, but lost to Old Bridge 3-1.
"It was the worst we’ve bowled all season," said coach George Packard, whose team has an 18-1-2 record. "It was just a bad day. The kids weren’t too happy about it. But they moved on and we came back the next day and rolled a good game against North Brunswick."
Against Old Bridge the Falcons finished with a 2807 series. They salvaged a point by winning the third game. Wysokowski produced a 618 series (214-203-201) and Dan Trinkler had a 560 (235 high game).
The Falcons came back strong with a 3118 set on Tuesday to sweep North Brunswick. Van Gorden led the way with games of 233, 235 and 223 in a 691 set. Wysokowski added a 670 (222-236-212) and Puleio checked in with a 630 (215 and 234 games).
Monroe entered seven bowlers in Wednesday’s GMC Tournament, but only Wysokowski qualified with a top 20 finish. Those 20 players will bowl three games again next Wednesday, and the top five finishers there play move on to the stepladder finals.
"Eric has been very good consistently all season," Packard said. "He found his line early and stayed with it. He was nice and calm. He seemed to find his line in warm-ups and then he opened with six (strikes) in a row in his first game and took it from there. Our other guys just had a bad day. That’s the way it goes sometimes."
Wysokowski, a senior, placed second with a 703 series, which is important because the five stepladder finalists will be determined by each bowler’s six-game total over two rounds. Only East Brunswick’s Dan Knopf (718) had a higher total in the opening round. Wysokowski started with a 256, followed with a 238 and closed with a 209.
On Saturday Monroe will be tested in the Winter Classic, a tournament conducted by South Plainfield at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick.
"There are a lot of good teams from all around the state in the tournament,"’ Packard said. "Next to the state tournament this is the best tournament there is."
The Falcons resume match play next Tuesday against New Brunswick and face St. Joseph’s again on Thursday. Last month Monroe dealt St. Joseph’s its first loss of the season.
Packard’s girls team is 7-14. The Falcons earned a 4-0 win over Middlesex on Monday while losing to Old Bridge 4-0 in the tri-match. North Brunswick defeated the Falcons 3-1 on Tuesday.
Shannon Weber and Val Michaud each rolled a 466 series on Monday while Nicole Chasan stroked a 426. Noelle Trinkler bowled a 436 on Tuesday and Weber added a 425.
