By Wayne Witkowski
Seniors Aimee Sherman and Steve Nicholson lead the way for Jackson Memorial High School’s girls’ and boys’ bowling teams, respectively, as they launch their seasons with high hopes behind a solid returning nucleus for each team.
Sherman, who is headed next fall to Fairleigh Dickinson University on an athletic financial package for bowling, finished off a 670 series with a 245 high game when the Jaguars’ girls’ team opened its season early last week, taking two of three games against Colts Neck High School and then was swept by Freehold Township High School Dec. 8.
Junior Jenna Waldron bowls leadoff, and sophomore Erin Drake follows in the lineup that aims to make up for the loss of graduated starters Jess Ormsby and Alexa Asta, who is bowling in college at Franklin Pierce College.
The rest of the team is young. Freshmen Krystal Hatch and Alexis Wands bowl in the No. 3 and 4 spots, respectively, and Leila Rich is ready for action when needed for a team that coach Brian Tart calls a work in progress.
“By the end of the season, we should be very competitive for the big matches,” Tart said.
Nicholson has logged three 300 games in his bowling career and was an individual state championships qualifier on last year’s team that made the NJSIAA tournament with two players graduated from that team. Nicholson has a 207 average in the young season. Senior captain Steve Gold is in the leadoff spot and has a 202 average. Nicholson has the best ability to hit strikes and both are reliable at converting spares.
Unlike the girls’ team, Jackson Memorial’s boys are an older lineup shooting for it all this year in the Shore Conference A South Division with all but one senior on the active roster.
Brad Aumann, a sophomore in the No. 4 spot, is the exception, as he has gotten off to a fast start with a 227 average to lead the Jaguars to a sweep of their first two matches against Colts Neck and Freehold Township.
“Like Nicholson, [Aumann] is a very solid striker and is picking up his spares,” new coach Don Freeth said.
Seniors Paul Allen, J.J. Coplan and Brandon Mumm are in the mix for the other two starting spots.
“This is their time to do it,” Freeth said.
The coach said the junior varsity team has some up-and-coming talent being groomed for action at the lower level if the varsity team needs help from reserves, and they will be worked into the varsity lineup later in the season to gain valuable experience for the massive rebuilding expected next season. Freshmen Steve Skillman and Alec Parker lead that group.
“The nicest part is that they are good kids, good students, good student-athletes,” Freeth said. “They work with each other well. You can tell there’s camaraderie and you can also see it with the jayvee coming together. Everyone tries to help each other out.”
In the South Jersey Singles Classic at Finnegan’s Lanes in Manchester Township on Dec. 10, Sherman of the girls’ team was the top bowler for both teams entered with games of 230 and 228 in a 668 series that advanced her into the quarterfinals, where she was eliminated despite a 212 game.
As for the boys’ team, Nicholson advanced into the qualifying round with a 240 game leading off a 624 series. He also bowled a 215 in his series.
This week, the Jackson Memorial teams rolled against Manalapan High School Dec. 12 and took on Howell High School Dec. 14 at Howell’s lanes.