News Archive
Season Opens For Girls Bowling
SETTING THE SCENE: The 2017-2018 Lady Eagles have a hard act to follow, but with four veteran members of the first ECC Champions returning the girls bowling team should be one to watch. For the fourteenth season, Coach Frank Ritzmann returns as head coach for the MHS girls team, after leading last season’s squad to accomplish a feat no other bowling team in school history had achieved; a conference championship.
TEAM PREVIEW: The 2016-2017 Milford girls bowling team finished the season 16-1 overall and 11-1 in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, sharing the conference title with Glen Este after placing second for two consecutive seasons. The Lady Eagles were the Sectional tournament runners-up at the OHSAA Division I Bowling Sectional Tournament and just missed winning it all by a mere sixteen total pins behind conference rival, the then Glen Este Trojans. They were unable to qualify for the State Tournament though they ended the District Tournament in 12th place, an improvement from the previous season’s 20th place finish.
Three key members of the historic 2016-2017 team return; seniors Jessica Haines and MacKenzie Mason, and junior Jessica Norman. Senior Megan Cannon, who did see varsity action, returns as well.
Jessica Haines ended the 2017 season near the top of the ECC for the Eagles, and finished with the best high series (490) in the ECC. As a junior she set a new Milford bowling record when she broke the girls two-game series record by a total of 61 pins, for a record high 490. Haines led the Eagles at the Sectional Tournament, placing 28th in the final standings after averaging a 175.3 with a high series of 526. She ranked second in the conference for average (187.1) and third for high game with a 256. She received first team all-conference recognition in both 2016 and 2017.
In just her second season, Jessica Norman was selected as a first team All-ECC member after receiving honorable mention her freshman year. In 2017 she finished in or near the top ten for all ECC stats, including fourth best high game (237) and fifth best high series (414). Her 155.6 average was near the top ten, placing her eleventh in the conference.
Last season MacKenzie Mason set a new personal best high game, 204 against Kings. Mason helped Milford advance to the District Tournament, with a 348 two game series at Sectionals. She ended her season ranked eighth in high average (160.5) and thirteenth for high series (375) in the ECC. She was named second team All-Conference last season.
In sixteen varsity games last season, Megan Cannon averaged a 145.5 with a season high game of 169 at the Eastern Cincinnati/Southwest Ohio Conference tournament. She was an ECC honorable mention recipient at the end of the 2017 season.
Girls Roster: Joining Cannon, Haines, Mason, and Norman are newcomers Reagan Hodges, a junior, and sophomore Reaghan Kaylor.
A LOOK BACK: Milford opened the season with a 2093-1855 victory over Seven Hills. Megan Cannon’s average of 176.5 and 353 series led the Lady Eagles. Jessica Haines (299) and Reagan Hodges (290) contributed with two game series, while MacKenzie Mason (166), Reaghan Kaylor (162) and Jessica Norman (143) each added a game in the Milford win.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Eagles open conference play in the week ahead, facing Anderson on both Mon., 11/27 and Tues., 11/28 at Cherry Grove Lanes. Both are set for a 3:30 pm start. Milford will end the week Sun., 12/3 at the Big Blue Challenge, hosted by Hamilton High School and held at Game of Fairfield lanes. The first round is slated for 9:00 am, and the second round is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information on the Big Blue Challenge.
POLL WATCH: Milford is receiving attention this year, and enters the season ranked in the top ten in the Division I Cincinnati Enquirer area coaches’ poll. Week one finds Milford tied with Northwest for fifth place, behind Fairfield, Seton, Oak Hills, and Mercy. The ECC’s West Clermont is seventh followed by Colerain, McAuley and Middletown. Anderson (16), Kings (14), and Walnut Hills (1) received votes in week one as well. Click HERE for the area coaches' poll.
