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Schools

Bowling All-Star Selection Process a Gutter Ball to Some

West Deptford's Morgan Brown is an all-star, but had to show well in the Olympic Conference Tournament to get a spot on the team.

MAPLE SHADE – Even on an off day, West Deptford High School bowler Morgan Brown was good enough to be an all-star.

Brown, who entered Monday’s Olympic Conference All-Star Bowling Tournament with a 208 average, bowled games of 150, 193 and 193 for a 536 series, good enough to lead all National Conference bowlers and finish in the top seven of the conference, thus earning her a spot on the Olympic Conference First-Team.

All-stars were selected by the results of the one-day tournament for the first time in conference history, instead of being selected by coaches. The top seven scorers were named first-team all stars, while the following seven were named to the second team.

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Even though Brown bowled well enough to earn a deserved spot on the first team, she was critical of the new way of picking all-stars.

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s fair because somebody can come in and lead the season with a high average and have a horrible day and not be on an all-star team,” said Brown, who has a high series for the season of 734. “There are a lot of good bowlers here that have high averages and just because they don’t do good (once) doesn’t mean they should not be selected.”

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Morgan is hardly alone in her sentiments. Olympic Conference chairman Bill Wright said the idea to switch the selection process was not questioned a year ago when the decision was made, but was met with some resistance on Monday.

“They’re not very fond of the idea,” Wright said of the coaches. “They don’t like the idea that a kid could have been bowling well all season and have a bad day or have the flu or be injured and not make the all-star team, but it’s no different than any of the other sports.

"In my opinion, it gives every kid an opportunity at the conclusion of the season, one last shot to get pumped up and maybe rise to the top.”

For more than two decades, the Olympic Conference had voted for all stars at the conclusion of the season. The process involved coaches from each division voting for the bowlers they felt deserving of the honor at a season-ending meet, which Wright said was little more than a formality.

“Generally, those meetings were a waste of time because the top seven bowlers (average-wise) were first team and the next seven were second team,” he said. “Only if there was close to a tie or something did a true vote come up.”

While having a tournament to decide all-stars may seem foreign for those at West Deptford (a Colonial Conference participant in its other sports), it's common in the Olympic Conference. Track, cross-country, swimming, golf and tennis all-stars are all selected by head-to-head, one-day competitions like Monday’s.

That doesn’t mean everyone has to like it, though.

“I’d rather have it be season average,” said Tyler Jarrell, who led the Eagles with a 540. “Those are the people who have bowled more consistently all year.

"I don’t deserve an all-conference seat the way I bowled all year and if I came out here and did well I would feel like I took it away from somebody."

West Deptford coach Aaron Burr said he would be more open to a selection process that allows a group of individuals with high averages to compete for an all-star spot, while still allowing the other bowlers to compete at the event, but not for an all-star bid. He also chose to look at the positive from the event.

“It’s another day for the kids to bowl, so you try to make the best of it,” Burr said.

That’s what Brown did. Just a sophomore, she has earned the reputation as one of the area’s top bowlers and Monday’s result only helped to confirm it.

“I was very proud of myself,” Brown said. “I feel more confident now that I can prove that I can bowl well.”

West Deptford results:

Ryan Bilger: 170, 131, 167              - 468

Josh Jackson 100, 141, 156            - 397

Tom Leonhardt 124, 122, 194      - 440

Julian Washburne 128, 124, 179 - 431

Tyler Jarrell  200, 149, 191             - 540

Steph Fanelli 108, 134, 128           - 370

Jenna Grady 106, 131, 163           - 400

Alicia Rumaker 143, 117, 154        - 414

Amy Reynolds 153, 171, 196        - 466

Morgan Brown 150, 193, 193       - 536

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