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By Michael Love

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 8:53 p.m.
Updated: Friday, December 21, 2012

The Gateway varsity boys and girls bowling teams opened their seasons last week with a sweep of Burrell in Northeast section action.

Three veterans and two new starters paced the girls squad to a convincing victory.

Junior Angela Chusko recorded one of the best three-game series in the history of Gateway bowling – boys or girls – and the highest girls series ever, as she rolled a 736 series, with games of 234, 244 and 258.

It also was one of the highest series in the history of the WPIBL.

“It was really cool to see,” head coach Andrew Smith said.

“She was making some great throws. She got better as the match went on. She kept coming back and was saying, 'How did I do that?' She rolled 25 strikes in the three games. It was amazing.”

Fellow juniors Morgan Sayre and Tori Smith added 596 and 531 series, respectively.

Two new starters – senior Cassie Doege and junior Rachael Hodes contributed to the victory. Doege rolled a 487 series, while Hodes came through with a 472 series.

“Cassie and Rachael bowled really well,” coach Smith said. “They bowled beyond my expectations.”

Coach Smith said the goal for the girls team was to improve on its team average from last year, and it did that against Burrell.

The team finished with a pin total of 2,822 and games of 968, 962 and 892.

The boys team won each game by at least 100 pins, as the young and relatively inexperienced Gators squad picked up the victory.

With only one senior on the team, two freshmen in the lineup and one starter back from last year, the Gateway boys tallied 2,438 pins and games of 840, 811 and 787.

The Gators were led by freshmen Bailey Diggins and Ryan Skladany, who scored 551 and a 584 series, respectively, in their debuts on varsity.

“They both bowled superb in their first high school matches.”

Sophomore Nick Crawford added a 435, while junior Dylan Shumaker scored a 433 series.

Returning varsity bowler Jon McAnany, a junior, rolled games of 159 and 158 in games one and two, and sophomore Jared Sheffler came in to finish off the series.

Senior Brandon Castleberry came in late in the third game and contributed a couple of marks.

“Everyone contributed to the win,” coach Smith said.

“I was extremely happy with the way they bowled. They were rooting each other on. It's nice to see new teammates come together like they did.”

Gateway was scheduled to face Woodland Hills on Wednesday at New Great Valley Lanes, and the match was to be contested past the deadline for this week's edition.

The Gators are slated to bowl Plum this Wednesday at Nesbit's Lanes in Plum. The 3:30 match is the final one before a one-week holiday break.

Michael Love is a staff writer with Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-388-5825 or at mlove@tribweb.com.

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