GREENFIELD — The Greenfield-Central bowling team continues to roll this postseason.
After capturing its first sectional title since 2015 and finishing runner-up at regional, the boys team posted another strong performance during the Richmond Semistate for third overall at the Richmond 40 Bowl last weekend.
The Cougars tallied a score of 2,232 and won their first step-ladder matchup against Terre Haute North 380-349 to advance into today’s Indiana High School Bowling State Finals at Championship Lanes in Anderson.
“The students set reachable team goals before the season started, and now they get the opportunity to see their goals become reality,” Greenfield-Central head coach Charlton Cavette remarked on his team’s playoff success.
Greenfield-Central’s Jonathan Harnish led all individual semistate bowlers at Richmond with a score of 664. He defended his standing during the step ladder competition.
Harnish, who needed one win to capture the semistate title, defeated Huntington North’s Bryan Harrell 235-206 for the championship. He is the first Greenfield-Central semistate champ since Clayton Spegal in 2016.
Harnish helped the Cougars complete a clean sweep at sectional this postseason, claiming the team’s first individual title since Spegal, also in 2016. The senior placed 18th at state last year, and he gets another chance to improve on that placement today.
At regional, Harnish posted a score of 590 to advance into the semistate as an individual and part of the team. He will do the same at state.
The Cougars boys last state appearance as a group was in 2016 when they placed seventh overall with a score of 2,643. In 2015, the team finished 12th at state with a score of 2,425.
Muncie Central, which bested Greenfield-Central at regional for the team title, won the Richmond Semistate with two step-ladder victories.
The Bearcats entered the step ladder portion of the tournament as the second seed ahead of Greenfield-Central and behind Huntington North, who lost in the finals to Muncie Central 398-312.
Muncie Central beat Greenfield-Central 401-374 in the step-ladder semifinals.
Griffith won the Lafayette Semistate, jumping from the step ladder’s third seed to champion. They beat Ben Davis in the finals 404-371.
Noblesville’s Nathan Smith was the Lafayette Semistate individual champion with a 705, which gave him the top seed in the step ladder. He defeated South Bend Adams’ Dakota Saunders 183-174 in the step-ladder finals.
