As the second half of the high school winter bowling season began, Spencerport sophomore Ava Baggesen and senior Jesse Taccone both sat atop the Division I girls and boys leader boards, averaging 212 and 239, respectively.
“I think it’s gone very well on the boys side – we’ve only lost one match so far with a lot of new kids compared to last year, so just working with them and they’ve really progressed,” Taccone said. “Individually, just striking a lot and sparing a lot and trying to keep it as close to 230 as I can.”
“We lost six seniors last year, so we have a whole new team, so many new girls, and we’re adjusting as a team and getting there, and I’m bowling the best I can every time,” Baggesen added.
“We’re really trying to get to States this year and just working with the new guys and trying to help them out as much as I can,” Taccone said. “All the returners have been great, and we’re moving up to Class A, so that’s really going to help.”
In a January 7 match against Gates-Chili at Gates-Bowl, Taccone was a little above his average with 237-234-258=729 while Baggesen fell below her pervious scores with 201-194-168=572.
“Sometimes lane conditions get funky and you just have to work with it; it is what it is,” Baggeson said. She has seen marked improvement year-over-year from her 175 average as a freshman.
“I wasn’t exactly happy with it; I started off weaker and then picked it up a little bit,” Baggesen said about her freshman year. As for the results of this year? “A lot of practicing; probably four or five days a week now.”
The Spencerport girls finished second last season in the Class A sectionals by 22 pins while the boys won the title but lost three seniors from the squad. Junior Nick Green and sophomore Patrick Keady were bowling in the lead group with Taccone for the boys, while the girls have zero juniors or seniors and are led by four sophomores.
The senior Taccone is undecided on next fall other than he wants to study Finance. “It’s (college level bowling) not on as big a scale as for women, but there is men’s bowling,” Taccone said.
Spencerport boys enter the second half in second place in Sectional playoff standings behind only Fairport in Division I, while the girls sit in fourth. The top eight schools make the playoffs on February 26.
