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Fairborn girls bowling just misses return trip to state

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BEAVERCREEK — The Fairborn girls bowling team made a late run in the Baker games, but couldn’t make up the distance to qualify for state at the Division I district tournament on Friday.

The Skyhawks were in 12th after the individual portion of the event, and had the fourth best total of the 24 teams in the six Baker games to move up into seventh but were 47 pins from a top-five finish.

Fairborn’s Samantha Eichman tied for the final qualifying spot as an individual. She lost out on the tiebreaker, which was the high game bowled during the three-game series. Eichman had a 219 in her second game, while Isabelle Snyder of Colerain got a 226 in her final game.

She was few of words after coming as close as possible to advancing, but received the support of her teammates through the final announcement.

“It sucks,” Eichman said. “I came so close obviously. Every pin counts.”

After being a part of last year’s team which made state as a group, Eichman had the high average for the Skyhawks this season and exceeded it in all three of her games bowled at district.

“I feel like the filler balls is what got me,” she said. “I feel like I missed quite a few pins on those balls.”

Eichman said she would have liked to have advanced as an individual, but wishes more the team would have made a return trip together.

“I think the team strives off each other a little bit better, especially when they form that unity,” Skyhawks head coach Eric Mrenak said. “You’ll have those strong bowlers that can do their own thing, but in the team aspect, you don’t ever see an individual that just wants to make it individually. You want to have your friends and colleagues there at the same time.”

Beavercreek struggled down the stretch, starting the Baker games in the top-five but ultimately finished in ninth place. Xenia came in 12th after having the best closing game of any team with a 203.

Xenia’s Mackenzie Barker had the best individual finish for the Bucs in a tie for 11th. Other top-50 placers from Greene County includes Fairborn’s Caliyah Henry in 30th with a 545 series, and three from Beavercreek including Madison Baker in 32nd at 540, Cierra Bolen in 37th with a 530 and Alana Brown in a tie for 41st at 524.

Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on Twitter @Steven_Wright_.