Slow start affects Barrons in the end
Barrons finish second in Group III tourney
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
The Woodbridge High School girls bowling team fell just short of adding another Group III title to its trophy case after opening the tournament with a below-average game that ended up costing the Barrons. The Central Jersey Sectional champs finished Group III in second place behind Brick. Brick built off the momentum and eventually went on to win the Tournament of Champions, a feat Woodbridge pulled off last year.

"The girls bowled well but they had a bad first game," Woodbridge head coach Mike Yannazzo said. "The team averages 930 per game and opened the Group III tournament with an 852. Brick opened up with 1,007 in its first game."

The Barrons recovered from their lackluster performance in the opening game with a solid 991 in their second game. The only problem was that Brick had no plans of slowing down. Brick kept the pressure on the defending champs by bowling a 993 in the second game and keeping too much distance for the Barrons to overcome. Brick would finish the round with 3,012 pins to Woodbridge's 2,808.

Woodbridge's Nicole Caggiano led the team with a 205 average after three games in the Group III Tournament. Caggiano bowled games of 198, 236 and 182. Teammate Kellie Kocher turned in the team's next-best performance with a 580 series after bowling games of 168, 201 and 211.

"Those numbers are pretty good," Yannazzo said. "We were pretty consistent, but we just got off to a slow start and Brick never slowed down."

The Barrons' Melissa Huntley put in a solid performance with a 570 series on games of 195, 191 and 184. Teammate Ashley Scesney also turned in a noteworthy performance with a 567 series. Scesney bowled games of 159, 209 and 199.

Although winning Group III a second straight year was not in the cards this season, the Barrons have plenty to look back on with pride. In addition to another sectional title, Woodbridge took home top honors in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division and saw one of its own finish among the 10 best in the state individual tournament.

Caggiano put together a 599 series on her first three games of the individual tournament to make the cut and bowl the second round as one of the state's top 18 bowlers. She bowled 224, 181 and 194 through those first three games. In the second round, she bowled games of 157, 213 and 268 for a 638 series and a seventh place finish.

"The 157 game hurt her, but I was quite happy with her showing," Yannazzo said. "She did a great job - absolutely. It was a long season, and it got pretty grueling for the girls at the end. I'm very happy with the end result."