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HARTINGTON - It was a quiet week for the Hartington-Newcastle bowling team, but don’t be fooled because it’s all about getting ready for the big push.
The team had the last week off but things were scheduled to get rolling again Tuesday against Thurston-Cuming County and then it’s on to the district meeting in Norfolk Jan. 31.
“With the season coming to an end, the girls have set themselves up really well,” HNHS head coach Nate Holan said. “They are currently fourth in power points. With a win on Tuesday that shouldn’t change. If two of the teams ahead of us win their district, then we would be able to get one of the two wildcard spots, should we not win our district. No matter how everything unfolds, they have had a great year and have given themselves a chance to make State as a team. That’s all we could ask for and, hopefully, it all works out.”
Faith Pinkelman, Rebekah Pinkelman and Meredith McGregor have been anchors for the girls team, according to Holan, and been a consistent force for the Wildcats.
“They have done a good job carrying a bulk of the load this year,” Holan said. “We wouldn't be where we are without them. Aaralynn Collier, Dary Myo and Riley Krause have stepped up and worked hard to get better this year. They have really been the glue that holds our team together. The other three can bowl as good as they want, but we don’t win without these three.”
The boys are ranked No. 9 in power points as of this week and are just on the outside looking in for a potential push in the postseason.
“They won’t be able to jump up enough to have a shot at a wildcard,” Holan said. “They will have to find a way to win districts to go to state. Barrett Bruning and Ben Kleinschmit have been a really bright spot for us this year. They have been a lot more consistent and really upped their averages from last year. They have been the ones keeping us in our duels and tournaments helping give us a chance to win.”
Alex Elks, Jack Stevens and Christian Fiscus have been working on finding their own levels of consistency for Holan.
“They keep showing glimpses of how good they can be every week, they just lose it for a while causing some inconsistencies,” the coach said. “This is a young team with four sophomores, so I’m really excited about where this team could be over the next few years.
“Looking forward, we just need to take care of business this week and be ready for districts. It is going to come down to how consistent both teams are that will determine where we finish. We have to throw a good first ball to allow for easier spares then we need to pick up those spares. If we do a good job with that, then we will give ourselves a chance.”
