Sussex County Tech bowlers win state title

By Rose Sgarlato
SPARTA — The Sussex County Technical School’s bowling team ended their season on a high note winning the state title last Friday, Feb.17 at Bowlero Lanes in North Brunswick.
Friday was the end of an epic week for the Mustangs with three team members competing two days before on Wednesday at the state individual championships.
Joey Steele, Patrick Danielson and Tim Zayac represented Sussex Tech on Wednesday and placed 24th, 29th and 45th respectively among a group of the top 69 bowlers from New Jersey high schools. And although they did not make the final cut of the best 12 bowlers in the state, the experience will be forever a memory.
“I felt pretty good. I reached my goal,” said sophomore Danielson. “I came out and bowled my heart out.”
His teammate Steele also weighed in: “It felt amazing. If I make it next year I know what to expect. The lanes are great there.”
On Friday, the five-member varsity team made up of Danielson, Steele, Zayac, Quintin Johnson and Chris Sturm were tested as a whole, competing against nine other high school teams at the state championship.
Each team plays three games where a combined score is tallied. According to a few fans, it was exciting bowling with Sussex Tech coming back from a sixth place spot when, after a lane switch, they rallied back to a second place spot.
Coach Chad Gasorik outlined the scene:
“The first game we bowled a 963 and Montville bowled a 1132 putting us in sixth position and 169 pins down. In the second game we were bowling on the same pair of lanes with Montville; they bowled a 983, and we bowled a 1083 gaining 100 pins back.”
The pressure was really on with the start of the final game when the bowlers knew they had a good shot at first place.
“Going into the third game I told the team the same thing I have been telling them for the past four years: one frame, one game at a time,” Gasorik said.
The action was further heightened when it came down to opposing Montville High School needing two strikes in the tenth frame. Only one was achieved, giving Sussex Tech the win by three pins: 3110 to 3107.
Senior Johnson bowled his last game for the school.
“I did pretty good. It’s been a great four years,” said Johnson, who will be attending Sussex County Community College next fall. “
The bowling coach called it a monumental win and believes he got a little bit of help from above.
“I am so proud of this team, and I have asked God everyday to be the best coach I can be and to have my team bowl the best that they can. And he definitely heard my prayer because we are state champions again.”
For more results go to www.njschoolsports.com.