Ciara Solomon first Central Islip girls bowler to roll 300
Central Islip coach Noel Rivera congratulates Ciara Solomon for her 300 game before a Suffolk girls bowling match between Central Islip and Bay Shore at East Islip Lanes on Jan. 27. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Ciara Solomon achieved perfection at the Section XI singles/doubles tournament. The senior from Central Islip bowled a 300 and won the "A" singles tournament with a total score of 478 on Jan. 19 at East Islip Lanes.
"People started crowding around at about my eighth frame," Solomon said. "I was able to block everyone out at first, but then at about my 11th throw, I started to think that this was really serious, I was about to have it [perfect game]."
She bowled the 300 in her third game, after the first two counted toward her doubles score. She bowled a 178 in her fourth game, using the cushion from her 300 to finish ahead of Kailyn Bloch who finished with a 454.
Solomon became the first Lady Musketeer to roll a perfect game for Central Islip’s girls’ varsity bowling team in its 12 seasons of existence. She was also the first in the team’s history to bowl a 700 series, when she did it for the first time as a sophomore during the 2019-2020 season. Her teammate Leighanna Tolan has also reached the 700 mark since then.
"I feel like I’m an example, if I could bowl a 300 that means that any CI girl can do it," Solomon said.
Her 202.2 average is the 12th best mark in Suffolk and the second highest in the team’s history. Solomon and Tolan helped Central Islip achieve an undefeated regular season at 12-0.
"Even if I think I’m getting close to a 300, my focus is always on the next shot." Solomon said.
Wheeler gets second perfect game
Katelyn Wheeler notched her second 300 in less than a month’s time as she took home the "A" doubles crown with Longwood teammate Samantha Slocum. The tandem scored an 854 in two games. They finished just ahead of Dakota Collins and Kailyn Bloch of East Islip, who achieved a score of 849.
Wheeler’s first 300 was the first for a girl in Suffolk’s regular season since the 2016-17 season and the first in Longwood team history. She now also holds the distinction of being the only Longwood bowler, male or female, to roll two perfect games. Her strong bowling in the month of January has helped her raise her average from 197.5333 to 207.9167.
She bowled a 609 series in Longwood’s regular season finale against Sachem, helping Longwood hand Sachem its first loss and enabling the team to become Suffolk I co-champions.
Sachem boasts elite trio
The trio of sophomore Cira Arcangel, and seniors Shannon Darby, and Emily Kulkarni have been dominant for Sachem. The three each rank in the top eight in average in Suffolk. Arcangel is first with a 220.1714, Darby is fifth with a 208.6944, and Kulkarni is eighth with a 207.0833.
Kulkarni also ranks number one in Suffolk in match points with 34.00 and holds the second ranked high game this season at 297.
The team started off 11-0, losing just one of their first 33 games. Sachem finished as co-champion with Longwood at 11-1 after dropping the regular season finale against the Lions.
