Mineola's Michaela Palumbo wins Nassau girls bowling title
Michaela Palumbo of Mineola gets congratulated after winning the the Nassau girls bowling individual championship at AMF Garden City Lanes on Tuesday. Credit: James Escher
Say one thing for Mineola’s fabulous freshman bowling twosome of Michaela Palumbo and Kelsey Morrison — they’re certainly resilient.
On Saturday, the Mineola girls bowling team lost in a bowl-off to the Bellmore-Merrick District squad for the Nassau team championship.
"Saturday was very upsetting," Palumbo said. "We thought we had it. But when I saw that we came in second for the second year in a row I thought, ‘I’m going to do this [win an individual title] for my team, and for my coach, and I also wanted to do it for myself.’ "
Mission accomplished on all points.
Palumbo rolled games of 201, 186, 224, 226, 180 and 219 for a 1,236 six-game series to win the Nassau girls individual bowling championship at AMF Garden City Lanes on Tuesday afternoon.
"I’m not going to lie, I didn’t expect to do that [to win]," Palumbo said. "I’m only 15, so I didn’t expect it."
Freeport’s Melissa Bell — who was tied for 11th in average (172.333) among Nassau bowlers during the regular season — put on a great performance and was second with a 1,215. Division’s Brillian Soedarmasto was third (1,173). Morrison (1,106) placed fourth and Valley Stream District’s Tiffany Wong was fifth (1,076).
The top group of bowlers were in a tight match throughout the afternoon. When it came down to the sixth and final game, Bell (1,035) was in first, followed by Palumbo (1,017) and Soedarmasto (953).
"I didn’t want to know in the beginning [how I was doing] because I didn’t want to psych myself out," said Palumbo, who finished second last season as an eighth grader in the same event by just 32 pins. "I knew before the fifth game I was in first.
"Then I bowled a 180, and that kind of brought me down a little bit. But I rolled a 219 and I came out on top. . . . We really wanted to come out on top because [coach] Mr. [Mark] Miller has never been with a team like this before, but now that I won this, it’s kind of redemption."
Miller, a Class of 1976 Mineola alumnus who recently retired after teaching for more than 40 years, was pleased for his young, talented bowlers.
"To have two freshman go first and fourth in the county? I’m psyched," said Miller with a big smile. "I’ll tell you something — I’m going to coach the girls team until these two graduate."
Sounds like a plan, Coach.
