Lyon, Leech shooting for dual state titles

For Matt Lyon and Payton Leech, a slightly better finish from 2009 in the TSSAA's individual state bowling tournament Thursday and Friday would be a splendid tuneup for their main reason to be in Smyrna, Tenn.

Each is among three finalists for state bowler of the year in his or her classification, and Lyon won that honor last year as a Soddy-Daisy sophomore and finished second by seven pins in the Division I boys' individual event. Leech, now a GPS senior, finished third among Division II girls although it was her first year to bowl competitively.

After the individual finals Friday morning at the Smyrna Bowling Center, Lyon and Leech will attempt to lead their teams to inaugural state titles. Both are considered very viable contenders, as is coach Joshua Deitrick's undefeated McCallie team in the Division II boys' tournament.

"I'd rather the team win than me doing well myself," said Lyon, an individual qualifer for the third year in a row. "I think we can do fine as long we make our spares. That's the secret to it."

Last year the Trojans missed out as a team by losing in a home sectional to eventual state champion Smyrna.

"The individuals are kind of just a bonus," Leech said. "If you win you get a ring, but if you share that it's so much better."

She knows that feeling as a pitcher for the GPS softball program that has won three consecutive state championships. She recruited three other softball players and three volleyball players as well as her sister Sydney to join the Bruisers bowlers this year.

Although Hillary Holmes graduated after finishing fourth in the individual state last year, Leech and coach Jenise Gordon think this year's team is stronger.

The Bruisers finished third last year, falling in the semifinals to the St. Benedict team that beat St. Agnes in the Division II girls' final. St. Agnes junior Tori Henson finished one spot ahead of Leech in the 2009 individual tourney, and they are first and second in DII game averages for 2010.

"St. Agnes is better than ever," Gordon said, and indeed the Stars from Memphis have seven bowlers among the top 12 individual qualifiers. "We have three qualifiers, but we have three others who qualified based on average but didn't have enough matches. It's a good group. It's been an absolute joy to work with them."

Kara Maynord and Caitlin Davidson are the other Bruisers in the individual state, and Taylor Richards was a snowed-out match away from qualifying.

Soddy-Daisy's even deeper boys' team has a second-timer in Allyn Pickett and senior Wesley Williams in the individual competition along with Lyon, and the Lady Trojans have repeaters in Sara Merritt and Niki Bell plus freshman Kylee Saunders. Saunders had not asked her teammates for state advice as of mid-afternoon Monday, she admitted, but said she planned to.

"I'm mainly looking at this as experience for the future," she said.

Lyon, by contrast, acknowledged that he's "used to it," including the changing from the "house shot" oil pattern to the tougher "sport shot" for the late stages of the individual tourney. That requires more precise bowling.

Chattanooga Christian senior Ian Hutchison is another individual returner, and CCS coach Gene Nelson said "the sport shot caused him problems last year, but he knows what to expect this time."

CCS freshman Hannah Goodwin is a first-timer who "can do well if she gets off to a good start," Nelson said.

McMinn County's Chasity Adler takes Region 4's best girls' average (184) into the Division I individual event, followed by Soddy-Daisy's Bell and Walker Valley's Lauren Smeltzer at 173. McCallie's Kevin Lutz and John Mason Harbison and Baylor's Michael Huang have top-10 DII boys' qualifying averages.