SYRACUSE – Over 200 boys and girls took to the newly designed lanes at the Syracuse Oncenter convention Center on Saturday for the New York State Bowling Championships. Nine of those bowlers were from Chenango County vying for a title to bring home to their schools with seven making up the Norwich Boys Bowling team who competed in nine games in the earlier part of the day.

Brandyn Scott of Greene and Ed Fuller of Bainbridge-Guilford were two of the seven members that comprised the Section IV boys team that competed in the composite division during the evening session.

Kicking off the day at 8 a.m. were Nick Deady, Scott Manwarren, Cameron Birtch, AJ Little and Dylan Gladstone for the Purple Tornado.

As this was the first time any Norwich bowling team had reached this part of the season, the five boys displayed their jitters, taking some time to settle down and find their groove. By the third game, the Purple bowled an 826, finishing their morning pin total at 2304.

Norwich’s score after the three games seeded them seventh for their second session of three games.

Game four was again trying to find adjustments as they began to settle in. In the game, Manwarren bowled his highest pin total, a 201, to lead the Purple to a 777.

By game five, the Tornado team that had bowled to their way to states arrived. Norwich scored a 921 in the game, the second highest of all teams in game five. Gladstone rolled a 207 in game five, his highest of the day at that point.

“I think the boys are settling in,” said Norwich head coach Art Rigas. “They are relaxed and they are bowling the way they are capable of bowling. They are picking up their spares, following their lines and they just seem like they are having more fun.

Also bowling their highest game in the same game were Deady with a 179 and Birtch, who tallied a 195.

The Purple Tornado’s best game of the afternoon pushed them from the seventh spot up to fourth with one game to bowl.

Using their momentum from game five, Norwich continued to climb. Gladstone bettered his 206 to post a 211 in the final game, the overall sixth highest single game score throughout the 50 bowlers in the Division 2 boys group.