Kieryn Knox competes in a match last season.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange High School bowlers Kieryn Knox and Taylor Mills won the boys’ and girls’ titles, respectively, at the Super Essex Conference/Essex County individual tournament held at Bowlero Lanes in Belleville on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Knox and Mills qualified for the tournament based on their stellar performances at the SEC/Essex County team tournament held two days earlier at Bowlero Lanes.
At the individual tournament, Knox finished first with a series of 803 with games of 257, 258 and 288. He was then seeded No. 1 in the stepladder finals which consisted of the top-five high-series finishers. Seton Hall Prep’s KC Campbell was third with a series of 705 with games of 232, 203 and 270.
Campbell lost to Barringer’s Chris Pardo, 231-223 in Match 2 of the stepladder finals.
Knox defeated Padro, 206-204, in the final match of the stepladder finals to win the boys championship.
Meanwhile, Mills also finished first with a 550 series with games of 170, 194 and 186.
In the final match of the stepladder finals, Mills defeated Livingston’s Caitlin Mullen, 203-177, to win the girls title.
At the team tournament, Seton Hall Prep won the boys team title with a 2,849 score. Campbell had the third-highest series at 670. Seton Hall Prep’s John Cirelli finished eight with a 609 series. Cirelli also qualified for the individual tournament, which consisted of the top-12 finishers at the team tournament.
The West Orange boys finished second with a 2,762 score. Knox finished first with a 754 series and had the second-highest game at 267.
On the girls’ side at the team tournament, Mills finished first in both high game at 224 and series at 563.
Knox accepted an athletic scholarship to continue his bowling career at The Savannah College of Arts and Design in Atlanta.
The WOHS boys team competed at the North 1B, Group 4, state tournament at Lodi Lanes on Thursday, Feb. 10. WOHS finished third with a score of 2,657 and qualified as a wild-card entry for the state team finals on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Bowlero North Brunswick. Seton Hall Prep finished first with a 2,798 score. Knox finished seventh overall with a 662 score and qualified for the state individual finals on Friday, Feb. 18, at Bowlero North Brunswick. Mills also will compete in the state girls individuals finals on Feb. 18. At the girls sectionals on Feb. 5, Mills had a 539 series and finished 11th of the 20 girls who qualified for the state finals.
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