Olathe Northwest’s Wood is All-Metro girls bowler of the year

Reflecting on her senior season, Olathe Northwest bowler Jennifer Wood couldn’t recall any three-game series in which she scored below 515 or any in which she rolled better than 640.

“I’ve always been a consistent bowler,” Wood said. “When I go into a meet, my main goal is to stay (around) my average. If I’m way over, that’s great. But I aim for consistency more than anything.”

And that, in the end, is why she is The Star’s All-Metro girls bowler of the year. Wood was consistent all season — her 199.7 per-game average illustrates that point.

And while she didn’t place quite as high at her final Kansas state tournament as she would have liked, Wood rolled a 581 three-game series and medaled with an 18th-place finish at the Class 6A state meet. That was a fine ending to a season that also included a second-place finish at the very competitive Sunflower League championships, a third-place finish at the Olathe city meet and a fourth-place finish at her 6A regional tournament.

She bowled three seasons for the Ravens after moving from Iowa, but she’s been bowling competitively in leagues since she was 7 years old. It started as a social outlet.

“What’s really kept me in it for so long (is) just the success that I’ve had,” Wood said.

As a sophomore, Wood was 13th at the 6A state tournament. As a junior, she placed third. And as a senior, she medaled again.

She was consistent throughout and will continue her bowling career at Newman University in Wichita.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-04-10 00:36:01

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