Gavin Courtney made sure he couldn’t lose.
That’s because the Garden Spot bowler rolled a 300 game in the final to win the boys title at the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Bowling Championships Friday at Clearview Lanes, Mount Joy.
The performance highlighted a dizzying two weeks for Courtney, who is just a sophomore, after also winning the District Three Championships last week.
And it was just part of an outstanding day for the Lancaster-Lebanon League as Penn Manor senior Eva Brubaker took the girls title, defeating fellow L-L competitor Taylor Miller of Warwick.
“I’m excited that I was able to go back-to-back,” said Courtney, “being the No. 1 seed again and winning two matches like I did last week. I just had a feeling of what I needed to do and I executed.”
He’ll have a chance to add to his postseason haul at the state tournament in two weeks — but he’ll also have two more years to do it again. It was the last chance for Brubaker.
“It feels amazing,” she said. “It’s amazing to end it like this.”
As can happen with bowling, both were at the mercy of ... well, some luck.
“I was nervous, because during this whole season I’ve gotten beaten by luck,” said Brubaker. “But today was my day to have luck.”
The biggest stroke of luck may have been in the quarterfinals, which she won in a roll-off against Paige Aucker of Midd-West. They tied 215-215, with Brubaker finishing with four straight strikes, then watching Aucker get a strike and leaving a 10-pin on the second ball in the 10th. Aucker did pick up the spare for the tie, but Brubaker won 49-38 in the ninth- and 10th-frame roll-off.
Courtney received similar good fortune.
“I was shocked, because I don’t even think I should have been (in the final), because of the (semifinal) match,” said Courtney.
That was because Mechanicsburg’s Jackson Coy had a chance to defeat Courtney in the semifinals, but his second ball in the 10th, just like that of Aucker, left a stubborn 10-pin, giving Courtney a 225-223 victory.
“I’m over-the-moon proud, I really am,” said Garden Spot coach Susan Doerrman. “I feel like he’s got the power, he’s got the focus, he’s got everything that goes with it. He’s not just throwing it out there.”
Apparently, Courtney decided to leave no doubt in the final.
“I definitely wanted to end on a high note,” he said. “I didn’t expect to end on that high of a note.”
Courtney defeated Joseph McNally of Archbishop Ryan, who rolled a 194, in the final.
ESP seemed to be at play Friday. Doerrman said Courtney’s father taped his son’s final match, thinking something big might happen.
On the girls side, Penn Manor coach Chris Vital said earlier in the day that he “had a feeling.”
“I was going in, even before this match even started, saying I’m going to win; I’m going to win,” said Brubaker. “And that’s what I did.”
Brubaker started her semifinal with three strikes, but a single-pin miss by opponent Isabella Hopper of Berwick helped pave the way for a 216-194 win.
In the final, Brubaker’s string of three strikes from the fourth-sixth frames were key, as were three more in the ninth through 10th. Bowling last in the 10th, she let out a shout when her 9-pin count on the second ball clinched the 201-196 win.
“I’m just elated, absolutely elated,” said Vital. “I’m so happy for her. First singles regional champion (for Penn Manor) in 20 years since I’ve been coaching. She was just spot on all day long.”
Courtney emerged from the five games of qualifying — boys qualified at Leisure Lanes, Mountville — with the top score of 1,239 pins, 79 more than No. 2 qualifier McNally. The only other L-L boys bowler among the top 12 who advanced to the modified bracket-style final — and also qualified for states — was Hempfield junior Priest McKenzie. He qualified sixth, but didn’t advance out of the opening-round quad matches.
Brubaker was third and Miller fourth in girls qualifying, giving them byes into the quarterfinals. Miller won 214-192, then outlasted Rayana Gonzalez of Central Dauphin East, who ousted Brubaker and L-L champion Morgan Kline in last week’s District Three bracket finals, 245-240 in the semifinals.
The Pennsylvania State High School Bowling Championships will be March 15-16 at Leisure Lanes.
