- November 4, 2024
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In her freshman year, bowler Kiersten Miller and the Matanzas Lady Pirates made it all the way to the bowling state finals. The next year, Miller returned. No one else did.
One of the bowlers graduated. Two of Miller’s teammates transferred to other schools, and another decided to quit. Miller was aware of the fact that her chances to win her dropped to impossible, but she decided to continue to play.
“I treat the matches like their practices,” she said. “Although I can’t win as a team, I can still go further as an individual.”
Miller has been bowling since she was three years old. Her dad, Larry Miller, owned a bowling alley in Carlyle, Indiana, when Miller was younger. She began bowling as an individual, her high score being a 258, but Miller doesn’t want to end her high school years without a team.
“Having a team makes you feel like you’re a part of something, like you belong,” Miller said. “I’d like to have a team in the future.”
Matanzas High School has an enrollment of over 1500 students, but last year only one girl represented the school as a bowler.
This year, first-year bowler Nicole Panepinto joined Miller on the Lady Pirates’ bowling team.
“It’s a lot more fun having her on the team, because I’m not the only girl anymore,” Miller said. “The guys have always supported me, but having a girl on the team is a lot different.”
First-year head coach Tom Deceglie, along with Miller, has developed Panepinto as a bowler.
“She’s (Miller) been tremendous as a mentor for me,” Panepinto said. Panepinto has been able to consistently increase her score, since she began playing at the beginning of the season. Her high score, thus far, is 164.
Miller and Panepinto will continue to lose, if they don’t get any help from their peers. Losing never feels good. It feels even worse, when there isn’t a chance of winning.
FPC bowling beats crosstown rival, Matanzas, in regular season finale
In their second and last meeting of the season, both Flagler Palm Coast bowling teams won their matches against crosstown rivals, the Matanzas Pirates, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Palm Coast Lanes.
FPC’s Max Stegeman began his round with 10 straight strikes, but on the 11th attempt, he only knocked down eight pins to end his perfect game.
“The nerves came in around the 10th frame,” Stegeman said. “My hands, my arms and my legs got tight. It was a lot of pressure.” Stegeman finished with a 286.
John Tamayo rolled a 237 and a 201 in both rounds to help lead the Bulldogs past the Pirates. D’John James recorded a 199 and 233, and Anthony Brown scored a 201 in his second round.
Christian Sikes remained hot for the Pirates, recording his 24th and 25th 200 games (227 and 247) of the season, by far a Matanzas school record. Teammates and fellow seniors, Domenic Lagana and Brad Reed finished their high school careers with a 208 and 183, respectively. They were all honored before the match.
Shelby Taulbee led the Lady Bulldogs over the Lady Pirates with a 213 and 225. Tori Pease and Alana Gerberman rolled a 180 and a 176 respectively. Kiersten Miller, for the Lady Pirates, scored a 204 in her second round.
“I was glad that all three of the seniors got to play in their last match,” coach Frank Novak said. “They showed how special they were.”
